Nursery Bald Cypress #1

[Apex37]

Picked this guy up at a local nursery for a decent price. Considering how often BC are used as shade trees here in Texas, there's few to be found in my area that aren't too large or expensive.

This guy is 4.5' tall and a 1 1/2" base. I'm going to repot into a 15"x12"x3" Anderson flat like tray and was wondering if I can chop at this leader point and do decent root pruning without issues? I had considered not cutting it to help increase trunk girth, but I'm not sure how stable it will be if I let it grow any taller than it is in a container that size.

Any feedback?

 

[Apex37]

After reading up a little, I'm rethinking above. I'm considering either putting him in a 5 gal bucket without holes or repotting him into the tray and secure him to perhaps a larger pot or tray (was thinking maybe a bussing tray) and having that filled with water. Either way, I won't prune. The goal would be then to get trunk girth since I can't plant in the ground.

 

[Colorado]

Nice starter BC, fun species they grow so fast!

 

[Apex37]

Nice starter BC, fun species they grow so fast!

Thanks! I'm excited to see where this guy goes. I'm definitely going to try and take cuttings and do a forest planting down the road.

 

[Cajunrider]

Put that in a shallow big tub (no bottom drain holes) with a mix of cow manure and top soil. Drill some side drain holes right at the soil level so you have the roots in plenty of water but no standing water for mosquitoes. Then you can watch that thing grow so big so fast.

 

[Mark .K]

After reading up a little, I'm rethinking above. I'm considering either putting him in a 5 gal bucket without holes or repotting him into the tray and secure him to perhaps a larger pot or tray (was thinking maybe a bussing tray) and having that filled with water. Either way, I won't prune. The goal would be then to get trunk girth since I can't plant in the ground.

They will grow underwater. I had 4 potted in smallish pots in a 5galon bucket for 3 years and they did fine. The pots were kept underwater the whole time. I was trying to get them to grow knees like they do in the swamps, they were doing just that then I had to move. But that's a long story.

 

[Apex37]

Put that in a shallow big tub (no bottom drain holes) with a mix of cow manure and top soil. Drill some side drain holes right at the soil level so you have the roots in plenty of water but no standing water for mosquitoes. Then you can watch that thing grow so big so fast.

Thanks Cajun, I'll have to get creative and think of a tub to use. Might get an old bussing tray or something.

Give idea to avoid mosquitoes, they can get pretty bad here if given the chance.

 

[Apex37]

They will grow underwater. I had 4 potted in smallish pots in a 5galon bucket for 3 years and they did fine. The pots were kept underwater the whole time. I was trying to get them to grow knees like they do in the swamps, they were doing just that then I had to move. But that's a long story.

I've also heard of people basically submerging them from spring till fall to help them grow quicker and encourage knees, but I'm not sure of the exact science behind the knee part.

 

[Cajunrider]

Thanks Cajun, I'll have to get creative and think of a tub to use. Might get an old bussing tray or something.

Give idea to avoid mosquitoes, they can get pretty bad here if given the chance.

Bussing tray at Sam's Club or Concrete Mixing tub at Home Depot and Lowes. I also use 55 gal plastic drum cut off as well.

 

[Mark .K]

Put that in a shallow big tub (no bottom drain holes) with a mix of cow manure and top soil. Drill some side drain holes right at the soil level so you have the roots in plenty of water but no standing water for mosquitoes. Then you can watch that thing grow so big so fast.

I used organic mosquito dunks. The doughnut looking ones.

 

[Cajunrider]

I've also heard of people basically submerging them from spring till fall to help them grow quicker and encourage knees, but I'm not sure of the exact science behind the knee part.

Mellow Mullet was successful in growing them. I haven't had one yet. I think our knowledge of knees are incomplete. We still don't know what exactly make the knees form. I do believe that submerging them offers some encouragement for knee formation but it is not a sure thing. Half of my BC are submerged so I might be able to report something in a decade

 

[Mark .K]

I've also heard of people basically submerging them from spring till fall to help them grow quicker and encourage knees, but I'm not sure of the exact science behind the knee part.

