Vasyl
Mame
For me it is not about being afraid to cut it is about being patient and not cutting too soon or too much )
Another what's next question from a newbe
- Thread starter Vasyl
- Start date
BillsBayou
Chumono
Leave the bald cypress in a draining pot over the winter. Flood your bald cypress from March to October. I'm getting ready to punch holes in all of my non-draining pots.
In the Spring, I'll be putting my draining pots into larger non-draining ones. I keep small bottles of insecticidal oil on all my benches. A few drops keeps the mosquito population down. I have to use a pet-safe oil because my dogs like bald cypress tea.
That pot looks to be about 10-inches tall. It's time to decide just what do you want to do? I have a few trees with trunks like that, so here's what I'm doing in the Spring:
Cut the roots so that all of my trees will fit inside of a 7-inch bus tub. I want the soil level to be about 1-inch below the rim of the pot. I trim the top-most roots down to a level where I have the beginnings of a nice radial flare. I want that radial flare to be submerged.
I do have access to 9-inch tubs as well. I'll cut the roots so that they fit inside of a 7-inch tub, but I plant them in the 9-inch tubs for added depth of water.
If I've punched holes in the tubs for drainage, I put the tubs into much larger black plastic tubs I get from one of the big-box home improvement stores.
I do ZERO WORK on the trees, just flood and drain, until I get a nice response from the base. The first one I had that gave me a crazy big base went to Zack Smith. I have others that are responding very well.
BUT NONE OF THIS MEANS ANYTHING WITHOUT VISION. You need to come up with a vision for your tree. My vision involves fat bases that taper very quickly and become tall lithe trees.
Good luck!
In the Spring, I'll be putting my draining pots into larger non-draining ones. I keep small bottles of insecticidal oil on all my benches. A few drops keeps the mosquito population down. I have to use a pet-safe oil because my dogs like bald cypress tea.
That pot looks to be about 10-inches tall. It's time to decide just what do you want to do? I have a few trees with trunks like that, so here's what I'm doing in the Spring:
Cut the roots so that all of my trees will fit inside of a 7-inch bus tub. I want the soil level to be about 1-inch below the rim of the pot. I trim the top-most roots down to a level where I have the beginnings of a nice radial flare. I want that radial flare to be submerged.
I do have access to 9-inch tubs as well. I'll cut the roots so that they fit inside of a 7-inch tub, but I plant them in the 9-inch tubs for added depth of water.
If I've punched holes in the tubs for drainage, I put the tubs into much larger black plastic tubs I get from one of the big-box home improvement stores.
I do ZERO WORK on the trees, just flood and drain, until I get a nice response from the base. The first one I had that gave me a crazy big base went to Zack Smith. I have others that are responding very well.
BUT NONE OF THIS MEANS ANYTHING WITHOUT VISION. You need to come up with a vision for your tree. My vision involves fat bases that taper very quickly and become tall lithe trees.
Good luck!
Leo in N E Illinois
The Professor
- Messages
- 11,488
- Reaction score
- 23,836
- USDA Zone
- 5b
Bigger pots are good for growth, a couple inches larger than current root ball should be fine without being too large.
Leo in N E Illinois
The Professor
- Messages
- 11,488
- Reaction score
- 23,836
- USDA Zone
- 5b
In the Spring, I'll be putting my draining pots into larger non-draining ones. I keep small bottles of insecticidal oil on all my benches. A few drops keeps the mosquito population down. I have to use a pet-safe oil because my dogs like bald cypress tea.
That pot looks to be about 10-inches tall. It's time to decide just what do you want to do? I have a few trees with trunks like that, so here's what I'm doing in the Spring:
Cut the roots so that al
You can trim a few branches if they are causing design problems, but best to not prune much at all, pruning late autumn can reduce winter hardiness. Especially with deciduous trees.
Trunks are thickened by volume or surface area of leaves, more leaves, more surface area, thicker trunk. You can shorten height if you encourage more leafy branches and still increase trunk girth.
It is a waiting game.
That pot looks to be about 10-inches tall. It's time to decide just what do you want to do? I have a few trees with trunks like that, so here's what I'm doing in the Spring:
Cut the roots so that al
You can trim a few branches if they are causing design problems, but best to not prune much at all, pruning late autumn can reduce winter hardiness. Especially with deciduous trees.
Trunks are thickened by volume or surface area of leaves, more leaves, more surface area, thicker trunk. You can shorten height if you encourage more leafy branches and still increase trunk girth.
It is a waiting game.
Vasyl
Mame
I like your vision! I think I will aim for the same. Thank you
Vasyl
Mame
How about this one?
Leo in N E Illinois
The Professor
- Messages
- 11,488
- Reaction score
- 23,836
- USDA Zone
- 5b
Sure, that will work.
jeanluc83
Omono
I'm not sure I understand the reasoning here. I have found larger plants to be much more forgiving. In fact I think most beginners don't start with plants big enough to do anything with. If you want to do bonsai a stick in a pot that needs to grow out for another 10 years is not going to teach you anything. Trees like the ones the OP has shown are perfect. There is a lot that can be learned from each of them.
On the other hand if the trees that you are working on are large enough that you could pined in under while working on them maybe you do need to go smaller
.
BillsBayou
Chumono
That is an awesome tray. How deep is that? If that fits with my 7-9-inch deep bus pans, then work on the tree just as the buds swell and keep it flooded all year.
Vasyl
Mame
I got it on amazon. It is 20×15×5
Vasyl
Mame
It is 20x15x5. Very sturdy. $12 on amazon
