I'm Not Sure Where To Begin

[Saddler]

I got this cypress last fall for $40 with four others. It was neglected for many years and grew wild. I had to cut a lot of roots coming out of the pot when I collected it. It looks pretty root bound. When I got it home, I trimmed it back to the lowest foliage it had on each branch. It is showing signs of new growth. Should I bare root it? Take 4/5ths of the roots off and repot it and finish it next year? Leave it and let it grow strong? It was a very healthy tree with new shoots on old wood, I didn't know that happened on cypress. What do I do with a cypress in this situation? I have an Anderson flat reserved for it.

As for styling, I'm torn between many options. The three slingshots are an issue so I'll need to resolve those when the time is right.

If anyone has suggestions, please tell me. I think I am looking to hard at this.

Thank you.

 

[MichaelS]

Don't touch it for a year or two.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Don't touch it for a year or two.

I agree.

 

[Paradox]

Don't touch it for a year or two.

Also agree. It needs to grow more foliage and get stronger

 

[Saddler]

I think I will have to repot it. It is so root bound, the water was sitting on top of the dirt flowing over the edge when I walked by it in the heavy rain last night. It does drain, just very very slowly.

 

[Saddler]

I had already thinned 2/3s of the foliage before I remembered to take pictures.

After 4 hours and a little pissed offedness...



Still lots to be done. The eye poker at the top needs to be dealt with. I am still deciding on a front. The fifth pic or these are my main choices

 

[Saddler]

Some base

 

[GGB]

sweet, got my eyes open for one of these. dunno much about em

 

[River's Edge]

I had already thinned 2/3s of the foliage before I remembered to take pictures.View attachment 206250View attachment 206251View attachment 206252View attachment 206253

After 4 hours and a little pissed offedness...

View attachment 206256View attachment 206257View attachment 206258View attachment 206259

Still lots to be done. The eye poker at the top needs to be dealt with. I am still deciding on a front. The fifth pic or these are my main choices

View attachment 206260View attachment 206261

You may wish to consider one trunk or the other. The slingshot effect, internode length and similarity in trunk size is difficult to overcome in this style of Tskumo Cypress. In order for it to work the size difference between the two trunks should be noticeably different and the length as well. Here is one that has grown out and is in need of thinning, pad wiring and a tune-up! To improve these the pads require 5-7 branches per pad and at least three divisions per branch. They fill in very quickly and require thinning usually at least once per year with minor cutback a couple of times as well. if you do not keep them thinned out then the interior dies back quickly losing the interior structure. And another picture of a single trunk style! This second tree is one that i practised on and learned cypress techniques when at Boon's in 2013. It is easier to see the structure and pad development when the pruning is up to date. Pictures loaded in reverse

 

[Saddler]

You may wish to consider one trunk or the other. The slingshot effect, internode length and similarity in trunk size is difficult to overcome in this style of Tskumo Cypress. In order for it to work the size difference between the two trunks should be noticeably different and the length as well. Here is one that has grown out and is in need of thinning, pad wiring and a tune-up! To improve these the pads require 5-7 branches per pad and at least three divisions per branch. They fill in very quickly and require thinning usually at least once per year with minor cutback a couple of times as well. if you do not keep them thinned out then the interior dies back quickly losing the interior structure. And another picture of a single trunk style! This second tree is one that i practised on and learned cypress techniques when at Boon's in 2013. It is easier to see the structure and pad development when the pruning is up to date. Pictures loaded in reverseView attachment 206265View attachment 206264

I agree with the potential of losing a trunk. It has crossed my mind numerous times. I just can’t a tree with only one trunk at the moment, as in I’m lost on the design. That is why my last pic is probably going to end up being the front, it alleviates the slingshot view. If you or anyone else sees how to make a single trunk tree, I would love to hear how I could it.

 

[River's Edge]

I agree with the potential of losing a trunk. It has crossed my mind numerous times. I just can’t a tree with only one trunk at the moment, as in I’m lost on the design. That is why my last pic is probably going to end up being the front, it alleviates the slingshot view. If you or anyone else sees how to make a single trunk tree, I would love to hear how I could it.

Ok lets give this thought a go. Take the third picture down as a starting point. The smaller trunk is on the left. Part way up is a longer boring branch on the inside, remove it. Take a jack and move the two trunks closer together to alleviate the slingshot effect and compact the branches together. This gives some branching on both sides to create a profile. This will give a better two trunk version i think. I really do not see much potential for a single trunk without aa lot of grafting. They do graft pretty easily though.

