Montezuma Cypress Score (at least in my mind)

Took a trip to the local nursery today and found a bunch of Montezuma Cypress... (even though I call and said they didn't carry them ).
Anyway... it was $39.99 but they gave it to me for $29.99 cus the top had a few broken branches...HEHE.
I didn't have much luck with my Bald Cypress.... Not sure it was 100% my fault.... arrived with barely any roots... (bonsai lesson 372 paid for).
So this guy is super root bound in its pot... so much so I can't get the soil wet in the ball.... the guy at the nursery said it was safe to root prune still but I figure I would run it by ya'll. Ill save the chop for later on in the summer. Going to put it in a tub with drainage holes and use 50/50 pine bark and lava.... Good?


Pic not so great... there's actually some nice taper at the base. Ill post another pic later.


BONUS!!!!! Free praying mantis case!!!

AaronThomas said:

wet in the ball....

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@Vance Wood @M. Frary

He said wet in the ball!

Sorce

If it were up to me, Aaron, I wouldn't root prune or chop this time of year. Both are best done in early spring, as the buds begin to move.

It's a nice tree - it'll give you time to make a plan for what you'd like to accomplish.

sorce said:

He said wet in the ball!

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BHAHA! Phrasing sorry!

markyscott said:

I wouldn't root prune or chop this time of year

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I figured that would be the consensus... Its really budding all over the place and agree I should just let it sit this season.

BUT.....

I figured the very least I should put it into a larger training pot with some new soil. While I was mixing up some soil I decided to leave the hose on and soak the ball ( for @sorce ).
I left the tree leaning up against the wall because the bottom of the training pot was bulging with roots. I noticed a strange black shadow creeping up the wall… As I got closer I was surprised to see they were ants… A whole shitload of ants pouring out of the pot. I cut open the training pot to a zoo of creepy crawlies. There were ants, pill bugs, slugs, snails, roaches (yeah freaking roaches), worms, millipedes, teeny tiny white things. WTF
Quite the diverse ecosystem. There was a lot of new growth along the top and bottom of on one side of the pot… The other side was dry with lots of dead roots and black slime towards the bottom (do Montezuma Cypress roots rot... I thought not). I called the nursery and spoke to the manager… they were actually pretty cool and said I could do with it what I wanted and if it was dead in three months he would issue me a credit. Its not as if I were to return it they would be able to sell it.
Anyway, super long story short, I tried to loosen up and separate the living roots from the dried out and dead the best I could... but it was super tight. I ended up trimming 5" off the bottom and snipped quite a bit off the sides.... it was a mess. Current re-potted with a rather large portion of a root ball still intact. Hopefully the tree will make it. Time will tell.....
Never easy. Time for a martini....

We are having a chat about wet balls elsewhere too!

Funny how things work out!

The ants didn't burrow you no looseness in it huh?

Sounds like you need a lizard too!

This is a dope ass piece BTW!

Sorce

sorce said:

having a chat about wet balls elsewhere too

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HA... Random....Nice ill hunt for it!
I think I drowned all the wildlife.... but who know whats living deep in the ball.
I hope the root chop wasn't too drastic.... those thick roots are super hard to get through. Had to break out the power tools.
Plenty of lizards here... Ill send you some!

sorce said:

This is a dope ass piece BTW!

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Thanks! Was geeked when I saw it!

AaronThomas said:

HA... Random....Nice ill hunt for it!
I think I drowned all the wildlife.... but who know whats living deep in the ball.
I hope the root chop wasn't too drastic.... those thick roots are super hard to get through. Had to break out the power tools.
Plenty of lizards here... Ill send you some!


Thanks! Was geeked when I saw it!

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I used to keep chuckwallas.
If it's legal to collect them now...I'd buy some!
If I had $!

Sorce

sorce said:

chuckwallas

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Those get like dinosaur big!
I've got this guy who has been living in my garage for the past two years… Keeps it scorpion free!

Hmmmmm.... wondering if I should have put some growth hormone on it... The tree not the lizard.

Anything I should add while I water?

AaronThomas said:

who know whats living deep in the ball.

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Who indeed.

Random...This just showed up in my news feed.... is it a sign?

I remember one in John Naka's book 1.

Shima said:

I remember one in John Naka's book

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AaronThomas said:

sign

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A reptilian sign....

Snake oil!

Sorce

Really? I thought folks love that stuff...

AaronThomas said:

Really? I thought folks love that stuff...

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Only as much as a leopard gecko with no tail!

Sorce

sorce said:

Only as much as a leopard gecko with no tail!

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Your drinking also huh? AHHAHAHA!

AaronThomas said:

Your drinking also huh? AHHAHAHA!

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There were no misspelling!

I was sober....

But those roaches might drive me to drink.

Sorce

I enjoy seeing tall, thin trees and i enjoy seeing cypresses (cause it always reminds me of warm weather) so im happy with what ya got and what ya do with it

Handsome John said:

I enjoy seeing tall, thin trees

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Thanks John.... keeping my fingers crossed it makes it through the root pruning!