I don't know either, but I read somewhere the knees help the tree gather oxygen. The only thing I am sure of is the roots grow upwards then kink back and grow downwards and continue to grow in a circle around the tree. I have had several and every one did the same thing, the tap root grows in a circle around the tree knees or not. Maybe a swamp tree thing,

 

[BrierPatch]

One of those large cement mixing trays from Lowes or HD work great. Also Mushroom compost is a good option too for soil from my understanding.

 

[Apex37]

Bussing tray at Sam's Club or Concrete Mixing tub at Home Depot and Lowes. I also use 55 gal plastic drum cut off as well.

One of those large cement mixing trays from Lowes or HD work great. Also Mushroom compost is a good option too for soil from my understanding.

Good ideas on the mixing tub, hadn't thought of that. Looks like I'm making a trip up to Lowes this weekend. Thanks y'all!

 

[Maiden69]

I keep mine in water all the time. They were not removed for winter this year. I just repotted 2 of them last week and they are budding out right now. I use Mosquito Bites to prevent mosquitos and other insects from propagating. I also flush the water every two weeks or so, my sprinkler system provides fresh water twice a day, so oxygen depletion is not a big deal to me.

Amazon.com

 

[Maiden69]

That tree don't look to be root bound. get a basin, concrete mixing tub or something else, make bigger holes in the bottom of that container and place it in the tub and fill it with water. Next season, cut all the escaped roots, bareroot and repot. You can reduce the height then if you wish. Right now, the amount of branching you have will help the bottom swell once you place it in water. Also, feed it well. it will help it grow faster.

 

[Cajunrider]

I keep mine in water all the time. They were not removed for winter this year. I just repotted 2 of them last week and they are budding out right now. I use Mosquito Bites to prevent mosquitos and other insects from propagating. I also flush the water every two weeks or so, my sprinkler system provides fresh water twice a day, so oxygen depletion is not a big deal to me.

Amazon.com

I didn't remove mine from water this past winter either. Mine are all thriving even though we have a few days below freezing. I've seen BCs surviving in all kind of freezing water up in Kentucky, Ohio etc. I don't think it is necessary to remove them from water especially for zone 8 and up. Internet search I've done only show one instance on YouTube where some one attempt to submerge one BC in a tub through winter in zone 6 and it died. He postulated that the freeze killed the roots. The truth may differ from his thinking.

 

[Apex37]

That tree don't look to be root bound. get a basin, concrete mixing tub or something else, make bigger holes in the bottom of that container and place it in the tub and fill it with water. Next season, cut all the escaped roots, bareroot and repot. You can reduce the height then if you wish. Right now, the amount of branching you have will help the bottom swell once you place it in water. Also, feed it well. it will help it grow faster.

Hey Maiden, I've really enjoyed the progress you've made on yours in such a short time span. Thanks for this tips, I'll give it a try!

 

[Apex37]

Picked up another nursery BC yesterday. My gf just said "don't you have one of those already???" Well yeah, but one more doesn't hurt, right?

This one actually has potential to go into an actual pot come next year. It's my biggest and thickest tree, which doesn't mean much of anything, but I was really happy to find it and thought it was not a bad find for $60.

I think ultimately I'm going to carefully wire movement into some branches to take cuttings down the road for a forest planting with the smaller tree being the biggest of the forest and doing an individual tree with this big one I just got.

 

[Zelrod]

I'm reviving an older post about BC in standing water vs no standing water and the development of knees. The BC pictured is about 4' deep water during the wet season of North Florida and about 2' deep during the dry season of N. Florida. It's probably 50' - 60' tall. The BC trees around the shoreline have knees, while this one does not even though it's in standing water 365 days of the year. IMO it's best to leave the BC in the water probably 9 months of the year with a dryer time where the surface of the container isn't submerged but is still wet, or you could do how others have done on the forum, where you leave all but the very surface of the soil submerged for knee development. I think some sort of air exchange is beneficial for knee development.

On the other hand it could be primarily genetic and some trees are more likely to develop knees regardless of how the water level is managed.