[header] How to prune a leyland cypress [title] Eliminate most side shoots in april the first year. [step] Your pruning tasks begin the first spring after you put the cypress in the ground. At the beginning of the growing season, look for the central, vertical branch at the plant's center. 
Select 3 or 4 of the side branches to keep as leaders. Use a pair of loppers to sever any other branches at the base.