Species Study - Taxodium distichum

[Srt8madness]

Nice! Interesting how there is some overlap of the trunk above the cut. Perhaps cutting the wedge at a different angle would allow a bit closer alignment?

Appreciate the experimentation you're doing that the rest of us can learn from.

 

[Cajunrider]

Nice! Interesting how there is some overlap of the trunk above the cut. Perhaps cutting the wedge at a different angle would allow a bit closer alignment?

Appreciate the experimentation you're doing that the rest of us can learn from.

I made a mistake in cutting the wedge. After making the cut, I figured out the right way is to put a pin in the back then tie a string to the pin. Using the pin as the pivot point and the string length on the opposite side of the pin to find the second angle with a match on the length. That will get you close but it will never be an exact match. This is why we often see wedge cut with multiple tiny slices. The problem is the probability of success decreases with the increase in the number of cuts.

 

[Cajunrider]

Growing fast.
What do you think about doing bridge grafting using some of the new branches to close the carving wounds?
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Wired 1/1/2024

 

[Cajunrider]

I've learned to bend the crap out of the top of the BC that I want to do a flat top. This set you up for a good flat top. In the below example, the top of this tree was bent below horizontal. True to its nature the tree responded by quickly forming a fast grow new apex.


The new apex became a sacrifice branch. At wiring time the big tip or the bent down branch was also chopped. Doing it this way, I have flat top branches already in the right angle with good taper as well.

 

[Cajunrider]

Just to give you an idea on how fast a healthy collected BC can be developed.
Tree 1 was collected 4 months ago


Tree 2 was collected February 2023




The tops side by side

 

[Joe Dupre']

Your collecting grounds must be very different than mine. I rarely find trees of that size with branches down that low. I almost always have to start with a bare stump. Great specimens.

 

[Cajunrider]

This past weekend I pruned and wired 4 BC forests. All those forests were newly formed so I let them grow freely to develop the root mass. Now that the root masses were all in good shape, I am formulating a plan to develop low branches. Since BCs are very apical, I am going to aggressively prune the tops to keep the top sparse and allow sunlight to go below for the low branches. I will post the results in the progression of the forests.

 

[Cajunrider]

What would happen if you twist the hell out of a BC seedling like you would a juniper or JBP?

 

[KateM]

What would happen if you twist the hell out of a BC seedling like you would a juniper or JBP?

Try and find out?

 

[Maiden69]

What would happen if you twist the hell out of a BC seedling like you would a juniper or JBP?

I don't think too exaggerated twists would look good on a BC, but it is doable. Keep in mind that because of the rapid growth rate in water, the wire will bite with weeks. Also, that once you remove the wire the seedling is going to do everything in his power to get straight again. So wire/unwire/wire/unwire constantly until you are sure it will hold the shape, and even then, it will soften the tight curves in time.






This one was wired as tight as the one above, took the wire off and in a week it softened the bend. This one will probably undergo a small chop to see if I can make a shohin with it. I haven't looked at them lately, but I'm sure the bases should be a little flared by now.

 

[tigerscott79]

Love It!!!

Thanks for participating!

I've never grown this particular species.

*austrian bodybuilder accent* Post some pictures! I want to see the stumps!

I personally imagine @Cajunrider have the great voice of Gambit off Xmen haha. "Hey mon Cher we about to dance , you feeling lucky.... " Bald cypress blushes , take me away daddy!" im bad ik (take no offense to my @cajunim goofy at times.

 

[Srt8madness]

I twisted some months old seedlings during the heat of the summer, they hated it (several died). Will try again in Spring. I expect to make a smaller shohin type, a combo of wire + clip n grow will be required. I.e.make first bend, chop, grow, make next bend, chop, grow, etc.

 

[Cajunrider]

I personally imagine @Cajunrider have the great voice of Gambit off Xmen haha. "Hey mon Cher we about to dance , you feeling lucky.... " Bald cypress blushes , take me away daddy!" im bad ik (take no offense to my @cajunim goofy at times.

Nah.
It's more like Cajunrider goes to the swamp, rips the big ones up limb from limb, then looks at the trembling seedlings: "Do you feel lucky, punks?"

 

[tigerscott79]

Nah.
It's more like Cajunrider goes to the swamp, rips the big ones up limb from limb, then looks at the trembling seedlings: "Do you feel lucky, punks?"

least your didnt say the chuck noris line haha . you have any videos of your explorations with the bald cypress digs, before you move that would be awesome way to remember them and show how its done cajun style

 

[Joe Dupre']

What would happen if you twist the hell out of a BC seedling like you would a juniper or JBP?

Well, I don't really know .......BUT. This is pond cypress grown from seed. This is the shape it had when it sprouted with no help from me.

 

[pandacular]

I found a rival for Batman. This one has a knee!

 

[Cajunrider]

I found a rival for Batman. This one has a knee!

Very nice!

 

[Cajunrider]

This tree used to have a straight trunk with an uneven base that was not good enough for the formal straight trunk. I bent the heck out of it using a cargo strap and a piece of 2x4 for leverage.
Looking decent today.

 

[Cajunrider]

Collected a 2” trunk 6 ft BC yesterday. I was thinking about chopping it super short for shohin but thought the trunk has some promise. I split the trunk, wrapped it, and made a bunjin. The tree has a low chance of survival because it was under extreme heat stress and now subjected to this severe root prune and bending.
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Waking up healthy in the spring

 

[Maiden69]

I have bb's all over but no green yet. Waiting a little longer to repot all of them, going to be a hectic day for sure, especially with the one that has a not of roots. Not sure if I am going to leave them all, or try to slowly eliminate them. I am hoping that there are enough feeder roots from the bottom of the trunk. If not then it will definitely be a miracle if it survives. At least knowing what I know now, this won't happen again.

Picture from SEP 2023, trunk was chopped in the move and it is sitting on a slightly higher "barrel pot" as the one it is planted on.