Bald cypress project

c54fun

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I'm finding that cypress grows real well here in Dallas so I started a long term project with a small one. Not much now and its not a seedling but has the start to some decent taper. Plan to use @BillsBayou method on fattening up the trunk. This will never bee a big tree but I'm wanting a medium size flat top with a lot of flare at the base. No exposed roots. I plan on just growing it out until the base is the size I want. Pretty boring thread for now but it will be fun posting the changes from time to time. Going to take caliper readings to measure the amount the trunk swells.
20170927_115727.jpg
 

Wilson

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Good stuff! I have one in pretty much the same state, just a couple thousand miles north of You! They seem like great fun to develop from young. I look forward to your seasonal updates.
 

defra

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I got a similar sized one still in the nursery can tough
Gonna follow this one nice!
 

c54fun

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I will also be able to compare the difference of how I'm going about making my other cypress that is similar in size. That one I focused on growing branch structure first and wanted a small tree. This one I want a flared base and a medium sized tree. Both will be in a tub of water but I will keep refining the first one and the one in this thread will be letting it grow out and get thicker along with building some taper on down the road. Wont need to worry to much about branch structure for a long time on this one. I'm hoping to see my other bald's base swell also.
I really want to see if its necessary to just let it grow out to get a nice base or can you grow and style branches and also grow out the base. A couple of years of this should show the facts for my conditions.. I would think letting it grow out would swell up the base way faster.
Comparison picture of the two trees.
20170930_113727.jpg
 

BillsBayou

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I will also be able to compare the difference of how I'm going about making my other cypress that is similar in size. That one I focused on growing branch structure first and wanted a small tree. This one I want a flared base and a medium sized tree. Both will be in a tub of water but I will keep refining the first one and the one in this thread will be letting it grow out and get thicker along with building some taper on down the road. Wont need to worry to much about branch structure for a long time on this one. I'm hoping to see my other bald's base swell also.
I really want to see if its necessary to just let it grow out to get a nice base or can you grow and style branches and also grow out the base. A couple of years of this should show the facts for my conditions.. I would think letting it grow out would swell up the base way faster.
Comparison picture of the two trees.
View attachment 162513
The one on the right needs to be left alone for a year or more. It's a bit weak. I have some that get weak like that. I leave them alone. I fertilize them only moderately. I do keep them flooded. Parts may or may not die off. What I get in the end (if it survives) is a stronger tree with interesting design challenges.

The tree on the left has too much movement in the trunk at the top. I say leave it there, however. As more branches develop, up there, you'll end up with some fascinating choices for design leaders.
I'm not a fan of your branch angles. The angles of the branches at the base appear to come off the trunk at a higher angle than the branches higher up in the tree. Some artists who are more knowledgeable than I am will take the lowest branches and bend them so that they are coming off the trunk at a sharp downward angle. I don't care for this. This makes the tree look like a redwood or some other formal upright northern tree; one that suffers heavy snow in the winter. BC do not suffer heavy snow here in teh south. There should be a slight upward angle on the lowest branches. Just higher than horizontal. Then a BC limb will go out at a slow arc.
Higher up the tree, the angles, relative to the trunk, will be higher.
You have one last branch, right near the top, on the left side of the trunk. It appears to be going straight up before it bends to the left. You now have two branches competing to be the apex. You should either choose the branch on the left as the new leader and cut off the the higher leader on the right, or you should bring the angle of the left branch down so that it more resembles a branch.

These are nice pieces of material. Keep us posted.
 

c54fun

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I wasn't happy with the health of this last tree. He shipped on a Friday along with slow service. Used two pieces of cardboard smashed flat on the tree. One on each side then taped around. When I got it I had no idea it was a tree. Completely mashed flat. Hoping it has enough time to get some health back into it before winter.
 

BillsBayou

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I wasn't happy with the health of this last tree. He shipped on a Friday along with slow service. Used two pieces of cardboard smashed flat on the tree. One on each side then taped around. When I got it I had no idea it was a tree. Completely mashed flat. Hoping it has enough time to get some health back into it before winter.
If you can identify the cause, you can form a treatment regimen. Shipping stress isn't so bad. It's when you have no idea what's going wrong that you have real problems.

My daughter's boyfriend was watering my BCs when I was out of town. I came back and everything was doing great, except one tree where the leaves were dying. I don't know how he could have missed the tree. So when he says he didn't, he was just watching it die as he watered it, I believe him. The tree is slowly coming back. This winter, I'll pull it out of its pot and check out the roots. I may be able to find out the problem. If not, I'm just going to assume everything and treat accordingly.
 

Giga

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These should honestly be planted in the ground, at least in a large tub. That's what I would do - kinda just sapling now.
 

BillsBayou

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These should honestly be planted in the ground, at least in a large tub. That's what I would do - kinda just sapling now.
If this is planted in the ground, it will build girth along the entire trunk line. The same, to a lesser degree, if it is up-potted. If the tree is drowned from March to October, the base will fatten faster than the rest of the trunk.

All these approaches are valid. It depends on what the artist wants.
 

Giga

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If this is planted in the ground, it will build girth along the entire trunk line. The same, to a lesser degree, if it is up-potted. If the tree is drowned from March to October, the base will fatten faster than the rest of the trunk.

All these approaches are valid. It depends on what the artist wants.

Guess I should have said chop it low :) plus it's only what I would do
 

BillsBayou

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Guess I should have said chop it low :) plus it's only what I would do
Mine is a total knee-jerk reply. I see "Put it in the ground" as a catch-all statement on many threads for many species of trees. Bald cypress have a couple more options than that alone. Hope I didn't offend.
 

Giga

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Mine is a total knee-jerk reply. I see "Put it in the ground" as a catch-all statement on many threads for many species of trees. Bald cypress have a couple more options than that alone. Hope I didn't offend.

Nope, I wasn't very specific
 
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