Taxodium distichum (Bald cypress) seedlings in zone 8

I don't want to steal our American friend with a Scot sounding user name's message about his wonderful twin-trunk bald cypress, but to answer our British cyclomotorist's question about Taxodium distichum, here is what some of mine look like in zone 8 (much warmer and drier in the summer and colder in the winter than in Manchester).

So, Harleyrider:

I stratified the seeds in winter 2004. In spring 2005, about 20-25 % had germinated. I was about to give up any hope of seeing any germinate when they decided to live up, in late April-March.

- May 2008: I had put some of the seedling in a styrofoam box the year before, the bottom filled with coarse pozzolane (1 to 3 cm) covered with black plastic, and about 3 cm of a 30% pine bark and pozzolane (0.3 - 0.5 cm) so the roots would flatten, but get moisture from the layer below. I was just experimenting !





- In October 2008, I cut back the trunks to about 1/3 and wired up some branches to make new leaders.





- In April 2009, I put some of them in a tray.



- May 2009:



- August 2009:



OK, it isn't ready for the Kokufu-ten yet

But it's fun: I've seen lots of wonderful bald cypresses, akmost all of them were single trees, pyramyd-shaped, and had dead wood (thunder-stricken type).

I'm fattening a couple of seedlings to that aim, but I thought it woukld be fun to have a go at something different. I must have caught the "Douanier Rousseau" virus I'm afraid...

Pretty impressive results, Alain.

Different is good, imho. Progress is only made by experimentation.

I think I've just convinced Kev to part with some of his excess cypress, so hopefully I'll be able to post some pics later in the year.

I'd really, really, really advise you to put each of those into a 12x12x6 inch grow box of its own and just let then go for 3 or 4 more years.

They're just now at the age when some of those leaflets will stay aboard as branches, and you'll want to let these grow.

JimLewis wrote:I'd really, really, really advise you to put each of those into a 12x12x6 inch grow box of its own and just let then go for 3 or 4 more years.

They're just now at the age when some of those leaflets will stay aboard as branches, and you'll want to let these grow.

Actually, I agree with you: it was time this year to put them out of the styrofoam box and since I didn't have many containers ready, I just thought I would put them in a flat tray so that the roots begin to form a nice star-shaped base. I think i will follow your advice next spring so that they can fatten up a bit.