Is it OK to keep bald cypress in water?

[Cajunrider]

I have my 9 ft tall (2" diameter near the base) in a tub with water to about 1/2" above soil line to stimulate trunk & knees development. Is this OK or will it kill my tree because it is too young to be submerged? Please advise.

 

[rockm]

It'll be fine. That's the way young BC develop in the wild. If they couldn't be submerged as seedlings, they'd die. I would however, keep the water level a bit lower--like the bottom third of the container. That will allow some air exchange. BC can survive submersion up until a certain water depth (don't worry, you can't exceed it in a container, unless you drop the pot to the bottom of a swimming pool). A little shallower water depth in the pot, however, can help things along...

Don't expect knees to develop. That is very rare with bonsai BC.

 

[Cajunrider]

It'll be fine. That's the way young BC develop in the wild. If they couldn't be submerged as seedlings, they'd die. I would however, keep the water level a bit lower--like the bottom third of the container. That will allow some air exchange. BC can survive submersion up until a certain water depth (don't worry, you can't exceed it in a container, unless you drop the pot to the bottom of a swimming pool). A little shallower water depth in the pot, however, can help things along...

Don't expect knees to develop. That is very rare with bonsai BC.

Thank you.

 

[GGB]

I submerge mine, I had one dry out on me last summer so it's just easier to know they're taken care of. If you look up the studies, I'm too lazy to find them a third time.. growth rate on BC seedlings was imporved by submerging. It seems like the fluted bases only happen on saturated sites too. one more plus for soaking them. There's on in my neighborhood it's friggin huge but it's completely taperless, in someones well drained yard. My friend also has a taperless pond cypress in his yard. But you won't see that same shape in the bayous where they get ridiculous bases and knees

 

[rockm]

I submerge mine, I had one dry out on me last summer so it's just easier to know they're taken care of. If you look up the studies, I'm too lazy to find them a third time.. growth rate on BC seedlings was imporved by submerging. It seems like the fluted bases only happen on saturated sites too. one more plus for soaking them. There's on in my neighborhood it's friggin huge but it's completely taperless, in someones well drained yard. My friend also has a taperless pond cypress in his yard. But you won't see that same shape in the bayous where they get ridiculous bases and knees

I submerge mine, I had one dry out on me last summer so it's just easier to know they're taken care of. If you look up the studies, I'm too lazy to find them a third time.. growth rate on BC seedlings was imporved by submerging. It seems like the fluted bases only happen on saturated sites too. one more plus for soaking them. There's on in my neighborhood it's friggin huge but it's completely taperless, in someones well drained yard. My friend also has a taperless pond cypress in his yard. But you won't see that same shape in the bayous where they get ridiculous bases and knees

Fluted bases are not confined to flooded sites. The trees growing in high and dry Texas interstate medians have substantial fluting on their bases. What submerging can do is alter the shape of the fluting-deeply submerged trees have bottle-like fluting, while those in shallower water or open ground have flatter ridges...



Don't have to submerge them as bonsai. Using a wet soil mix--bonsai soil mixed with topsoil or soil that retains a lot of water will work too.

 

[sorce]

S

 

[Cajunrider]

Thanks everyone for your replies. Please accept my apology for not researching thoroughly enough before asking the question. I found several threads on this site that were very insightful.

 

[GGB]

@rockm no kidding.. huh
Well Cajunrider, listen to the guys down south, they have all the first hand info. That's why i didn't offer advice on your other thread. I just get so damn excited about BC

 

[Cajunrider]

@rockm no kidding.. huh
Well Cajunrider, listen to the guys down south, they have all the first hand info. That's why i didn't offer advice on your other thread. I just get so damn excited about BC

I live right in the heart of the BC area in Louisiana where it's not uncommon for the guys at work to complain about breaking their mower shaft going over cypress knees. Yet I have much to learn now that I am getting into bonsai.

 

[GGB]

Man, I wish I had that problem

 

[substratum]

It's easy to take for granted things you see on a daily basis, no doubt. For us, BC is a landscape or stormwater pond tree that is seen on a daily basis.

