Large bald cypress

Giga

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I went on the hunt for a Bald cypress this spring and found this gem. It was close to 18' tall and has a fantastic base. Right now I have it in a cement mixing trey thing, and it's planted a little deeper then when it will be in a pot. It's just over 3' tall and about 12" across at the base

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I fertilized like mad and left it alone for the summer at it exploded!



I'll most likely put it in a pot this spring as the cement mixing trey is taking up way to much room and it grew so many roots that there coming out of the pot-also removing a unwanted branch and some light wiring. Or I'll just leave it in there and start carving and styling. I haven't decided yet
 

DougB

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Nice find and "looking good". Most of our on the coast are forms of flat tops. somewhat difficult to do well, but doable. View videos by JohnG, he is our Carolina expert and videos are exceptional. Our timing is different from down in FL or TX. Good luck and keep us up to date.
 

johng

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Nice tree... I would not rush repotting it though...be patient...I try to always give mine at least two full seasons after collecting before the first repot...it takes time to regrow roots and just as the new foliage is maturing, roots need to mature as well. Since the mortar mixing trays are not terribly sturdy be very careful when trying to move this...I work hard to place mine so they can finish the season without being moved.

Good Luck with your tree:)
John
 

Giga

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Nice tree... I would not rush repotting it though...be patient...I try to always give mine at least two full seasons after collecting before the first repot...it takes time to regrow roots and just as the new foliage is maturing, roots need to mature as well. Since the mortar mixing trays are not terribly sturdy be very careful when trying to move this...I work hard to place mine so they can finish the season without being moved.

Good Luck with your tree:)
John

I think I've watched your video about 20 times about bald cypress. I guess I'll just keep it in there for another season and just work the top. My plan is to hollow out the top about 10" or so and make it look like lighting stuck the tree. Then use a branch at the bottom of the hollow to create a flat top. maybe even that it's falling over,hmmmmm. I'll try a couple drawings since I suck and virtual. It's also in two mixing treys and on top a piece of thick plywood-that way, if I need to move it the roots are disturbed. John at what temp do you protect yours from? I was thinking of just leaving it on the bench, but I can also move it to my coldframe if need be.
 

johng

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I think I've watched your video about 20 times about bald cypress. I guess I'll just keep it in there for another season and just work the top. My plan is to hollow out the top about 10" or so and make it look like lighting stuck the tree. Then use a branch at the bottom of the hollow to create a flat top. maybe even that it's falling over,hmmmmm. I'll try a couple drawings since I suck and virtual. It's also in two mixing treys and on top a piece of thick plywood-that way, if I need to move it the roots are disturbed. John at what temp do you protect yours from? I was thinking of just leaving it on the bench, but I can also move it to my coldframe if need be.

It is hard for me to answer your protection question since I have no experience with your weather. I don't usually protect mine especially once they are established...I do move newly collected trees next to my house but I don't do anything else to protect...I would not recommend that for you though...I suspect it will need some protection...particularly the first winter after collection.
 

Giga

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Worked on this guy today- right as bud were swelling I cut branches that I didn't need off and worked a little of the top, I fertilized like mad and it grew like mad.



So then I craved the top by hand without any power tools-that took forever and I need to darken the hollow part n such and it still need a little work but this is only the second year in development so more to come. Some of the branches need a little fine tuning but I ran out of time tonight and I'll finish things tomorrow




 

evmibo

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I'm guessing it'll backbud like crazy. What would you say your objectives are for the next 6 months? I like where it's going.
 

sorce

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maybe even that it's falling over

I know this was last year's idea.
I hope you changed your mind, because that base is too strong to "lean".

I love how it is going now! Excellent!

Sorce
 

JudyB

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Wow, this is a very nice BC. If you let your carving sit for a few months in the elements without any treatment, it will soften and you'll be able to work it more, and it will look more natural. Nobody carves like the weather! Good job so far, did you wind up protecting over the winter?
 

Giga

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I'm guessing it'll backbud like crazy. What would you say your objectives are for the next 6 months? I like where it's going.

They bud out like crazy and everywhere. Just let it grow strong and then maybe a trim after things fall to winter

I know this was last year's idea.
I hope you changed your mind, because that base is too strong to "lean".

I love how it is going now! Excellent!

Sorce

Yeah that idea went out the window shortly after I had the idea. The base flares out even more in the soil and next year I'll expose it more when I put it in a pot.

