Bald Cypress

Hi to all I am a recent new member. This is my bald cypress, it is in the second year of development. What do you think? Also any pot recomendations

I really like your tree! the base is really nice and old looking...the pot to me is a good color it look good but to me it is too small something larger the same type would be good... take care nicetree john

Thanks John
The pot it's in was the biggest I had at the time. I too like the color I am thinking maybe round?
Mitch

I notice your in LA

Was that a Yamadori? Excelent tree, amazing you can take them that far after only two years!

MOTM
Thanks , It is a yamdori collected by Guy Guidry a little more than three years ago. These trees are extremely fast growers. If you play your cards right you can get three or four seasons of development it just 1 calendar year.
Mitch

Mitch,

I think a round pot is inappropriate for a tree this formal and upright. The tree needs to be planted deeper in whatever you go with. I'd go with a formal retangle or oval.

Actually, it's a "swampdori", ain't no yamas in Louisiana.

R

Hi Russell
Where should I look for a extra large pot like this. It's in a 16"x 21"x 4" Oval now so about how much larger? Also what color? Red or brown unglazed?

Datz pho sho ain't no yammas Up in here! Ha ha ha
Mitch

Mitch Thomas wrote:Hi Russell
Where should I look for a extra large pot like this. It's in a 16"x 21"x 4" Oval now so about how much larger? Also what color? Red or brown unglazed?

Datz pho sho ain't no yammas Up in here! Ha ha ha
Mitch

Yenchin at Osiga Pottery has some decent, big pots that are relatively inexpensive.

Thanks John Q
That is a good site, and good prices. What's your choice SQ, Rect, approx size ?
M

John
The largest I have found is 25 x 18 1/2 x 3 1/4 # 32 c-4 what do ya think?
Mitch

He also has a 23.5"x19.25"x4.75" if you want it a little deeper. Email him as he may have a few pots in sizes not on the website. Of course, the many fine potters on this site may have or could make a pot to order and perhaps they will chime in. Shipping a large pot is not cheap.

Hi Mitch,
Fabulous cypress you have! There are two eBay vendors which often sell large Chinese pots for relatively cheap prices. There are Kent Bonsai Store and Forbidden City. If you are familiar with eBay, go into a search for "garden supplies" and type in Zisha Bonsai Pot and or Yixing Bonsai Pot. I have bought nice pots from both of them and they pack them well. You might find something for your tree for under $100 which includes shipping.
Best, Todd

Thanks John Q
Ok I see it now must have over looked it the first time. Yea I know what you mean about the shipping. I was kinda concerned about thier shipping policy. I never have had it quite explanded like that. I tought about making my own pot but the larger pots are very tricky for a neophyte like me.


Thanks Todd E
I will try the ebay thing, you never know what you mite find there.

Thanks again
Mitch

Hi Mitch,
Lovely tree there.
A bald Cypress found its way to the island of Cyprus through Holland, about 1 metre high. I have it for 1 year now and i just wanted to make sure that it can survive and thrive before doing anything on it. It does pretty well but i havent started working on it yet.

How do you get on with branch ramification?? Do you let the branches grow and then cut back hard (and again)?
The picture shows the tree in its state today (a month and a half ago...today is in full leaf)
Thank you in advance.

Thanks Stavros
Man You B C is looking great. How long have you been working on it? I love the dual design aspect , twin trunk , dead top , hollow trunk . Looks very natural. Is your climate tropical?
Here I am a subtropical area with ony a hand full of days below frezzing.
I start my my cycle of development in late January cutting it back moderately and re- wireing, then after the tree leafs out in March here I start super feeding and let grow out until late late april here and totaly defoliate by stripping the folliage by hand in one motion from the begining of the stem to the end. It seems harsh but it helps the tree recouperate faster. and any week stems will be elemenated then. Then rewire every thing and let grow out again and resume super feeding. Then I'll let go until August I will remove all wire and defoliate one last time, but this time I will not rewire. The tree will have time to leaf out and harden off before winter sets in, which is about late October when they go dormant. Also in August I will keep the tree in a tub of water during the hottest part of the summer Bald Cypress will not tollerate drought at all! Next I will let the tree go until late January when the cycle starts over again.

