My Bald Cypress Flat Top project

[Dav4]

Dav4,that has to be one of the nicest bases/trunks on bonsai material that I have seen. Those first two photos in post # 71 just have me in awe. I have a feeling that I am never going to be satisfied with a bald cypress until I can achieve the fluted nebari and taper that this tree has. Do the trunks develop in this manner when grown in swampy conditions, better than just regular moist but not muddy soil?

Also, where do you purchase those Anderson flats?

In my limited experience in their native habitats, bald cypress are much more likely to have the extreme fluted bases when grown in swampy lands that flood seasonally. I've seen loads of landscape and nursery trees but none of them had the fluted bases that those I saw in the swamp had.

 

[johng]

Hey

Hey John! I was actually going to PM you, but decided that I might as well ask my question here. You obviously know my end goal with this one, so I'm wondering what if anything should be done to this one now verses later this year. It's been wired and de-wired twice in the last year, the main branches are basically set excluding one way down on the trunk that needs a lot of growing on. The goal as I see it is now is to start developing the secondary and tertiary branching, but I'm not sure if I should be pinching back the strong growth high on the trunk verses defoliating verses both at different times this summer. What would you do if this one was sitting in your yard? Thanks.

Hey Dave...sorry it has taken me a while to respond to this question. There seems to have been several folks with similar questions recently.

Once the main branches are in place and you are ready to start working on ramification...secondary and tertiary branching, I think pruning becomes more important than wiring. I let my branches grow out until they have hardened off...sometimes that is 1' or more and sometimes less as you get more and more branches...just inspect the branch to be cut...if it is still soft, give it more time, if it has firmed up, then it is ok to prune. Then I cut each branch back to the point at which I would like see further ramification...if its a secondary branch maybe I leave it 2" long. In a few weeks you will typically have 2-4 new buds extending out from the remaining 2" of the pruned branch...lets call these tertiary branch (3rd order)...once these have hardened off, I then prune all the branches again(should be 2-4x as many branches to prune this time)...this time a little shorter 1-1.5"...repeat again for the 4th order branching...prune even closer this time .5-1".

This process will build many many branches from which to choose from for the next wiring....typically in the late winter now because I just spent the entire growing season building ramification. My first task will be to prune all the ugly and/or unnecessary branches...I always develop trees with more branches than needed in the final design. Then I will look at each branch individually...pruning for ramification(only 2 branches leaving from any one location) and taper(prune out the heaviest parts of the branch in favor of the smaller/thinner branches) Once this pruning is done I wire everything trying to give it good 3D shape (every branch has some movement in all directions...up down right and left).

Rinse and repeat the next growing season if you still need more ramification.

The only time I pinch foliage is when I am happy with the ramification and I don't want the branches to extend...I typically think of this as a Show year. You pinch the tip out of all the new leaves and shoots in spring and early summer. I will also do this sometimes if I want the wire to stay on longer...no branches extending = no wire cutting in...more time for the branches to set.

I hope that makes sense Dave...I know you know all of this but perhaps this explanation will be helpful to others also!

 

[Dav4]

Thanks John. I basically did what you just described, but it's always nice to get confirmation from someone who's been there a few more times.

 

[Dorky_gearhead]

Please excuse my ignorance, but why must the branch harden off before it's cut back? Is that so the branch gets decent taper, or are does it develope dormant buds when it hardens up?

 

[rockm]

It's to stimulate the resting buds on the twig and push new shoots. Branches twigs on most deciduous trees will not backbud unless the stem has turned to wood, not soft tissue. Soft tissue doesn't provide the chemical "signal" to push a new bud. Mature (hardened off) tissue does.

 

[Dav4]

I decided to refine the carving of the chop site today. In the first picture, you can see the old chop scar. There's a hole there I just made with a 3/4 inch spade bit to do a bit of hollowing.

 

[Dav4]

Here is the revised carving. I used my die grinder with a wheel bit to remove the bulk of the wood, then followed up with a ball bit on an extended shank to get inside the trunk. Not shown is the cut paste applied to the edges. I expect it to be falling away within four weeks as the new callus forms.

 

[Dav4]

The canopy is just a mop of foliage right now but there's a lot of new ramification developing in that mess. It'll get sorted out and wired this fall

 

[Dorky_gearhead]

Do you have aa video series on YouTube? This tree looks very familiar

 

[Dav4]

Do you have aa video series on YouTube? This tree looks very familiar

Nah, that's @johng. Fwiw, his work with collected cypresses definitely inspired me to pursue the current styling of this tree.

 

[Dav4]

Loving the 90 F temps with dew points in the mid 70's...I'm in the AC watching the Olympics.

 

[Dav4]

This one will get a bit of a cut back and some wire, hopefully this weekend...gotta find a descent pot for it, too.

 

[Dav4]

We had a productive weekend. The apex is thinned and wired, and I found new shoes for it... 29" wide!!

 

[Giga]

I need a big pot for mine, whered you get that one or the current one it's in?

 

[ColinFraser]

View attachment 130002

Ni! Ni!

 

[ColinFraser]

Just to clarify, I mean no disrespect to you or the tree, but I can't help but think of this Monty Python scene when I see it:

 

[BunjaeKorea]

Just to clarify, I mean no disrespect to you or the tree, but I can't help but think of this Monty Python scene when I see it:

View attachment 130212
It will look great with a shrubbery. .....

 

[Dav4]

I need a big pot for mine, whered you get that one or the current one it's in?

I made a trade with a local bonsai buddy. The current pot is a mica pot I've had for years. Big, deep mica pots like this one are invaluable when training larger stock...that mica pot is 23" wide.

 

[Giga]

I need to get my hand on one - for my large BC this spring

 

[Dav4]

Cleaned up the base a bit and repotted into a bonsai pot. Holy crap, that tree is heavy now!!!