New to Bonsai, Bald Cypress

[manbearpig99]

Hey guys, I'm very new to this whole bonsai thing and I recently got a pretty young bald cypress, keeping it indoors. It looks like it has some mildew (?) on it (white powdery looking stuff on some of the leaves/ needles) as well as some discoloration in some of the lower branches.

I figure some fertilizer would probably help that out but not sure about the mildew, one of the books I got said a mild fungicide would get rid of it but is that really necessary? I've had it about a month now and have done very little aside from watering it and some trimming so it's probably due for some fertilizer.

I do have a question about the trimmings, I know some of the more hardcore people would probably so no just for aesthetic reasons but would it be bad for the tree to let the trimmings just rot back into the pot?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Poink88]

Where are you located?

Move it outdoors now else it is destined to die. Sorry.

Here are some links to read..
http://absolutebonsai.com/bald_cypress_bonsai
http://www.chinesebonsaigarden.com/bald-cypress-bonsai-tree/

I know one article here says it is okay indoors but I personally doubt it.

 

[manbearpig99]

I'm in NY. Curious, why you say it is destined to die?

 

[Poink88]

I'm in NY. Curious, why you say it is destined to die?

Plants need to be outdoors...some more than others. Vendors who claim their plants can be kept indoors are just doing the "sales talk". If the plant is not cold hardy to your area...then you can bring it indoors during winter. Even that can weaken the tree considerably.

 

[rockm]

You CANNOT keep bald cypress, or any other temperate zone tree (maple, pine, juniper, elm) inside. They can't handle indoor conditions. They require high light conditions (indoors, even with supplemental lighting) can't provide that. Additionally, humidity levels inside are closer to a desert than Death Valley. Those low levels will stress the plant. Drip trays under the pot won't help.

Additionally, Bald cypress requires a dormancy period in the winter. It needs to "go to sleep" for the winter. Indoors, it's natural preparations for that process are short circuited.

FWIW, I've been growing Bald Cypress as bonsai for more than 15 years. It will not survive long indoors...

 

[manbearpig99]

Well thanks for the info guys, I suppose I should move it outside then. Aside from that first little hiccup, any thoughts on the fertilizers and trimmings?

 

[Dav4]

Well thanks for the info guys, I suppose I should move it outside then. Aside from that first little hiccup, any thoughts on the fertilizers and trimmings?

Your tree is stressed, so the less you do with it right now, the better. Get it outside and gradually acclimate it to full sun. Keep it moist, fertlize lightly, and no pruning.

 

[rockm]

You will need to provide substantial winter protection for the tree this winter. You CANNOT bring it inside for the winter.

Protection at the roots is essential for this species in New York. Here in Va. I mulch my BC--pot and all--on the ground behind a windbreak under six inches of pine bark mulch. The mulch goes up the first third of the trunk.

We are coming up on autumn and the tree will probably begin losing its leaves in mid-October after the first frosts hit it. I put my trees into winter storage at Thanksgiving.

Here's the best article on overwintering bonsai:
http://www.evergreengardenworks.com/overwint.htm

 

[edprocoat]

Beyond the obvious which has already been addressed about moving it outside the day before yesterday, yes you can let the trimmings rot back into the pot, just like in the wild where there are no people raking around the tree the fallen leaves enrich the soil, now it will eventually clog up your soil mix making it slower draining but with a bald cypress you will need to repot each year anyway.

ed

 

[milehigh_7]

Oh and by the way, welcome! Don't be put off by abrupt advice. We get a little passionate about trees. We figure that if we shoot straight, and you listen, you will be up and running in no time. Do put your location in your profile it will help folks give you the right advice.

 

[manbearpig99]

No worries, I'd rather be told what to do right and keep my tree alive than have it die. Thanks guys.

 

[rockm]

FWIW, you've chosen what might be a difficult species to work with so far north. Although (most) Bald Cypress are pretty winter hardy, the species does present some challenges to those who haven't overwintered trees before. It can also present challenges in how it's foliage is cut back and maintained.

