Kiwi’s Big Bald Cypress

[KiwiPlantGuy]

Hi all,
I purchased this tree in the Summer, and waited patiently for Winter to come around. Here goes the progression.
Tagging these guys into my thread for help and all that.
@Leo in N E Illinois ,@Mellow Mullet, @Cajunrider , @AaronThomas. I am there are others, and everyone welcome to pass comment/critique. Though not much to look at now.


I decided at this stage to spend money on a pruning saw not a saws all and it took a lot of effort to chop the rootball in half, then wash etc. I started chopping roots, and I might got too carried away (or my box is too deep - 17x17x8 inch)


To cut the root ball in half out came the trustee garden fork as there was no way my hands could prise this apart. Also where I cut I half I cut some of the tap root off. My concern is my aggressive approach to cutting too much off the bottom and I figured out I could have fit this into a six inch or less deep box.
Charles

 

[KiwiPlantGuy]

Lastly I planted the stump in the box and wired it down etc.
I don’t expect to do any work on this for at least 3 years, and am thinking of a twin trunk style of between 75-100cm (3 foot I guess).
Also I planted this quite deep with the nebari maybe 2 inches below soil line.


Whew, now the waiting begins.
Lastly if there is an agreement that there is too much soil for the roots I can rebuild the box to 6 inch not 8 as the roots won’t have started growing yet.
Charles

Edit - I just realized how crappy my photos with the measuring tape were when shrunk so I can add them as full image if needed. The trunk is around 4 inches and the nebari is close to 10 inches.

 

[AaronThomas]

My concern is my aggressive approach to cutting too much off the bottom

Hey nice tree!
Nope.... nice job on the root pruning. Plenty of roots left to keep tree alive. I’ve knocked off nearly 90% off all my MC without a problem.
Looks like your roots are headed the right direction. Would plant over a tile so they continue to develop that way.
Not a ton of taper at the base but should happen as roots thicken up.
Like the chop hight to!
Looks good by me!!!

 

[Mellow Mullet]

I think that you did a great job! The only thing that I would have done differently (not that you did anything wrong) is that I would have gotten rid of that nub that is below the roots, it will probably sprout roots from there again and you will just have to cut them off again. The box is a little deep, it will fill it up again in a year or so and you will have the same rootball that you started with when you removed it from the pot, but if you repot sooner than three years, you can keep that form happening.

Nice trunk.

John

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Nicely done. I agree with John, @Mellow Mullet , that the stub needs to go, from below the roots. Remember, the first time for radical root work, especially on nursery material, is the best time to "go all the way".
But as John said, you did nothing wrong.

For future reference, except for cascade pots, the vast majority of bonsai pots have an interior depth of 10 cm, 4 inches, or less. In general, when developing nursery material, try to reduce roots to 8 cm or less, then they have room to grow. Then repeatedly keep working to keep the shallow root system. Then when you see a nice high quality pot, you have a better chance of your tree fitting. If you can find off the shelf pots that fit, you don't have to have a custom pot made. Just saving money.

 

[KiwiPlantGuy]

Hi all,
Wee update to thank @Mellow Mullet and @Leo in N E Illinois for suggesting the box was at little deep and big. Also the stump needed removing.
I have left the box large at 17 inches square but shrunk the depth to 6 inches. My thinking is that I want to get as much growth as possible with a repot maybe after 2 years if all is growing well.
Also as well as the stump I found a few more downward roots and shortened a few as per Leo’s advice re 10cm or less.

Charles

 

[Haines' Trees]

Excited to see how it develops! We’d love to see some pictures of the progression from here.

 

[Mellow Mullet]

Hi all,
Wee update to thank @Mellow Mullet and @Leo in N E Illinois for suggesting the box was at little deep and big. Also the stump needed removing.
I have left the box large at 17 inches square but shrunk the depth to 6 inches. My thinking is that I want to get as much growth as possible with a repot maybe after 2 years if all is growing well.
Also as well as the stump I found a few more downward roots and shortened a few as per Leo’s advice re 10cm or less.
View attachment 253804
Charles

Nice work. And WOW! I did not realize that the stub was that big, good move removing it, you would have kicked yourself later for not having done so.

