Design suggestions needed for this bald cypress

[Cajunrider]

Collected last year, this BC has grown well. It has excellent trunk with good taper and a all around nebari. It has 4 tiers of branches with the second from the top being the biggest. Near the bottom there are 3 branches close together that should be thinned out. I am quite undecided on the style of the tree. As it is right now it already looks like many of the fully matured BCs in the swamp.

 

[Mellow Mullet]

Send it to me, I'll figure it out...

 

[gooeytek]

That's magnificent.

I've never had one, so I wouldn't be of any help with the styling and training, but I think it would look better with smaller branches on top and keep it from growing any taller.

 

[johng]

Most of the oldest BC in the wild are mostly to completely hollow. Might be a fun afternoon project to hollow from the top with 24" long 11/2" paddle bit and then open up a hollow in the base and connect it with the top hollow. Personally I would cut off all the branches that existed before collecting and regrow new ones.

 

[namnhi]

Uncle, what a luvly tree this one is. Your port looks a bit crowded since I was there last time. Don't you have to clean up the yard before listing the house... You will need a couple months to get the grass growing... just saying.

 

[Cajunrider]

Most of the oldest BC in the wild are mostly to completely hollow. Might be a fun afternoon project to hollow from the top with 24" long 11/2" paddle bit and then open up a hollow in the base and connect it with the top hollow. Personally I would cut off all the branches that existed before collecting and regrow new ones.

I usually do as well but this one looked so good I left them on.

 

[rockm]

Please don't destroy that beautiful tapered trunk by hollowing it out. Top it by cutting off the top six to eight inches. Remove ALL branching. Start branching from scratch for a tight upright form with pyramidal silhouette. Sounds boring, but a trunk with that much natural taper screams for that kind of treatment. It won't be boring. Far from it. \

Take a page from Guy Guidry's design plan for his big BC:

 

[Cajunrider]

Most of the oldest BC in the wild are mostly to completely hollow. Might be a fun afternoon project to hollow from the top with 24" long 11/2" paddle bit and then open up a hollow in the base and connect it with the top hollow. Personally I would cut off all the branches that existed before collecting and regrow new ones.

@johng I have a few BCs which has damages on the trunks from natural events. I definitely am planning to attempt to hollow some of them. You are right about the existing branches. I am thinking about chopping them off.

Please don't destroy that beautiful tapered trunk by hollowing it out. Top it by cutting off the top six to eight inches. Remove ALL branching. Start branching from scratch for a tight upright form with pyramidal silhouette. Sounds boring, but a trunk with that much natural taper screams for that kind of treatment. It won't be boring. Far from it. \

Take a page from Guy Guidry's design plan for his big BC:

View attachment 562677

@rockm
You are right about the trunk of my tree. It is very well formed. An upright design will show off how good it is.

 

[Cajunrider]

Here we go for BC bonsai development restart. It will be chopped down lower. Location of the chop will be decided by the tree.

 

[Mikea454]

Collected last year, this BC has grown well. It has excellent trunk with good taper and a all around nebari. It has 4 tiers of branches with the second from the top being the biggest. Near the bottom there are 3 branches close together that should be thinned out. I am quite undecided on the style of the tree. As it is right now it already looks like many of the fully matured BCs in the swamp.View attachment 562653View attachment 562654View attachment 562655View attachment 562656View attachment 562657

is there anyway to recreate the pic you posted, complete with moss?

 

[Cajunrider]

is there anyway to recreate the pic you posted, complete with moss?

View attachment 562711

Not any where near as magnificent but yeah.

 

[Deleted member 47471]

Inspired by the photo posted from mikea, a structural branch coming into the foreground at left, and an opposite side structural branch with secondaries and tertiaries creating the apex that fills in the middle/background and right side would give much depth to the tree overall (and create stellar negative space between the branching and foliage for an increased appearance of age).