Wow, this is a very nice BC. If you let your carving sit for a few months in the elements without any treatment, it will soften and you'll be able to work it more, and it will look more natural. Nobody carves like the weather! Good job so far, did you wind up protecting over the winter?

Yeah, thats the same mentality I take to carving. I usually do a rough carve at first, let it age for a bit, fine tune it, then Start protecting it with lime sulphur/wood hardener. All I did was put it up against the back fence, spray it, then cover in pine needles. This yeah I"m building a cold frame for the winter as I've invested a lot more in my trees and a lot more of them. And thanks all for the compliments!
 

rockm

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FWIW, I don't think the lime sulfur treatment is needed with a tree like this. Let the jin age naturally. Stark white bleached wood common on high altitude plants can be a bit jarring on a lowland, swamp dwelling species that is more familiar with mold and rot. BC wood can be quite resilient to rot, especially older trees. Allowing that jin to weather naturally over the tree's lifetime will make it more "believable" than a neon white apex common on alpine conifers...
 
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Giga

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I'll be adding Indian ink to it, in the bald cypress swamps here the dead wood has an grayish white dead wood that come with Sun and age. I just didn't have any ink atm.
 

Adair M

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About "flat tops"...

Flat tops occur when the tree is unable to lift water from the roots any higher. So the branches stop growing up, and instead grow wide.

Your tree has a deadwood trunk showing that it was once significantly taller. It would not form a flat top structure there. After the storm, it would try to regrow a new leader. And grow tall again.
 

johng

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About "flat tops"...

Flat tops occur when the tree is unable to lift water from the roots any higher. So the branches stop growing up, and instead grow wide.

Your tree has a deadwood trunk showing that it was once significantly taller. It would not form a flat top structure there. After the storm, it would try to regrow a new leader. And grow tall again.


Hogwash...that is not true at all...most of the best flattops are storm damaged trees with broken out tops...
 

Giga

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About "flat tops"...

Flat tops occur when the tree is unable to lift water from the roots any higher. So the branches stop growing up, and instead grow wide.

Your tree has a deadwood trunk showing that it was once significantly taller. It would not form a flat top structure there. After the storm, it would try to regrow a new leader. And grow tall again.

have to 100% disagree with you there- The massive black water bald cypress swamps here, that you can walk through, have dmged tree's and a lot of the older ones form flat tops. I basing this design off ones I've seen with my own eyes
 

johng

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It would not form a flat top structure there. After the storm, it would try to regrow a new leader. And grow tall again.
To be clear and fair....it is this part of the post that I am challenging... To me the very best flat tops are ancient mature trees that have been twisted off 2/3 of the way up by a hurricane and then developed a top at the level of the damage...not grown taller...for me these are the trees with the most character and interest and the ones most logical to create from large collected material.

As to the carving it is a great start! I suspect at some point you may want to exaggerate the difference in the two tops. To my eye they are a little too similar currently...especially in the 2nd pic
 

rockm

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You're both right....Y'all gotta get a copy of the definitive book on Bald Cypress."Bald Cypress, The Tree Unique, The Wood Eternal" written by researchers at Louisiana universities. The book demonstrates, through many extended observations and photos and study, Bald Cypress is an extremely adaptable tree that's sculpted by nature in many different ways including their physical characteristics, as well as their environment. The image one southerner has in his/her head in one part of the south, is sometimes extremely different than one southerner in another swamp 500 miles away.
 

Giga

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To be clear and fair....it is this part of the post that I am challenging... To me the very best flat tops are ancient mature trees that have been twisted off 2/3 of the way up by a hurricane and then developed a top at the level of the damage...not grown taller...for me these are the trees with the most character and interest and the ones most logical to create from large collected material.

As to the carving it is a great start! I suspect at some point you may want to exaggerate the difference in the two tops. To my eye they are a little too similar currently...especially in the 2nd pic

Yeah I just letting it sit for now as I don't want to do too much at once-I already did a lot so I just called it quits for now. I also plan to add a couple hole where a branch may have been
 

GrimLore

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To me the very best flat tops are ancient mature trees that have been twisted off 2/3 of the way up by a hurricane and then developed a top at the level of the damage...not grown taller...

I agree and others like my Wife do not(hence our failed transaction). Perspective and observation is personal however and as in any Art "not for all". Crazy sometimes but everyone "sees' things different. I also agree with you on the upper treatment of the wood - it would do this tree justice to offset it a bit perhaps even drastically. Just my 1/2 cent...

Grimmy
 
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