How to Trim a Weeping Cypress

Cypress is a collective common name for more than a dozen species of coniferous, evergreen trees from the Cupressaceae botanical family. Cypresses are slow-growing trees that are well-suited for landscapes in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 9. Cultivars such as weeping nootka cypress (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis "Pendula") and weeping bald cypress (Taxodium distichum "Pendula") feature an attractive, pyramidal growing form with gently cascading branches. Weeping cypress trees need very little regular pruning. An occasional trim to remove problem limbs or control their size and shape usually is sufficient.

Pruning shears, lopping shears or hand saw.

Instructions

- 1
  Trim the weeping cypress tree with sharp, sterile pruning tools. Use pruning shears to cut limbs that are less than 3/4-inch-thick. Select lopping shears for branches up to 1-1/2 inches in diameter. Cut through branches that are thicker than 1-1/2 inches with a hand saw.
- 2
  Prune diseased, pest-infested or dead limbs from the weeping cypress anytime during the year to keep it healthy and looking its best.
- 3
  Check the weeping cypress tree after periods of bad weather, and immediately remove damaged or broken limbs.
- 4
  Prune weeping cypress to control its size, shape or the length of its limbs in the late winter or early spring, while the tree is in its dormant phase. Trim the weeping limbs back by no more than one-third their length in a single pruning; cut limbs back to a healthy leaf node when trimming to correct length.
- 5
  Make clean pruning cuts just outside of the branch collar when removing whole limbs. Cut through the limbs as cleanly as possible; jagged cuts and tears are more difficult for the tree to heal.

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