Monterey Cypress from Seed

[Eric Schrader]

I've been trying to move along some of my Monterey Cypresses in the last couple months. Spent some free time over the last few days wiring this one. More photos etc on my blog.

 

[fraser67]

Dude...awesome!! I have one I got from a nursery and chopped...it's quite a process and because I haven't found much of anything online...I'm feeling my why with the tree. It's starting to shape up...time to rewrite and I'll post some pics.
I'm such a huge fan of this species in nature and blessed to see them in person. I'm thrilled you have one to look at...I'd like to compare notes???
Really great job with this one! It's well on its way.
You made my day with this post...I'm heading up the coast with my wife today and will see lots of these on the way!
I'm reinspired...thanks for posting!!

 

[QuintinBonsai]

I took a trip to SF a few years ago, and remember seeing those trees everywhere. I didn't know the name, nor did stop to pick up any cones. :|

I recently ordered a 30 seed packet online. What soil medium did you use? What is the age estimate of the tree pictured? It looks great btw.

 

[Eric Schrader]

What soil medium did you use? What is the age estimate of the tree pictured? It looks great btw.

I use standard 1/3 akadama, 1/3 pumice, 1/3 lava for pretty much all trees, including this one.

The tree is something like seven or eight years old. I can't precisely remember when I started the seeds as I started batches of pines, maples, cypress, oaks in different years.

I ground grew it for two years which added a lot of character. It grew in a pond basket for a couple years; then in Dec 2010 I trimmed the roots and placed it on top of a board in the ground. When I dug them up in Dec 2012 I put them in boxes with bonsai soil again. I had eight but tossed a couple that were too straight to be good bonsai. The rest got chopped back hard late last summer and the result is the growth that you see in the first photo. This one is probably the best looking right now, although the others may have better trunks with fewer good branches at this stage.

These are so fast growing that each growing season is like the equivalent of three with a juniper or pine. You have to wire-unwire and repeat a couple times per year. They bulk up fast, put out huge spikes of growth and generally respond well to wiring and cutback. Kinda like a trident maple but look like a juniper. They smell great too, lemony.

 

[esons]

Is there a chance you could give us an update on your cypress?

 

[Eric Schrader]

Here you go. This was in February. It's been slow growth since then so not much change, I think this is the most recent pic I have on hand.

 

[esons]

Here you go. This was in February. It's been slow growth since then so not much change, I think this is the most recent pic I have on hand.

Thank you. Such a cool tree, such a great job you've done. I have fifteen little ones that I started a couple of years ago. The foliage is just starting to change, pretty exciting. I have a couple of questions, how tall did you let it get before you cut it back? And how much of the base flair do you attribute to it being planted on a board for a couple of years?

 

[Eric Schrader]

I think the base flare is dependent on establishing a good radial root system in the young seedlings....which is why it was in a pond basket as a youngster. Then it was planted relatively shallow over a board which obviously also helped. They are not that difficult to get a good flare on, most of the ones I started from seed have good bases.

As for the cutback - when in the ground these will grow 3-6 feet per year. So I did periodic cutback and thinning to keep the tree from getting out of control. Buried up in the crown is a large cut. I'm ground growing two right now and I'm using single sacrifice branches while keeping most of the tree trimmed back, similar to a pine. You don't have to do that with these but I find it's a good technique for keeping lots of small branching where you want it while still getting the trunk big.

It's interesting that you can establish a tree from seed with C. macrocarpa in such a short time, the unfortunate part is that I have no idea how long it will take to get mature bark on the trunk. They have ribbony bark and so far this one is very smooth.

 

[aframe]

Superb! Looks just like many of the great specimens I see almost daily - Your tree has got to be one of the most natural looking cypress [bonsai] I've seen.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Very naturalistic Eric. Nice...

 

[Eric Schrader]

I've been happy with the progress on these cypress. This one, there's a smaller one I posted about on my blog as well and I have four others that are less refined still.

I owe a nod for the inspiration to Katusumi Kinoshita who has been the long-time sensei for the Monterey club and has some really amazing cypress bonsai. Check out the "An appreciation for cypress" post on my blog, the two bonsai at the end are his trees:

http://www.phutu.com/an-appreciation-for-monterey-cypress/

 

[rockm]

Those are terrific trees. You hit the nail on the head with "native" style. Funny this tree isn't used more like a lot of North American species.

 

[aframe]

Check out the "An appreciation for cypress" post on my blog, the two bonsai at the end are his trees:

http://www.phutu.com/an-appreciation-for-monterey-cypress/

You a golfer? some of the pics look like Bayonet [& Black Horse]...my favorite courses in that area.

 

[Giga]

wow didn't expect such an awesome tree!

 

[Eric Schrader]

You a golfer? some of the pics look like Bayonet [& Black Horse]...my favorite courses in that area.

No, but I'd consider paying to play a round just so I could not get hit in the head with a golf ball while wandering around the courses in Monterey looking at the old cypress. The images were all taken from the road along 17 mile drive or at Point Lobos. There are a few very nice trees here in San Francisco, but none quite as good as the ones at Point Lobos.

Also - I know other people who have grown these or have them. There's one in the BGLM collection, also one in the Hanford collection I believe. Good point about C. macrocarpa - fast to develop, bad point - difficult to maintain in the long-term due to vigorous growth. Wire scaring can happen as quickly as on a trident maple.

 

[coh]

That is a a really well done tree...bravo! And from seed, even more impressive. It definitely has the "feeling" of a Monterey-area cypress.

My job used to take me out to Monterey about once a year. Point Lobos is one of my favorite places in the world. Seeing those photos makes me feel like I need to get out there again. My last trip was before I really got into bonsai, so I think I'd have a different appreciation for it now.

Chris

 

[Djtommy]

nice one. good styling

 

[Desertfish]

Wow what great trees. I love all the native trees we have to choose from in California.

 

[justBonsai]

Great looking tree! I've been trying to grow more local native trees of recent. I can't believe that cypress is only 7, 8 years old. Hopefully you get good barking to complement it within the same amount of time.

 

[Ry2Tree2]

Could we see another update? Also, have you found any reliable method to generate backbuds or new foliage closer in after letting it grow out? I have seen only one Monterey cypress in person, and gradually lack of backbudding is becoming an issue.