Bare root bald cypress seedlings

[19Mateo83]

I just received eleven 18-24 inch bare root bald cypress trees this afternoon. I quickly got them potted up and watered in but my question is about root growth rates on BC seedlings. All 11 of them were all tap root with minute traces of fine roots. I know it’s not the best time of year to be getting these guys and I know it’s not the season to root prune. Is it ok to trim the tap roots a bit in the spring or am I better off leaving them alone for a year and re evaluating them next spring. I’ve read that BC’s are pretty resilient when it comes to hard chops and I’ve read it’s best to get that tap root off sooner than later. Any advice form BC growers would be greatly appreciated

 

[BrierPatch]

I also received 5 Bald Cypress along with 5 Dawn Redwoods on the 29th. I am by no means an expert but I was planning to just put them in some wood training boxes until I can get them into the ground since it's frozen solid here now.
I wasn't planning on doing anything with the tap root since they need to recover and develop more fine feeder roots before performing any root work. I plan on waiting at least a full season or two.

 

[19Mateo83]

I also received 5 Bald Cypress along with 5 Dawn Redwoods on the 29th. I am by no means an expert but I was planning to just put them in some wood training boxes until I can get them into the ground since it's frozen solid here now.
I wasn't planning on doing anything with the tap root since they need to recover and develop more fine feeder roots before performing any root work. I plan on waiting at least a full season or two.

I potted mine up with the same thoughts in mind. Recovery and fine root growth first then handle tap roots.

 

[Hack Yeah!]

I think you'd be safe to cut the tap roots this spring but if you want them to grow out more I'd wrap a wire girdle around your preferred rooting area.

 

[19Mateo83]

That’s also

I think you'd be safe to cut the tap roots this spring but if you want them to grow out more I'd wrap a wire girdle around your preferred rooting area.

That is also a thought to consider. Two birds with one stone so to speak.

 

[BrierPatch]

I just received eleven 18-24 inch bare root bald cypress trees this afternoon. I quickly got them potted up and watered in but my question is about root growth rates on BC seedlings. All 11 of them were all tap root with minute traces of fine roots. I know it’s not the best time of year to be getting these guys and I know it’s not the season to root prune. Is it ok to trim the tap roots a bit in the spring or am I better off leaving them alone for a year and re evaluating them next spring. I’ve read that BC’s are pretty resilient when it comes to hard chops and I’ve read it’s best to get that tap root off sooner than later. Any advice form BC growers would be greatly appreciated

Do you mind if I ask where you purchased your BC's at? I'm always interested in good online nursery resellers.

 

[19Mateo83]

Do you mind if I ask where you purchased your BC's at? I'm always interested in good online nursery resellers.

I purchased them from a vendor on Etsy.
https://etsy.me/3uwqgEV they shipped them super fast and the trees were bigger than the description says and they threw in an extra one. Ive actually had nothing but good experiences buying on Etsy.

 

[Joe Dupre']

I would trim the tap root so it just reaches the bottom of the initial pot. That leaves the maximum amount of main root to send out feeders. About June or July so, see if the whole root ball can be removed in one piece. When it can, place the intact root ball into a pot an inch or so bigger all the way around. Fertilize and water, water, water! Try to drown the tree. After it flushes in spring, you can set the pot halfway deep in water. That's pretty much what happens in nature.

 

[19Mateo83]

I would trim the tap root so it just reaches the bottom of the initial pot. That leaves the maximum amount of main root to send out feeders. About June or July so, see if the whole root ball can be removed in one piece. When it can, place the intact root ball into a pot an inch or so bigger all the way around. Fertilize and water, water, water! Try to drown the tree. After it flushes in spring, you can set the pot halfway deep in water. That's pretty much what happens in nature.

Thank you for the advice. I happened to have deep enough pots to not have to trim the tap root. They are in a two 3 gal pots with 4 in each pot and I have the 3 with shorter tap roots in individual pots.