Mac In Oak Ridge
Shohin
In October 2009 I stopped by a local big box store and wandered through the garden department on a whim. Back in the back where they keep the trees I saw something very green and waving in the breeze. This is what I found. It startled me to see such a tree in one of those type stores. I was driving my car and couldn't carry it. The tub was 2' across and 18" deep, tree stood a good 6-7' above the top of the pot. Came back the next morning with my truck and picked that sucker up. Regrettably I didn't photograph the tree as it was originally. I chopped it back to the cut that you can see immediately and let it sit, kept it watered all winter and hoped for spring.
Well, as you can see, Spring caught up with it. When the buds started pushing out of the trunk and branches I pulled it out of the nursery tub. More like I pulled the nursery tub off the tree. At any rate I cut back the roots hard, cypress for the most part are very forgiving of root cutting. The roots can be cut back hard and they will overcome in a month or so. And, thank goodness this one did.
In the photos I put a standard 8" concave cutter on the pot for some kind of scale reference. The pot is 18"L X 14 1/2"W X 5"H. The tree, from soil surface to the top chop cut is 26 1/2". The Nebari is 8-9" depending on where you hold the tape.
I have also photographed a sketch of what my intentions are for this to develop. I took one of the weeping branches, cut a 90° notch half way through it and bent it straight up to make a apex growth. When bent straight up the notch closed up, put cut sealer around that area, wired it in place and so far it looks pretty good. It is pushing out new growth all the way up the branch. It is about 3' long and all of it isn't in the photo. Everything that comes off this thing weeps so I had to force straight up growth to get an apex started.
For now I am just letting it grow, scraping off any new buds that pop up every few days on the main trunk. Just waiting for the day I can start shaping it to the point that it could be displayed.
The knee isn't attached to the tree roots. I bought a half dozen small cypress knees from an ebay seller and chose one that I think goes with the tree. It has the same angle of growth as the main trunk. It is just sitting on the surface of the soil. I will cut it off about half way up and use the smaller knee when displayed.
I would welcome any suggestions, comments, criticism or encouragement.
Well, as you can see, Spring caught up with it. When the buds started pushing out of the trunk and branches I pulled it out of the nursery tub. More like I pulled the nursery tub off the tree. At any rate I cut back the roots hard, cypress for the most part are very forgiving of root cutting. The roots can be cut back hard and they will overcome in a month or so. And, thank goodness this one did.
In the photos I put a standard 8" concave cutter on the pot for some kind of scale reference. The pot is 18"L X 14 1/2"W X 5"H. The tree, from soil surface to the top chop cut is 26 1/2". The Nebari is 8-9" depending on where you hold the tape.
I have also photographed a sketch of what my intentions are for this to develop. I took one of the weeping branches, cut a 90° notch half way through it and bent it straight up to make a apex growth. When bent straight up the notch closed up, put cut sealer around that area, wired it in place and so far it looks pretty good. It is pushing out new growth all the way up the branch. It is about 3' long and all of it isn't in the photo. Everything that comes off this thing weeps so I had to force straight up growth to get an apex started.
For now I am just letting it grow, scraping off any new buds that pop up every few days on the main trunk. Just waiting for the day I can start shaping it to the point that it could be displayed.
The knee isn't attached to the tree roots. I bought a half dozen small cypress knees from an ebay seller and chose one that I think goes with the tree. It has the same angle of growth as the main trunk. It is just sitting on the surface of the soil. I will cut it off about half way up and use the smaller knee when displayed.
I would welcome any suggestions, comments, criticism or encouragement.
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