New Bald Cypress
- Thread starter BonsaiJim
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jk_lewis
Masterpiece
Quite a nice flat top bald cypress. I do think I'd get rid of the two lowest branches, through. Leave as short jin. Both would make nice cuttings!!!!
rockm
Spuds Moyogi
Nice tree. Needs a new pot 
and a bit more reduction in the canopy to bring it back into balance with the trunk. I'd also take a second look at the lowest branches. I'd leave the lowest, but the others could stand an edit or two...just some thoughts. Very nice tree as is, though (although that pot isn't doing it any favors )
and a bit more reduction in the canopy to bring it back into balance with the trunk. I'd also take a second look at the lowest branches. I'd leave the lowest, but the others could stand an edit or two...just some thoughts. Very nice tree as is, though (although that pot isn't doing it any favors )
JudyB
Queen of the Nuts
Very nice tree, Don is really a master of the flat-top. And BC in general. All his stuff is top notch, you've found a great vendor to work with.
jkd2572
Masterpiece
Very nice. I'm am currently working on one in that style. Mine is in the first year of training after the first chop. Its on a thread called nursary dumpster diving.Thanks for posting. Jgeanangel on you tube has some pretty impressive stuff on flat tops bald cypress as well. Thanks again for the inspiration.
Dav4
Drop Branch Murphy
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Great tree...gotta get me one. I agree with Mark to leave the lower branches for now. You can reduce or remove down the road.
JKD2572, I really admire you for taking on that challenge. I hope you hit a homerun with your project.
I did it the very EASY way, you just the opposite!
rockm
Spuds Moyogi
"I did it the very EASY way, you just the opposite!"
Not really the challenge facing you is just different. Keeping and editing the flat top is not all that straight forward. BC tends to develop some apically strong branching that has to be kept in check to keep the top finer and not coarse looking. That means sometimes hacking off very large portions of it to redevelop it as the years go on.
I built my flat top up from a single stump over 15-20 year with repeated trunk and apical chops.
For inspiration look at Vaughn Banting's trees. I've yet to see anyone approach his level of artistry and technique with BC.
Not really
the challenge facing you is just different. Keeping and editing the flat top is not all that straight forward. BC tends to develop some apically strong branching that has to be kept in check to keep the top finer and not coarse looking. That means sometimes hacking off very large portions of it to redevelop it as the years go on.I built my flat top up from a single stump over 15-20 year with repeated trunk and apical chops.
For inspiration look at Vaughn Banting's trees. I've yet to see anyone approach his level of artistry and technique with BC.
jkd2572
Masterpiece
I have another bald cypress. And you are correct about it keeping in in shape. The great thing about them is that if you do cut something off it grows back like crazy.
Poink88
Imperial Masterpiece
Nice!
I won't cut any branches off it just yet. Let it sink in, look at & study lots of cypress pics, have a plan/goal/design before doing any changes. Easier to cut than re-attach a branch you know.
I won't cut any branches off it just yet. Let it sink in, look at & study lots of cypress pics, have a plan/goal/design before doing any changes. Easier to cut than re-attach a branch you know.
fore
Omono
You got that right! I've messed mine up several times and just cut it all off and started anew.... It's my oldest tree I own too lol
jkd2572
Masterpiece
I carved one with a 3 inch trunk 2 inches all the way up the middle. All leaves turned brown. Looked liked I killed it. 3 weeks later all the same branches pushed out new growth. They are the strongest trees I have ever done damage too. I took one that was 30 foot tall chopped it to 4 feet. Cut the bottom off flat with no feeder roots. It's growing stronger than anything I've got. The bald cypress is almost impossible to kill.
Alex DeRuiter
Chumono
Beautiful tree! Don's cypresses are so impressive. I wonder if he collects them himself or if he buys from collectors. . . . Perhaps we'll never know. ;-p
I recently became a huge fan of the flat-top style after seeing an incredibly impressive Brazilian rain tree styled as such by Erik Wigert. I believe this is the tree. . . .
And here's another extremely impressive flat-top:
Sekibonsai
Shohin
@ Alex, while thats a nice tree that is not the form that the bald cypress take... They are mooch taller, straighter and more open.
It becomes more of a champaigne glass shape and not nearly so full.
Good examples here... Even mor einspiring in real life if you can ever get there...
http://www.kuriositas.com/2010/09/atchafalaya-biggest-swamp-in-states.html
It becomes more of a champaigne glass shape and not nearly so full.
Good examples here... Even mor einspiring in real life if you can ever get there...
http://www.kuriositas.com/2010/09/atchafalaya-biggest-swamp-in-states.html
fore
Omono
Those are great pics Jim! Stunning trees and photography. Thanks for sharing.
eron jonson
Sapling
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Just wondering how old that tree might be if you have an idea?
eron jonson
Sapling
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Bald cypress with age become very flat toped in nature. im surprised you would say otherwise
and for the original post, if you have not cut anything yet. i think it would give form very well if you removed the lowest two branches to help offset the direction of flow.
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