Should trunk chops be fertilized????

I've searched around and haven't found any info about this. I plan on buying a large (5-6 foot) Bald Cypress in about a month or so, just want to provide the best care I can. Any info would be helpful, thanks.

G

Yes.

Thanks Jim! I received a few gift cards to local nurseries so I'm keeping an eye out for good stock. I also spoke with a woman from our local bonsai club and I'll be joining on the 27th! Can't wait for Spring (good thing our planting season starts soon here)!!! Do you by chance know of any online suppliers of wire? Like all other things "Bonsai", our selection down here is dismal Thanks again for all your help.

G

You should have a lot of people who are very familiar with working on bald cypress down here.

Wire is wire. Most any bonsai supplier should be abl to supply you with it. Try www.bonsaimonk.com or www.stonelantern.com

Gentleman G. wrote:I've searched around and haven't found any info about this. I plan on buying a large (5-6 foot) Bald Cypress in about a month or so, just want to provide the best care I can. Any info would be helpful, thanks.

G

It's not clear what you mean by your question, "Should trunk chops be fertilized?" I guess you mean should the tree be fertilized after you chop the trunk, and the answer is yes. But the overall care for your tree may be more complicated. Are you buying standard nursery stock? If so, then it'll come in a standard deep nursery pot, meaning you'll need to cut off a lot of the root mass to make the roots shallow enough to fit in a bonsai pot. Do this when you chop the trunk (use a saw and just saw the mass flat). Another issue this will address/correct is the potential for a root-bound specimen. You want fresh new roots to go along with the new apex and branching you'll be growing. Plus you won't need to worry about the tree drying out in summer. After a tree's been in a nursery container too long, the roots run to the edge and coil around. This becomes the spot where most of the new feeder roots grow, and it's where they dry out super fast once spring is over. So once you cut the roots back, give the new ones extra room to grow while you're in the development phase. They can be cut back to fit in a bonsai container in one to three years, after your apex and branching are where they need to be.

There's plenty more, of course, but you should be able to get a lot of good advice from your local club members.

Good luck!

Zach

Thanks, Zach! I guess I should have been more clear. I had read about all the other things you mentioned just wasn't sure about the fertilization part. And, surprisingly enough, none of the plants I've purchased from the nurseries have been too root bound (at least not as bad as I expected). I haven't done much to any of my plants though, trying my hardest to be patient... I just keep checking the nurseries, snatching up what I think has potential. I appreciate the detailed response though, thanks for being so thorough!

G