Just got two more bald cypress

Cajunrider

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I think I'm falling into the bald cypress gumbo mud vortex. I went to Lowes yesterday to buy a box of electrical plugs to rewire my kitchen vent. Well.... I got the plugs then walked over to the garden center and picked upd two bald cypress! They are 5 ft tall at 1.25" diameter at soil line.

I don't know what I'll do with them yet. I'm thinking about air layering them and plant the tops in my yard. I got a 6 acre yard that's largely empty so I can stick them wherever. This way I can say I'm getting the BCs for the yard. The base BCs for bonsai are just bonuses. Are there any special issues with air layering BC?

Pssttt... don't tell the missus but had Lowes had more, I probably would have picked them up too.
 

Cajunrider

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Since we are now starting the second growing season for BC in Louisiana, I wonder if I can do the air layering now instead of waiting for the spring.
 

Joe Dupre'

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Cajunrider, being from South La. myself, let me give you some advice. DON"T plant the BC in your yard. Well, don't plant them unless you like mowing over cypress knees in about 15 years. I just moved from a place with 17 cypress trees in the yard. The knees were a complete and utter bitch to mow around. They started emerging after many years and they were easily removed with one swipe of a hatchet. Soon, they got as big as your arm and required a shovel, saw and ax to remove............and there were a hundred or more. Beautiful yard tree, though.

Re: air layering. I don't think there's enough time for them to put out roots this late in the year. I'd wait until the first flush of growth in the spring. Winter is a pretty short wait here.
 

Cajunrider

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Cajunrider, being from South La. myself, let me give you some advice. DON"T plant the BC in your yard. Well, don't plant them unless you like mowing over cypress knees in about 15 years. I just moved from a place with 17 cypress trees in the yard. The knees were a complete and utter bitch to mow around. They started emerging after many years and they were easily removed with one swipe of a hatchet. Soon, they got as big as your arm and required a shovel, saw and ax to remove............and there were a hundred or more. Beautiful yard tree, though.

Re: air layering. I don't think there's enough time for them to put out roots this late in the year. I'd wait until the first flush of growth in the spring. Winter is a pretty short wait here.
I got no problem with cypress knees. I use a bush hog to mow my yard and can whack them down like I've whacked all the unwanted brushes when I just got my land. The bigger knees are highly sought after by my woodworker friends so if I have them all I have to do is saying "Free BC knees" and they will come and collect them.
 

WNC Bonsai

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I wouldn’t bother air layering them, it will take too long to develop decent basal flares and nebari. Instead get onto Youtube and view the videos by John Geanangel and Bayou Bill on collecting them in the swamps. That is the way to get nice speciments and you are probably surrounded by millions of potential bonsai. Just find someone in Lousiiana with swampland and offer them a few bucks to collect on their property. I have several BC myself ranging from seedlings to 3 from Lowes like yours. However my best one came from a swamp in Louisiana collected by Zach Smith.
 

Cajunrider

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I wouldn’t bother air layering them, it will take too long to develop decent basal flares and nebari. Instead get onto Youtube and view the videos by John Geanangel and Bayou Bill on collecting them in the swamps. That is the way to get nice speciments and you are probably surrounded by millions of potential bonsai. Just find someone in Lousiiana with swampland and offer them a few bucks to collect on their property. I have several BC myself ranging from seedlings to 3 from Lowes like yours. However my best one came from a swamp in Louisiana collected by Zach Smith.
I'm actively looking for one from the swamp. Meanwhile as a newbie, I want to play with smaller ones for practice on both BC bonsai and air layering that's why I'm leaning that way.
 

Joe Dupre'

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Bush Hog?? Hey, you have it covered. Good on ya!

Swamp collecting: The best place to look for young trees is around the edges of the swamp. Find an area that alternates between flooded and dry throughout the year. That's the best environment for young trees sprout and grow.
 

Cajunrider

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I got them repotted last night into 20 gallon tubs with water to the edge of the soil line. So my 3 store bought cypress will be my beginner's lesson to BC bonsai. I figure what I learn will enable me to keep the future collected BC alive. It would be a shame if I kill the collected BC. I'm stoked.
 

Cajunrider

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I got them repotted last night into 20 gallon tubs with water to the edge of the soil line. So my 3 store bought cypress will be my beginner's lesson to BC bonsai. I figure what I learn will enable me to keep the future collected BC alive. It would be a shame if I kill the collected BC. I'm stoked.
 

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Love to see the progress on these, I have quite a few Bald Cypress I'm working on at the moment. One of the guys in our local Bonsai club has a ton of them he gives away...
-Vin
 

Cajunrider

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Love to see the progress on these, I have quite a few Bald Cypress I'm working on at the moment. One of the guys in our local Bonsai club has a ton of them he gives away...
-Vin
Will do. Next time will be when I take the air layers off and chop the trunks in the spring.
 

Cajunrider

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Love to see the progress on these, I have quite a few Bald Cypress I'm working on at the moment. One of the guys in our local Bonsai club has a ton of them he gives away...
-Vin
I checked on them yesterday. One of the air-layers has roots everywhere. The other has nothing that I can see from the bottom. I will find out in late February when they start to bud out again. That's when I will harvest the air layers.
 

Cajunrider

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I checked on them yesterday. One of the air-layers has roots everywhere. The other has nothing that I can see from the bottom. I will find out in late February when they start to bud out again. That's when I will harvest the air layers.
One air layer failed and I restarted it. The other one will be harvested in March. The buds are just beginning to swell. I am waiting until just a tiny bit of leaves come out.
 

Cajunrider

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OK BC people of BNut. I have an air layer with enough roots and they have matured enough. They are brown instead of white and seem pretty sturdy. Right now there are no leaves yet, just tiny bumps about 1/8" long. Do I wait or should I just go ahead and harvest this thing.
 

Crawforde

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I’ve never air layered BC before, But I think I will give it a shot this year.
I think I’d take it once the new growth hardens off, but like I said I have not air layered BC before.
 

Cajunrider

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Love to see the progress on these, I have quite a few Bald Cypress I'm working on at the moment. One of the guys in our local Bonsai club has a ton of them he gives away...
-Vin

Quick up date. 1 air layer turned out beautifully and I've reported it in another thread. The other didn't take and I redid it. Doing so retard the budding at the top a great deal. The two other BCs have good foliage now and the redo air layer top just now begins to bud. I have many healthy 8" long shoots below the air layer and only four 1/8" bud above the air layer.
 
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Quick up date. 1 air layer turned out beautifully and I've reported it in another thread. The other didn't take and I redid it. Doing so retard the budding at the top a great deal. The two other BCs have good foliage now and the redo air layer top just now begins to bud. I have many healthy 8" long shoots below the air layer and only four 1/8" bud above the air layer.

Pics or it didn't happen, lol...
 
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