Can I air layer the trunk of this Bald Cypress?

[Coooltan]

Hello!

I recently acquired this beautiful Bald Cypress that someone had potted a number of years ago with plans to bonsai it. I love this tree.

I am in a predicament. The tree currently stands around 10ft tall in the pot and I am moving 1200 miles next June (it is currently October 27th at the time of this post). I planned on chopping this winter but the top half has a ton of potential and I would like to try to air layer it. Regardless, it is going to be chopped by June of next year so that I can transport it. I know traditionally it is late to air layer, but I live in Orlando Fl and it is currently 90 degrees and will probably stay above 80 until January/february. It’s so hard to find advice because Florida is such a different climate than the rest of the us!

1. Is it possible to air layer the trunk of a BC?
2. Is it too late in this climate to even attempt it?

 

[19Mateo83]

I have tried but I have had more success with cuttings. The trunk I tried never put out roots after two years of trying. It made a huge callous and wanted to keep bridging. I had to cut the bridge several times during the two years. @Cajunrider has tried too. Do you have a picture of the tree in question?

 

[snowman04]

Yes! Pictures, please... @Cajunrider is a great source of information on BCs...

 

[Cajunrider]

I have tried but I have had more success with cuttings. The trunk I tried never put out roots after two years of trying. It made a huge callous and wanted to keep bridging. I had to cut the bridge several times during the two years. @Cajunrider has tried too. Do you have a picture of the tree in question?

I have had multiple successes with air layering BCs when I made the gap to be 2.5” or longer.

 

[19Mateo83]

I have had multiple successes with air layering BCs when I made the gap to be 2.5” or longer.

That would explain my failure, i didn’t cut a wide enough gap in the bark.

 

[rockm]

I'd be willing to bet money there is no reason to air layer the top of this tree.

A pic would help prove me wrong.

Air layering the top of such a young BC is likely to yield a telephone pole with no taper or buttressing of roots--which is what you generally have BC for. The tops of even wild grown trees rarely have potential for bonsai.

Chop the top. Forget about it. Focus on the main tree.

 

[Cajunrider]

I'd be willing to bet money there is no reason to air layer the top of this tree.

A pic would help prove me wrong.

Air layering the top of such a young BC is likely to yield a telephone pole with no taper or buttressing of roots--which is what you generally have BC for. The tops of even wild grown trees rarely have potential for bonsai.

Chop the top. Forget about it. Focus on the main tree.

I agree. Nowadays I don't airlayer BCs for the following reasons.
1. BC tops can be developed so easily so no top is really worth air layering to save.
2. Small BCs can be grown so fast from seeds it is not worth delaying the growth of a tree for one year just so we can get an air layer out of it.
3. Air layer from big BC results in a good size tree without buttressing and that looks weird on a big BC.

Even though I have had success with BC air layering, I now don't do it. Last year I did a huge decapitation of two dozen BCs. I sure could have air layered them.

 

[Cajunrider]

That would explain my failure, i didn’t cut a wide enough gap in the bark.

My experience with wedge cuts on BC branches and even trunks show that BC has good capability to bridge gaps. I did a 1" wedge cut on a BC trunk. Even though I push the two sides together, it wasn't really a good job and there was definitely a gap. Yet the tree readily bridged the cut. It did not miss a beat and kept right on growing.

 

[Coooltan]

Sorry for the late response! I thought I uploaded pictures. Must not have. Here they are.

I understand what you are saying about it being worth it or not, but I thought these might have some good potential. The one with 3 branches would have some fun opportunity for jin. Really though, I would just like the practice. I just recently dipped my feet into bonsai a year and a half ago.

I appreciate all of the advice, though. I didn’t know BC grew from seed fast. I thought they were a fairly slow growing tree.

I will need to repot it as well this winter so that will be another learning curve. There are some crazy heavy roots circling the top of the nursery pot. It actually broke the pot. Honestly, I think they look kind of cool but I don’t know if it is a “desirable” feature or not in the bigger bonsai world.

 

[Coooltan]

Sorry for the late response! I thought I uploaded pictures. Must not have. Here they are.

I understand what you are saying about it being worth it or not, but I thought these might have some good potential. The one with 3 branches would have some fun opportunity for jin. Really though, I would just like the practice. I just recently dipped my feet into bonsai a year and a half ago.

I appreciate all of the advice, though. I didn’t know BC grew from seed fast. I thought they were a fairly slow growing tree.

I will need to repot it as well this winter so that will be another learning curve. There are some crazy heavy roots circling the top of the nursery pot. It actually broke the pot. Honestly, I think they look kind of cool but I don’t know if it is a “desirable” feature or not in the bigger bonsai world.

Sorry for the late response! I thought I uploaded pictures. Must not have. Here they are.

I understand what you are saying about it being worth it or not, but I thought these might have some good potential. The one with 3 branches would have some fun opportunity for jin. Really though, I would just like the practice. I just recently dipped my feet into bonsai a year and a half ago.

I appreciate all of the advice, though. I didn’t know BC grew from seed fast. I thought they were a fairly slow growing tree.

