Leave a Cypress Chop too high...?

AaronThomas

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Hey! So I haven't picked up new material in awhile but this year I got bit pretty bad with the "bonsai bug".
I ended up picking up 3 Montezuma Cypress at our local nursery and have decide to try 2 flat tops and 1 as a formal upright.
I have been looking at some flat top pics in nature as well as bonsai compositions and really like the longer super skinny trunks leading up to the flat top.
Example.
e2e9179eb6047e9f9c1f4602a3a51da2 copy.jpg
I saw a pic of this tree with the artist holding it and if I had to guess the tree is approximately 36" to 40" tall.

What I am wondering is... did this tree start with a leader? Kind of looks like a few inches above the lowest branch.

Am I doing myself a disservice by leaving my tree as tall as I am... The chop is approximately 30". Im hoping to get another leader to the rightish of the current branch.

Thanks!

IMG_0387.jpegIMG_0321.jpeg
 

Vin

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Aaron, this is what I can tell you. Montezuma has a different growth habit than Bald Cypress so try to resist the temptation to treat it "just" like a BC. I'm very familiar with the image you posted; I've admired it for quite some time. If you'll notice, there is a delicate taper from top to bottom which I'm sure took many many years to achieve. Weather it was collected that way or purposefully grown I couldn't tell you.

Your material looks to be the same circumference from just above the root ball to the chop point. That's not going to change with time (well, at least in my lifetime). Saying that, my recommendation would be to not do anything with it yet. Leave it alone for a year or two. You need to get some growth 3 - 4 inches above the roots and develop it over time. If you're not too old like me, it's doable. Good luck!
 

AaronThomas

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@Vin
Hey Vin thanks so much for your reply… Yes the thickness of the tree is pretty consistent through out...there is a bit of a taper toward the root ball but obviously nothing very dramatic.
I will definitely let it alone for a couple seasons… Before your advice I had my finger on the trigger multiple times to reach up the tree.
LOL I think the age thing is all relative… Just turned 45 and my kid called me really old the other day?
 
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Vin

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@Vin
Hey Vin thanks so much for your reply… Yes the thickness of the tree is pretty consistent through out...there is a bit of a taper toward the root ball but obviously nothing very dramatic.
I will definitely let it alone for a couple seasons… Before your advice I had my finger on the trigger multiple times to reach up the tree.
LOL I think the age thing is all relative… Just turned 45 and my kid called me really old the other day?
I agree, the age thing is relative. I'll be 61 in 3 weeks.
 
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