A species that is similar to BC that would be iron-clad healthwise in your climate would be larch. It's a deciduous conifer and relatively easy to come by up that way. There are some spectacular American larch bonsai from your region. Additionally, apples and crab apples would also work pretty easily in a colder climate.

 

[Bill S]

I'm up in W. Mass and these like to grow new branches every year up here.
Ditto what rockm says re Larch.

 

[jk_lewis]

You are in Upstate NY. If you are anywhere near Rochester, contact Bill Valavanis at the International Bonsai Arboretum. He is THE authority on bonsai in that part of the world.

 

[manbearpig99]

Ok well I've moved it outside, I was hoping for an indoor bonsai but the more reading I do the less likely it seems that I will find a tree I like that would survive indoors. There's a couple places in the winter I can stick it where it will still get sun but be kept warmer than freezing. Anyway, thanks for the tips so far. I've been looking around and it seems like some people use just regular fertilizer you can find almost everywhere like miracle grow and the like. Should I be doing any kind of fertilizing or should I just leave it alone for a few weeks and let it acclimate to being outside?

 

[rockm]

"There's a couple places in the winter I can stick it where it will still get sun but be kept warmer than freezing"

Sun is not a good idea for trees that are being overwintered. It will cause complications, like pushing spring growth far too early, or Southwest disease (when the tree's trunk is exposed to late afternoon sunlight causing one side--usually the southwest side facing the sun-- to thaw an begin moving sap...when the sun goes down, the sap freezes again, damaging the trunk...)

The object of overwintering is not to keep the tree "warm" but a BIT warmer than its surrounding. Frozen roots are fine and in a lot of cases, prefereable. Root damage doesn't really occur until temps get to and remain for hours i below 16 F or so, depending on species. My Bald cypress have made it through many sub 10 and even a few sub zero F nights over the years under mulch.

Mulch stores heat in the day and disperses it at night --buffering temperatures underneath it...

This time of year it isn't a terrific idea to be fertilzing or worrying about growth. Trees are in the middle of their seasonal dormancy preparations now and aren't really supposed to be pushing new shoots and leaves...

And next spring when it's time to fertilize, most any evenly balanced commercially prepared fert like Miracle Grow will do the trick. Don't spring for "bonsai fertilizers." they're mostly a scam...

Mulch stores heat in the day and disperses it at night --buffering temperatures underneath it...

 

[coh]

Original poster - sent you a PM about some bonsai events in upstate NY, though they may not be relevant since "upstate NY" covers a lot of territory!

 

[coppice]

My bald cypress lived well enough as bonsai in Monadnock region of NH. Yours should be ok with a windbreak in NY.

FWIW my larch are showing more stress here in appalachia, than BC did in NH...

 

[Cadillactaste]

FWIW, you've chosen what might be a difficult species to work with so far north. Although (most) Bald Cypress are pretty winter hardy, the species does present some challenges to those who haven't overwintered trees before. It can also present challenges in how it's foliage is cut back and maintained.

A species that is similar to BC that would be iron-clad healthwise in your climate would be larch. It's a deciduous conifer and relatively easy to come by up that way. There are some spectacular American larch bonsai from your region. Additionally, apples and crab apples would also work pretty easily in a colder climate.

@rockm reading archives...and your comment on how it's foliage is cut and maintained had me pause. Care to explain please?

 

[rockm]

For those unfamiliar with BC, it can be a little confusing as to what's a "shoot" that will eventually elongate into a branch and a simple leaf. BC will grow leaves directly off of trunks primary branches etc. Shoots have to elongate and mature a bit before they're cut back or they don't ramify. Additionally, BC can produce MULTI-LEAVED "fronds" of foliage that look a bit like ramified branching. Those fronds drop off in the fall, however, just like leaves.

Also, there is a "leaf stripping" technique to defoliate BC in the early summer. It results in smaller leaves and possibly a bit more ramification.

All this takes a bit of time to learn first hand.

I saw your new BC. Good luck with it. I'm currently working on a forest of BC with 1/2" to 1" diameter trunks. Not nearly as easy as my big BC to work on. BC ramify, but they tend to be coarse and a big gawky in growth.