Collected Bald Cypress

[markyscott]

Excellent, thanks for posting! I was planning to use stretch wrap on my next collecting trip, but hadn't heard of anyone else using it. Glad to see it works for you.

Thanks PiñonJ. It is really great for collecting. I won't leave home without it.

 

[Waltron]

well done, and very informative, confirms that I am doing something right. good post.

 

[markyscott]

well done, and very informative, confirms that I am doing something right. good post.

Thank you Waltron. I'm glad you got something out of it.

 

[RobertB]

Fun and rewarding work. Here's the process.

After collecting, I use packing stretch wrap to protect and hold together the rootball. With bald cypress, you can just leave the wrap on and set the rootball in water until you're ready to repot.

View attachment 94515 View attachment 94516

Cut the plastic off with a sharp knife to expose the rootball.

View attachment 94517

This is a cool tree - it has some movement and taper. Tough to find on bald cypress.

Scott

How long have you kept these in plastic wrap and in water for? Is this ok to do for 5 days or so?

 

[markyscott]

How long have you kept these in plastic wrap and in water for? Is this ok to do for 5 days or so?

No problem. I kept them in that for a couple weeks.

S

 

[RobertB]

No problem. I kept them in that for a couple weeks.

S

Nice and thank you. I will probably be doing the same here soon. Do you try and protect from any freezes after potting up early, relatively early, like you did? Also do you shade for a few weeks then full sun or place direct out in full sun?

 

[markyscott]

Nice and thank you. I will probably be doing the same here soon. Do you try and protect from any freezes after potting up early, relatively early, like you did? Also do you shade for a few weeks then full sun or place direct out in full sun?

Hi R -

I would have if we had any freezes outside of the refrigerator in Houston, LOL!

jk - we have them occasionally, but none the year I collected these. Given the out of season collection and all the root work, I definitely would protect them from freezes.

S

 

[BillsBayou]

No problem. I kept them in that for a couple weeks.

S

Thanks for the length of time information. I've only gone as long as a few days before I'm panicking to repot. I'll mellow out a bit in the future. Just don't tell my wife. If I don't have an urgent need to pot the trees, she'll find something for me to do.

Here's what you DON'T DO when collecting: Take all day doing it on a sunny day, even if temps are in the 40s.

I got to the swamp before sunrise and left after sundown. Many of the trees spent most of the day with their roots in heavy duty black trash bags. I had the worst success rate that year. Somewhere close to half of my larger trees died and most of my seedlings. I believe it was the heat of the sun being collected in the black plastic. That's the only year I lost a high percentage of trees, and it was the only year I ever left the swamp beyond 2pm. The swamp was also drained. Normally, I leave the trees in the holes beneath the water line while I look for more trees. That year I had to leave them above the soil. Just enough factors working against me: High ground, sunlight, and greed.

 

[RobertB]

I was able to collect two yesterday during my lunch break at work at a buddies house down on the river. The root balls were fit into a standard grocery bag then shrink wrapped. It was pouring rain and fairly cold during collection. I have a third I started but wasn't able to finish. Plan on getting this larger one later this week then getting several more in FEB.

The ones I collected yesterday are probably going to have to wait till Friday to get potted. I only have soil conditioner and coarse concrete sand at the house right now so I will have to pot these in that. I will probably do something like 70% screened pine bark and 30% washed builders sand.

 

[BillsBayou]

I was able to collect two yesterday during my lunch break at work at a buddies house down on the river. The root balls were fit into a standard grocery bag then shrink wrapped. It was pouring rain and fairly cold during collection. I have a third I started but wasn't able to finish. Plan on getting this larger one later this week then getting several more in FEB.

The ones I collected yesterday are probably going to have to wait till Friday to get potted. I only have soil conditioner and coarse concrete sand at the house right now so I will have to pot these in that. I will probably do something like 70% screened pine bark and 30% washed builders sand.

That should do it. When I was starting, I was talking soil types for bald cypress when a more experienced artist said "Bill. It doesn't matter. They'll grow in shit."

The wife gave me a Dewalt 20-volt Lithium Ion tool set for Christmas. This includes a reciprocating saw. I have some 12" Diablo pruning blades I'm dying to try in the swamp.