First Bonsai (Cypress Gold Mop)

[t_fareal]

I've been lurking on this site for a little while and decided the best way to learn is to jump in. So I went to my local nursery and picked one of my favorite plants.

I've always loved the Cypress Gold Mop it's an evergreen Bush with green and yellow leaves..

This is my first attempt at anything Bonsai so all comments and criticisms are welcomed.


Nice example of the color of the leaves


My tools


Cleaned and wired



Thanks in advance...

 

[t_fareal]

Now what do i do with it?????????

i want to put it back outside, but do i need to put any fertilizer in?
water?
bury the pot outside?

 

[rockm]

I'd bury the pot in a garden bed for now. I would Not have worked it now. It's not a great time to be working like this on trees.

Don't need any fertilizer. It's fine for now.

BTW, this is Chamaecyparis pisifera--false cypress. Not easy bonsai material, since it does NOT backbud on old wood readily or at all. That means it's not easy to build branching and if you remove all the green growth, the tree will croak.
https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/golden-mop-false-cypress.17019/

 

[t_fareal]

I'd bury the pot in a garden bed for now. I would Not have worked it now. It's not a great time to be working like this on trees.

Thanks for the response... I was hoping that since I didn't disturb the roots I could prune it back and put it back outside without much penalty...

Guess we'll know soon enough lol

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Because you did not disturb the roots it does indeed have a chance of surviving. However, pruning without penalty would have been to prune less than 25% or 35% of the foliage at one time. From the looks, you removed near or over 75% of the foliage. This is a major trauma. But Chamaecyparis pisifera is a reasonably vigorous shrub or tree, it might survive. Put it outside, leave it alone and see what it does. You might be best letting it go until 2020 or longer before doing anything else, including repotting.

 

[t_fareal]

Good point. .. I buried it yesterday... so I'll definitely leave it alone..

Got a juniper I'm gonna work on next..

 

[coachspinks]

Google "Cypress Gold Mop Bonsai" and click on images. You will see some examples. Most are grown in some sort of weeping form. I had one 25 years ago that looked nice. Sometime in the last year I saw one that was larger and very nice. I wish I could find a picture.

 

[Underdog]

One I have been working on for 3 years. Very tough and cold hardy in my experience.