Hinoki Cypress plan

[unsoggycardboard]

Hi all!

This is my first post, as I mostly just wade through the forums. I found this Hinoki Cypress for $20 and couldn't resist.

Unfortunately, its branches are really bare, especially at the base, so my thought for long-term development is to go for a literati style. Well, that or finally dive into the world of grafting...

Something like this:

Red would be pruned off. The branch on the left I marked in yellow I was thinking could be wired down (or eliminated entirely?). The current apex would be pruned in favor of the yellow branch to the right so there's more movement. Thoughts?

Nothing has been done to the tree as of yet. My plan is to first repot this spring with some more appropriate substrate and letting it recover before anything else, but while I wait for that to happen I was hoping to lean on the community here for advice.

 

[Hack Yeah!]

Welcome, I certainly wouldn't cut anything off the lowest branch

 

[WNC Bonsai]

You always have the option of air layering the upper section where you have branches to work with.

 

[unsoggycardboard]

You always have the option of air layering the upper section where you have branches to work with.

Oh true, that's a good point. I haven't attempted to air layer any conifers, but I'm assuming the time frame to start one would be early spring after the last chance for a freeze passes?

 

[unsoggycardboard]

Welcome, I certainly wouldn't cut anything off the lowest branch

Thank you! For sure. I'm reluctant to cut anything due to the lack of back budding on these.

 

[Matt3839]

might as well air layer at the chop site and get two trees out of it.

Also sometimes the base is pretty deep under the soil so worth waiting to cut anything until you can expose the base. That lowest branch light not be as low as you think?

I’m excited to see how this turns out. I have two Hinoki from nursery stock. I was going to cut lower branches off and I held off so I can repot in spring and see what the base looks like first.

 

[Hartinez]

Hi all!

This is my first post, as I mostly just wade through the forums. I found this Hinoki Cypress for $20 and couldn't resist.
View attachment 575129
Unfortunately, its branches are really bare, especially at the base, so my thought for long-term development is to go for a literati style. Well, that or finally dive into the world of grafting...

Something like this:
View attachment 575130
Red would be pruned off. The branch on the left I marked in yellow I was thinking could be wired down (or eliminated entirely?). The current apex would be pruned in favor of the yellow branch to the right so there's more movement. Thoughts?

Nothing has been done to the tree as of yet. My plan is to first repot this spring with some more appropriate substrate and letting it recover before anything else, but while I wait for that to happen I was hoping to lean on the community here for advice.

I think what you have is actually quite workable. IMO there are few species that lend them selves better to ramrod straight formal upright with growth only at the top. So you could chop for more movement, but don’t necessarily need to. If it were mine I would embrace the ultra straight line and accentuate its height.

I have a Hinoki I’ve been working at for 4 years and I find them so favorable to work with. Never have I tried airlayering one, but I’m not always a fan of the airlayerimg for 2 trees idea and I don’t see them being the easiest to do so with. If the part you’re airlayering off doesn’t make a good tree in its own right it doesn’t seem worth the time to me. Just my .02

From the internet

 

[Hartinez]

Here’s more great inspiration from our own @johng a perfect example that we don’t need foliage all along the trunk to make great trees.

J

Thread 'Tall Hinoki Literati'

Dec 14, 2022

Hmmm...not my first post with this title... Had a little fun rewiring this tree over the weekend...2nd wiring
Chamaecyparis obtusa. Very old nursery stock grown too close together and never potted up from its one gallon container.
Tom Dimig container. 52" tall from the table top.

• johng
• Replies: 21
• Forum: General Discussion

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[Hartinez]

Another great example from @Shogun610

Post in thread 'Hinoki Cypress No. 1'

Aug 18, 2024

It’s a tall tree and I think the style and progression of the pods I’ve been pinching are really starting to take shape .. I want to find more like this Hinoki cypress or pine or spruce( which is in the works )
and I love the style

• Shogun610

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