I will need to repot it as well this winter so that will be another learning curve. There are some crazy heavy roots circling the top of the nursery pot. It actually broke the pot. Honestly, I think they look kind of cool but I don’t know if it is a “desirable” feature or not in the bigger bonsai world.

 

[snowman04]

The pics were worth the wait! Nice looking tree... Do you have a pot in mind yet?

 

[Coooltan]

The pics were worth the wait! Nice looking tree... Do you have a pot in mind yet?

She sure is pretty. Minus all of the wind damage from transport - rookie lesson learned!

I haven’t decided on a pot yet. Any suggestions? I have a larger 18 inch Brown Oval Mica pot that I got from Wigerts awhile back for another tree (RIP). It’s about 5 inches deep. I’m not sure if I need something deeper for the first pot or not since it is such a large tree with so many roots.

 

[Maiden69]

I guess I am one of those that like to go against the grain... I do agree with the air layer. Either done now depending on your location and allowing callous and roots to start forming over fall/winter. Depending on how many roots you have early spring you could separate upon bud swell and chop / repot the tree at the same time. If no roots are present and you are comfortable leaving the tree in the pot one more year (judging by the pics I wouldn't), you can leave the layer till mid spring and separate post flush hardening.

To me there are several options. Air layer the top section (removing the light blue section) into a twin / three trunk placing it on a board in a wide box to allow roots to flare and thicken the base. Then chop the tree depending on your vision.

Below I marked two chop sites in red (more common) and a more drastic one in light orange. Yellow is what I think its the flare you have now at the base. and Green the possible new leaders.

 

[Srt8madness]

LOL yeah knees are freaking desirable in the bigger bonsai world, no doubt!

BC are crazy fast growers.

 

[Srt8madness]

Also, I don't see any potential in the top, it is just a pole with no taper. You're going to set the work on the actual tree back a year to maybe get a stick.

 

[Cajunrider]

I guess I am one of those that like to go against the grain... I do agree with the air layer. Either done now depending on your location and allowing callous and roots to start forming over fall/winter. Depending on how many roots you have early spring you could separate upon bud swell and chop / repot the tree at the same time. If no roots are present and you are comfortable leaving the tree in the pot one more year (judging by the pics I wouldn't), you can leave the layer till mid spring and separate post flush hardening.

To me there are several options. Air layer the top section (removing the light blue section) into a twin / three trunk placing it on a board in a wide box to allow roots to flare and thicken the base. Then chop the tree depending on your vision.

Below I marked two chop sites in red (more common) and a more drastic one in light orange. Yellow is what I think its the flare you have now at the base. and Green the possible new leaders.

View attachment 515784

I like your detailed plan that gives options. If it were me, I would be champing at the bit to chop the tree and develop the top as fast as I can to match that very interesting base. I realize the air layer can take as few as 3 months but 3 months can also give me some very interesting shoots to choose for a new top that can take shape in as little as one year.

 

[Maiden69]

I like your detailed plan that gives options. If it were me, I would be champing at the bit to chop the tree and develop the top as fast as I can to match that very interesting base. I realize the air layer can take as few as 3 months but 3 months can also give me some very interesting shoots to choose for a new top that can take shape in as little as one year.

yes, but you have the ability to go out and collect. Us mere mortals don't have that opportunity, and the notion of creating as many trees possible out of one tree is appealing. I was planning on air layering the top of one of the trees that died last winter. I even selected the two best positioned leaders and allowed them to develop in preparation to layering. Remember, if I was going to do that with seedlings, it would at least take 2 years to get them to the size I already had.

I think the key element here is planning ahead. If the tree can endure one extra year in the pot it is growing, and the product of the air layer is good, to me it is worth doing. You are already chopping the tree next year, why not take advantage and salvage a portion that have nice character?

I was in this position last year, and I am kicking myself for not doing so because now I am moving and the top portions that I wanted to air layer will be chopped off soon to go to the burn pile, as all I have is a 5x8 terrace on a first floor apartment.

 

[Cajunrider]

yes, but you have the ability to go out and collect. Us mere mortals don't have that opportunity, and the notion of creating as many trees possible out of one tree is appealing. I was planning on air layering the top of one of the trees that died last winter. I even selected the two best positioned leaders and allowed them to develop in preparation to layering. Remember, if I was going to do that with seedlings, it would at least take 2 years to get them to the size I already had.

I think the key element here is planning ahead. If the tree can endure one extra year in the pot it is growing, and the product of the air layer is good, to me it is worth doing. You are already chopping the tree next year, why not take advantage and salvage a portion that have nice character?

I was in this position last year, and I am kicking myself for not doing so because now I am moving and the top portions that I wanted to air layer will be chopped off soon to go to the burn pile, as all I have is a 5x8 terrace on a first floor apartment.

Give OP the options to ponder. I like it.

 

[Hack Yeah!]

@Cajunrider or anyone else, has anyone tried just cutting the top of one of these BC off and sticking it in a bucket of water, like a big hardwood cutting?

 

[Maiden69]

I know that @19Mateo83 has done some decent cuttings. This is not a willow, but who knows...