John

 

[SpOoNzL]

Will be watching this one, any sign of buds popping out on yours yet?

 

[KiwiPlantGuy]

Will be watching this one, any sign of buds popping out on yours yet?

Hi,
Not yet, and big nervous wait going on here. I guess mid to late September everything will start waking up.
Charles

 

[KiwiPlantGuy]

Hi all,
After many many patient days FINALLY this stump has come back to life. Whew, being mid-late Spring now, we are under way.
Thank you to the more experienced crowd who said I had nothing to worry about.
This tree does seem a little slow but I guess roots had to start growing, and a seven foot tree became a 1 foot stump etc.
I don’t expect to do much to this this season, although a question for the followers.
Do I keep all the new growths this season? Or choose 5 say and cut/rub the rest off?

Charles

 

[just.wing.it]

I'd let it grow out and recover.

 

[SpOoNzL]

Hi Charles, How did your Big Baldy respond this summer?

 

[KiwiPlantGuy]

Hi Charles, How did your Big Baldy respond this summer?

Hi,
Very slow, unsure if I took off a couple too many branches, as they were more leaves to help it get stronger.

Hopefully growing lots of roots to power 2 or 3 trunks upward. Weirdly I am finding these BC’s do all their major growth after longest day, like opposite to other trees. So there will be another 4-6 weeks to grow.
Charles

 

[KiwiPlantGuy]

Hi,
A late Spring update here. Last season I took off to many shoots as I forgot I needed leaves for it to grow more leaves and roots.
It is nicely underway this season, but I am either growing my BC’s wrong as I don’t get any mega growth like those in continental USA. Anyway I will add another photo later in the season to show the progress.

Charles

 

[Greenman99]

Hi,
A late Spring update here. Last season I took off to many shoots as I forgot I needed leaves for it to grow more leaves and roots.
It is nicely underway this season, but I am either growing my BC’s wrong as I don’t get any mega growth like those in continental USA. Anyway I will add another photo later in the season to show the progress.
View attachment 339347View attachment 339348
Charles

I wouldn't do any pruning this growing season. Just let it grow vigorous without any styling. It's needs time and lot of foliage to re-energize.

 

[Mellow Mullet]

Are you keeping it wet enough? They need a lot of water for that explosive growth, you really can't over water them.

 

[shakotan710]

Hi,
A late Spring update here. Last season I took off to many shoots as I forgot I needed leaves for it to grow more leaves and roots.
It is nicely underway this season, but I am either growing my BC’s wrong as I don’t get any mega growth like those in continental USA. Anyway I will add another photo later in the season to show the progress.
View attachment 339347View attachment 339348
Charles

Hey KiwiPlantGuy,

We are in similar zones and I constantly water mine along with keeping the pot on top of a 5 gallon bucket of water. The amount of growth once I did this skyrocketed. Also, it might just need a year to recover.

Your tree looks like it's recovered fine. Mine was a bit slow after major root and top work that next year, but this year it has grown a lot more.

 

[KiwiPlantGuy]

Hey KiwiPlantGuy,

We are in similar zones and I constantly water mine along with keeping the pot on top of a 5 gallon bucket of water. The amount of growth once I did this skyrocketed. Also, it might just need a year to recover.

Your tree looks like it's recovered fine. Mine was a bit slow after major root and top work that next year, but this year it has grown a lot more.

Hi, yep, it needs time to recover. The root work plus me cuttings half its leaves off last Summer meant I nearly killed it. Seems to be doing much better this Spring which is a relief.
Charles

 

[KiwiPlantGuy]

Are you keeping it wet enough? They need a lot of water for that explosive growth, you really can't over water them.

Hi John,
Probably not giving them enough water. I guess I thought that the high organic soil would be enough.
Thanks for the comment and shovel the water in it.
Charles