BC ground layer

Cajunrider

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I have a little bald cypress tree with a tangled root base. One that is impossible to untangle. So a ground layer is needed to develop a new root base. The cut has been made. Now come the wait for it to dry out and assure the layer. This afternoon root hormone will be applied and the layer will be covered. Once the new roots formed, the tree will be moved to an Anderson flat.
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Cajunrider

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Some people believe that it kills any remaining cells of the vascular cambium that you might have missed when you cut your girdle.
To be honest, I don’t have any data to support that. I have had successes doing it with and without drying. The old man I learned that from always d the drying step for larger trees so a lot of times it is just my way of giving him a shout out.
 

Bonsai Nut

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To be honest, I don’t have any data to support that. I have had successes doing it with and without drying. The old man I learned that from always d the drying step for larger trees so a lot of times it is just my way of giving him a shout out.
I know some people who wipe down their freshly cut girdle with rubbing alcohol... to try to kill vascular cambium cells. I suppose it depends on the species and how easily / cleanly the girdle cut goes. I can't say I have any practical experience doing so - I have never let my air-layer girdles dry. But then again, I have never worked with bald cypress, so their may be something unique going on.
 

Maiden69

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I have noticed that any cambium left over will change color slightly darker than the sapwood. Easy to go around a few times to make sure you scrape everything out.
 

Cajunrider

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The roots are now about 4" long and still growing. I think I will separate the bottom in the spring. I also pruned off the big side branches down low to prevent an inverse taper.
 

AcerAddict

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The roots are now about 4" long and still growing. I think I will separate the bottom in the spring. I also pruned off the big side branches down low to prevent an inverse taper.
Wouldn't you want at least one of the lower branches left on to act as a sacrifice for thickening the trunk over time? That's always been a technique used for maples. Do you know if BC could benefit from a similar practice?
 

Cajunrider

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Wouldn't you want at least one of the lower branches left on to act as a sacrifice for thickening the trunk over time? That's always been a technique used for maples. Do you know if BC could benefit from a similar practice?
When I chop the top there will be buds all the way up and down the tree. I can pick one then. As can be seen in the first picture, there were multiple branches at one spot that will surely cause inverse taper soon. I don't wanna Betty Boop this tree.
 

Cajunrider

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How is this ground layer going?
It turned out really nice. I wound up with one nice tier of roots at the ground layer. Since the tree was small, I used it in my BC bonsai forest. I simply chopped everything below the ground layer tier of roots. The tree remained healthy after being planted in the BC forest. Let me look and find the pictures. I am not sure I took any of that tree.
 
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