 

[rockm]

Fluting is considered the flare and vertical ridges at the bottom of THE TRUNK. Not to be confused with knees. They're two different things. Some trees have both... Some have ridges and flare, but no knees.

 

[Vinnie Charity]

I have quite a few Bald Cypress that I'd like to sit in trays of water to thicken the trunks, but how do you guys deal with the mosquito issue due to the standing water? I'm thinking of getting a large tray/tub, putting the pots into it, then filling it with river rock, then fill it with water in order to keep mosquitoes at bay...

 

[substratum]

I have quite a few Bald Cypress that I'd like to sit in trays of water to thicken the trunks, but how do you guys deal with the mosquito issue due to the standing water? I'm thinking of getting a large tray/tub, putting the pots into it, then filling it with river rock, then fill it with water in order to keep mosquitoes at bay...

If you use an "insect growth inhibitor" type product (aka "dunks"), it is harmless to everything but the mosquitoes. As I understand the process, it works by interrupting the molting stage between larvae and adult. I have purchased a granular version of it from Jeffers Equine Supply that looks like tiny lead shot, which I put in birdbaths and horse troughs (maybe 1/4 to 1/2 tsp), and will sprinkle under the big azalea hedges when mosquitos get bad. When I refill the birdbath, I will try not to wash out the remaining product (primarily by simply topping off), and it'll last several months.

 

[JoeH]

tadpoles usually follow the mosquitos in standing water so I don't worry about it. Or just dump the water every couple days.

 

[theone420]

I have quite a few Bald Cypress that I'd like to sit in trays of water to thicken the trunks, but how do you guys deal with the mosquito issue due to the standing water? I'm thinking of getting a large tray/tub, putting the pots into it, then filling it with river rock, then fill it with water in order to keep mosquitoes at bay...

Had mine in water all summer just empty the bowl every 2-3 or so days and all is good. you could also use a small fish pump to aerate the water and get some gamboozies (mosquito fish) ,its a small minnow type fish that is used to eat mosquito larvae in ponds and such. and then the fish would feed the BC in turn.

 

[JoeH]

Had mine in water all summer just empty the bowl every 2-3 or so days and all is good. you could also use a small fish pump to aerate the water and get some gamboozies (mosquito fish) ,its a small minnow type fish that is used to eat mosquito larvae in ponds and such. and then the fish would feed the BC in turn.

or feeder goldfish from the pet store

 

[BonsaiNaga13]

I got 20 or so seedlings submerged thickening up quite nicely though I've noticed the wood hardns off faster when they're allowed to dry out a little between submersions. Mine are in a mixture of bonsai soil and 1\4 or 1\3 potting soil so a few days without water doesn't hurt em and they seem to love the air circulation. Also I have some planted in regular potting soil that are a lot thinner than the ones mixed with bonsai soil, I think the coarse substrate causing root splitting plus submersions encourages em to thicken up quicker. The ones in potting soil seem to just have a tap root and less fine feeder roots, both "studies" are submerged I just let the potting soil dry out more often. As for mosquitoes, I don't really see any but I still dump the water every few days.

 

[rockm]

I have quite a few Bald Cypress that I'd like to sit in trays of water to thicken the trunks, but how do you guys deal with the mosquito issue due to the standing water? I'm thinking of getting a large tray/tub, putting the pots into it, then filling it with river rock, then fill it with water in order to keep mosquitoes at bay...

Regular water change. Stagnant water is not good for growing trees. Roots need O2...water in swamps generally moves and circulates, slowly, but it does. In areas where water doesn't move ,not much grows...

 

[Vinnie Charity]

Regular water change. Stagnant water is not good for growing trees. Roots need O2...water in swamps generally moves and circulates, slowly, but it does. In areas where water doesn't move ,not much grows...

Good point rockm, I'll have to figure out a way to change out the water without going through a lot of extra work. Maybe I'll just install a water hose into the tray, and turn it on periodically to flush out the old water...