I think after next year it will be mostly a clip and grow thing.

I know you are probably in a totlay different climate, so this is how we grow them here in the southern United States, so you will have to adjust to your climate.

Sorry to be so long winded, hopes this helps

Mitch

Hi Mitch,

Thank you so much for taking the time to explain the way you work on it.

I have the tree in my possession for a bit more than a year. I haven't done much except for some wiring and observing its behaviour. I live in a mediterranean country, where the summer we get from 38 up to 45C (= 100-115F!!) throughout August with humidity 70-90% and mild winters (very rare frosts).

The tree is fed aggressively.
I will follow your advice on defoliation and see how it goes. Mainly i want to achieve secondary branching and fine ramification.

Thank you and sorry for "pirating" your topic !!!!

Stavros
No problem shareing information is what its all about. It sounds like our climates are much the same.

Mitch

Mitch,
First off, you've got a great looking tree and you've done really well with it.
You mentioned in your 'cycle of development', "totally defoliate...rewire everything and...August...defoliate one last time..."
I do much the same cycle except stripping leaves; super feeding, water/water/water and more water, plus a hefty amount of cypress leaf mulch, etc. (I needed to increase trunk girth and increase height.)
I understand defoliation of some trees species but why defoliate a bald cypress?

ironman

Beautiful trees here. Is the 2nd image a true twin trunk, or just a smaller tree placed next to the larger, will the eventually fuse?

I just picked up a few smaller Cypress in nursery containers. now I'm at the point of figuring out what it is I am going to be doing with them. I'm currently thinking a forest planting since there is another native nursery down the road that I can get something much larger to be a tree to stand on it's own.

I've read elsewhere that it works well, but wanted info first hand from someone that's done it on their own. Air layering bald cypress... yea or nea?

Thanks in advance

Mitch Thomas Fri May 06, 2011 12:12 am

Thanks ironman
The biggest advantage I see is that in bald cypress will back bud much more over the entire tree. These buds turn into secondy and tertuary branching advancing ramifacation faster. If you only do say a partial defoliation the part that was not defoliated will advance much faster, and the rest will bud slower. Creating a unbalance that is harder to over come. After the nessasary ramifacation is achieved it becomes a clip and grow situation.

I would say my cypress trees stand in a tray of water 10 months out of the year. while in development. when they are developed to show qualty I only keep them in a water tray for 3 months, mainly to help keep the leaves small. Another thing we do here is to place visqueen or plastic sheet to totaly cover the bottom of the pot to slow water loss. This works great We also plant in 100% miricle grow moister control potting mix. this also helps with max. water retention.

The only way I know of to increase trunk girth is to plant the tree in the ground. Height is no problem just it go.

All of these tips come from many different teachers Guy Guidry , Vaughn Banting , Joe Day and many members of N.O. and Mobile clubs.

Hope this helps You should have come to N.O. last show Jim Osborne had his Flat top there it is very impressive


Mitch Thomas

Thanks LordofBeckly
Bald Cypress (Taxodium Ditchum) where is spell check when u need it, Make great forrest plantings.

If you have the place to plant one in the ground near some water you will have a tree large enough to stand on its own in a few short years.

As far as airlayering, I never have ,I have friends that have. I never really had the need to working mostly on collected trees.
Mitch

Good taper on your BC.

In addition to Yen try Christine with Chinabi.com for a large pot.
They are bead Pensacola which is fairly cloe to NO and can save you some Shipping $.

Thanks Rob
I will deffinately get on that we are heading that way next weekend!
M

Hey Mitch,

Great tree and an out of the world taper. From the moment I looked at it, I could see Guy Guidry's (I guess bald cypress are his favorite species) touch. I am sure it is in your safe hands now. Great styling and I am sure the tree would get better in the years to come.

Ravi

Thanks Ravi
Yes Guy was one of my first teachers. He is a very carismatic teacher and artist. He and his first study group were the first here to develop the technique for making taper on these trees.

They are a fun specie to work with.

Thanks again
Mitch