Progression of One of My Bald Cypress

Its coming along well. I think its at least 30%-40% too tall though.

Don Blackmond said:

Its coming along well. I think its at least 30%-40% too tall though.

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In what way? I am hoping to have it look like the tall graceful cypress seen in the delta here, not a short stump with branches coming off of it. While there are some like that in the delta here and also the flat-top version, but there are many that are just tall graceful trees. Where would you chop it, if it were yours? I like to see what others would do, maybe it would make for a better tree.

Between 3rd and 4th right branch, probably 6th or 7th left branch. Its a nice tree. No doubt. I think the trunk is too wide and tapers too gradually to be the tall graceful delta cypress style; plus too many branches for that. I think it lends itself to a shorter, tapered tree, more so than what you are aiming for. I mean no disrespect to your tree or your work.

Don Blackmond said:

Between 3rd and 4th right branch, probably 6th or 7th left branch. Its a nice tree. No doubt. I think the trunk is too wide and tapers too gradually to be the tall graceful delta cypress style; plus too many branches for that. I think it lends itself to a shorter, tapered tree, more so than what you are aiming for. I mean no disrespect to your tree or your work.

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No disrespect taken, ever, even from Adair. That is why I post my trees and work here, for critique. Someone might see something that I do not. That is what this community is for, at least what I think it is for. I will check it out. Thanks.----John

Branches, from the bottom or top?

Mellow Mullet said:

Branches, from the bottom or top?

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counting from the bottom upward.
Night-time photo with fence in background; height should be at or just above that fence. The almost bar branches just below that are causing extra thickening right there too. The trunk above that is off compared to the rest of the tree below it. The issue starts right at the initial chop as seen in that photo. Everything above is incongruent with what's below, imo.
You have a nice tree and have developed it well. I think it can be better and more believable. BUT, its your tree and you are the ONLY person whose opinion matters. It may be exactly what you are trying to achieve, already.

Was out taking pictures this morning and discovered this. It appears that it has a knee growing. I looks like the squirrels found it before me as there is a bite taken out of the top. I had those furry little bastards.

VERY COOL JOHN! Pesky squirrels...a little nibble gives character as long as they don't totally eat it down.

I agree with @Don Blackmond the tree still has the appearance of being young with it being that tall. I would also cut back the branches back hard(by at least half) and regrow to add taper to them and ramification. Will give it a good amount of age too

Nice progression John. This is great for me to read, I purchased a young bc this winter. There is not many people growing these in the Great White North!

Giga said:

I agree with @Don Blackmond the tree still has the appearance of being young with it being that tall. I would also cut back the branches back hard(by at least half) and regrow to add taper to them and ramification. Will give it a good amount of age too

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I think I will. I studied it after Don commented and I think I will take some of his advise. It is gonna get a repot this week and a serious redesign

Wilson said:

Nice progression John. This is great for me to read, I purchased a young bc this winter. There is not many people growing these in the Great White North!

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Be a trailblazer, they are great trees.

Cadillactaste said:

VERY COOL JOHN! Pesky squirrels...a little nibble gives character as long as they don't totally eat it down.

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Thanks Cadillac, I wish I could kill them all.....

Mellow Mullet said:

I wish I could kill them all.....

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It takes a little time but it can be done.
You just have to be ready at a moments notice to get the drop on them. And they learn so you got to get stealthy.

Nice BC progression. Well done. Great work, much better than any I've done with BC.

As for BC in the great white north, our shorter growing season means it will take twice as long as down south to get the same growth. Adult trees in the ground are hardy through zone 4, but seedlings need protection and in a pot, zone 6 seems the limit, protect in winter if your area is colder than 6b.

I laughed, a professor of mine said BC won't develop knees in less than 80 years, brought him a photo of a 30 year old fence row of BC, with knees spreading out a fair distance.

Some environmental trigger causes knees to form, it is not just genetic. Perhaps a nematode or presence of a soil microbe? Fungal species? Bacterial species? Who knows? The answer is not obvious or it would have been discovered by now.

I had been told a number of times, "you should have chopped lower", while Don's suggestion makes sense, it will set back development a decade, to regrow the top. I would be tempted to just focus on escape branches and controlling growth before doing the chop Don recommended. I do understand wanting to create a tall graceful tree, rather than an ancient looking stump.

UPDATE:

I repotted this cypress today, it was quite the job as it has not been repotted in a while.

What I started with


Lots of roots coming out of the bottom of the pot. Growing BC in a pan of water is controversial, but it works.



I cut this much off before even cracking the seal



Tons of nice roots, this is gonna be a job





This is a knee starting to form

I started combing out the roots and reducing them







Found a really thick root, it has to go too



Finally hit bottom, I like it when I hit the bottom.

Hosed off what was left









Back in the pot



I have had this Mica pot for a while, I don't remember where I got it, but look at the tag on the bottom. Wouldn't it be great if you could just run down to the HD and pick up a giant mica bonsai pot when you needed one?

Mellow Mullet said:

Lots of roots coming out of the bottom of the pot. Growing BC in a pan of water is controversial, but it works.

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Mellow Mullet said:

This is a knee starting to form

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Nice to actually see what we were talking about yesterday as you were working at it. Thanks for sharing!

Grimmy

Tucked in with some soil





All wired up and trimmed. I am still on the fence about shortening it, I'm gonna wait and see what she looks like in leaf and go from there. I shortened the existing branches to build some ramification. I haven't been staying on top of it and it had gotten kinda leggy.



I ended up with a whole five gallon bucket of roots that I cut off.