Starting from nursery stock Bald Cypress

[Native Tree12]

Hi All
I'm new in Florida in reading a bit on Bald Cypress .. watched some of the videos on you tube All excellent . ..My question is 2 fold I bought a 15 gallon Bad cypress that was root bound with a big circle pot root about 5 months ago ..I transplanted it to a 25..Should I root trim it a bit/ this winter put it back in the 25..or go back to a 15 gallon then either way let it grow again next summer reducing the height trying to get more lower branching ..Or do i dare take a bigger step this winter on the root pruning ..

Thanks
Native tree

 

[JoeH]

do it in the spring right when new buds start to swell. BC can take a lot of root reduction. I keep mine in standing water till they go dormant, then they are still in non draining pots that I keep from drying out. Where in FLA?

 

[choppychoppy]

If it were mine end of Feb I would chop the tree down to about 2/3 of what the final size will be. Then cut the rootball back hard to fit in a container close to what the ultimate size will be. Develop from there.

 

[WNC Bonsai]

I bought three at Lowes this past summer and chopped them down to about 3’ tall, they were originally about 8’ tall. They grew well and developed some nice branching over the summer and next spring I plan to whack back the roots severely and put all three into a single large training pot that I got from Dallas Bonsai. Then develop them as a clump planting. Rom what I have seen on John Geanangel’s Youtube channel they can take it.

 

[Native Tree12]

do it in the spring right when new buds start to swell. BC can take a lot of root reduction. I keep mine in standing water till they go dormant, then they are still in non draining pots that I keep from drying out. Where in FLA?

Thanks, Yeah I read many have no drainage holes .. West coast south of Tampa ..

If it were mine end of Feb I would chop the tree down to about 2/3 of what the final size will be. Then cut the rootball back hard to fit in a container close to what the ultimate size will be. Develop from there.

 

[Native Tree12]

Thanks, Yeah I read many have no drainage holes .. West coast south of Tampa ..

Yeah that corresponds to what I was told from nursery place in Ft Myers ..winter trim roots only

 

[Cajunrider]

I bought 3 and air-layered 2 about roughly 1.5 months ago. I will trunk chop and repot all 3 this coming spring. I've been keeping them in flooded pots.

 

[Native Tree12]

I bought three at Lowes this past summer and chopped them down to about 3’ tall, they were originally about 8’ tall. They grew well and developed some nice branching over the summer and next spring I plan to whack back the roots severely and put all three into a single large training pot that I got from Dallas Bonsai. Then develop them as a clump planting. Rom what I have seen on John Geanangel’s Youtube channel they can take it.

really like John videos ..I like the putting it back in a larger pot to develop more branching idea ..Not sure it will develop the branches if I go too small on the roots to soon

 

[Native Tree12]

I bought 3 and air-layered 2 about roughly 1.5 months ago. I will trunk chop and repot all 3 this coming spring. I've been keeping them in flooded pots.

I stopped at a place in the panhandle this may I loved seeing his flooded no holes miniature wetlands look with small areas of open water
My head swims with ideas on what to do esp after watching John Video on You tube

 

[Cajunrider]

really like John videos ..I like the putting it back in a larger pot to develop more branching idea ..Not sure it will develop the branches if I go too small on the roots to soon

Mine are put in cutoff bottom 1/3 of plastic 55 gal drum. They will be in shallow soil but have a lot of room to spread out their roots. Based on videos I've seen, I think I got enough room for them to develop branches.

 

[JoeH]

I'll get a pic of mine this weekend, the pot is an inch or so below the water's surface now after Sunday's rain.

 

[Native Tree12]

Hi All
I'm new to in Florida in reading a bit on Bald Cypress .. watched some of the videos on you tube All excellent . ..My question is 2 fold I bought a 15 gallon Bad cypress that was root bound with a big circle pot root about 5 months ago ..I transplanted it to a 25..Should I root trim it a bit/ this winter put it back in the 25..or go back to a 15 gallon then either way let it grow again next summer reducing the height trying to get more lower branching ..Or do i dare take a bigger step this winter on the root pruning ..

Thanks
Native tree

View attachment 216300

I'll get a pic of mine this weekend, the pot is an inch or so below the water's surface now after Sunday's rain.

Thanks Joe
yes we needed the rain

 

[Native Tree12]

Mine are put in cutoff bottom 1/3 of plastic 55 gal drum. They will be in shallow soil but have a lot of room to spread out their roots. Based on videos I've seen, I think I got enough room for them to develop branches.

I like that idea giving them the width without the depth of a nursery pot ..I have a drum to cut .Yes to and branches also easier next time to a smaller pot

 

[Cajunrider]

I like that idea giving them the width without the depth of a nursery pot ..I have a drum to cut .Yes to and branches also easier next time to a smaller pot

Don't drill any drain holes in the bottom. Drill a couple drain holes on the side for maximum water level (for me it's 1/2" above soil line). Drill 3 holes on the edge to help keep the BC upright.

 

[JoeH]

Thanks Joe
yes we needed the rain

here you go. tree is currently as tall as me 5'9"from bottom of pot to tip. Army Men for scale. time for choppy choppy.

 

[Native Tree12]

I like that .. thank you ..nice lower branch size ..as the Native Plant nursery owner told me ..nursery plants are mostly all trimmed to remove the lower branches on tress like these ..
I am leaning toward root trimming this winter and leaving in the larger pot to promote as much lower growth as possible ..I just bought a Peter Chan Bonsai Secrets book and he
says starting with a bigger tree helps the process ..I like your new growth from the top ...and nice root structure ..I have a long way to go...

 

[Native Tree12]

I just actually looked at my plastic 55 gallon barrel.. That is very large diameter.. I think the 1/3 cutting off the barrel will work excellent hopefully giving enough outward root growth to form some lower branches As Cajunrider said

 

[Cajunrider]

I just actually looked at my plastic 55 gallon barrel.. That is very large diameter.. I think the 1/3 cutting off the barrel will work excellent hopefully giving enough outward root growth to form some lower branches As Cajunrider said

When you cut the barrel, cut a 4" ring from the center section that you are going to throw away anyway and slide it up from below. Then use a hammer and drive the ring upward as far as you can. This will stiffen up the side of the barrels to keep the barrel from deforming.

PS: I've learned that from using many barrels to grow tropical fruit trees in containers.

 

[Native Tree12]

Good idea thank you

When you cut the barrel, cut a 4" ring from the center section that you are going to throw away anyway and slide it up from below. Then use a hammer and drive the ring upward as far as you can. This will stiffen up the side of the barrels to keep the barrel from deforming.

PS: I've learned that from using many barrels to grow tropical fruit trees in containers.

Thank you for the tip ..excellent idea

 

[Native Tree12]

I cut my 55 gallon barrel the other day in preparation for the transfer ..and reading other threads i'm hopeful for increased size growing this submerged ..
Should I use an even larger container ,,I have a very large 100 gallon ? commercial container that I can plug the holes in ?