 

[Tieball]

Well....I particularly like this view. It needs more foliage...but not so much that it becomes a bush or a landscape tree and all the twisting of the trunk and branching gets lost to the eye. I like negative spaces that attract the eye to explore. It does need to grow and develop for a couple seasons. Right now it’s....almost naked. I like that two trunk view from this view line.

 

[Saddler]

Ok lets give this thought a go. Take the third picture down as a starting point. The smaller trunk is on the left. Part way up is a longer boring branch on the inside, remove it. Take a jack and move the two trunks closer together to alleviate the slingshot effect and compact the branches together. This gives some branching on both sides to create a profile. This will give a better two trunk version i think. I really do not see much potential for a single trunk without aa lot of grafting. They do graft pretty easily though.

I like that idea. Once the tree has set its new position, I think I might just sit down and really look at that option. I have been very very close to cutting that inside branch off about a dozen times I would guess. I am considering bending it way down and back and to the left (in the pic you used) I can use the practice of bending larger branches and I will take it off it I am not happy with it. I REALLY like the idea of bending the left side in to help get rid the of the slingshot, that is the possible game changer I am looking for.

 

[Saddler]

Well....I particularly like this view. It needs more foliage...but not so much that it becomes a bush or a landscape tree and all the twisting of the trunk and branching gets lost to the eye. I like negative spaces that attract the eye to explore. It does need to grow and develop for a couple seasons. Right now it’s....almost naked. I like that two trunk view from this view line. View attachment 206274

I hadn’t considered that view. It could work if I am able to bring the branches on the right down and rotated it 10-15° counterclockwise. I’ll keep it in mind and probably stare at that option for a hours on end, but ultimately I Have to fix that slingshot and then see how it looks after that.

 

[Tieball]

I hadn’t considered that view. It could work if I am able to bring the branches on the right down and rotated it 10-15° counterclockwise. I’ll keep it in mind and probably stare at that option for a hours on end, but ultimately I Have to fix that slingshot and then see how it looks after that.

I would let it grow a season or two...and stare at options....and perhaps after some new growth happens it may give you additional choices for your slingshot correction. Buds may appear in just the right locations...or not....but you would have options. I like options though. I like more than one view. Each different view achieves its own presentation of an emotion.

Be sure to share post-chop photos.

 

[Saddler]

I would let it grow a season or two...and stare at options....and perhaps after some new growth happens it may give you additional choices for your slingshot correction. Buds may appear in just the right locations...or not....but you would have options. I like options though. I like more than one view. Each different view achieves its own presentation of an emotion.

Be sure to share post-chop photos.

Unfortunately these don’t back bud on old wood, so I am stuck with what I have unless I learn to graft,,, which is an option. It should be good to go for the slingshot correction this time next year. I have it’s growing conditions fairly figured out. It was pretty shaggy before I started this last attack. Now my biggest challenge is to learn how to tame its growth habits.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Unfortunately these don’t back bud on old wood, so I am stuck with what I have unless I learn to graft,,, which is an option. It should be good to go for the slingshot correction this time next year. I have it’s growing conditions fairly figured out. It was pretty shaggy before I started this last attack. Now my biggest challenge is to learn how to tame its growth habits.

I like the view Tieball suggested. Really, just let it grow for at least 2 more years without pruning. These do not back bud reliably, but it does occasionally happen, slightly more often than Hinoki. Infrequently enough that I don't argue when someone says they don't back bud. But if you let them grow, they can do some back budding. You've done a lot to this tree in a short period of time, give it a chance to grow a little.

I have a Thuja occidentalis 'Hetzi's Dwarf', it does backbud some, possibly unique to the cultivar.

 

[Saddler]

I like the view Tieball suggested. Really, just let it grow for at least 2 more years without pruning. These do not back bud reliably, but it does occasionally happen, slightly more often than Hinoki. Infrequently enough that I don't argue when someone says they don't back bud. But if you let them grow, they can do some back budding. You've done a lot to this tree in a short period of time, give it a chance to grow a little.

I have a Thuja occidentalis 'Hetzi's Dwarf', it does backbud some, possibly unique to the cultivar.

I’ve decided I’m not going to waste a couple years hoping to get it to back bud. Even if it does, will it be where I need it? I am going to work with what I have. Your advices to let it grow for two years is safe but not going to get me anywhere and may even put me back if that grows out to far. I’ll work it again as soon as I think I can. I have Killed enough trees, cypress included to have a very good idea where that line is. And I’m willing to cross it again. I want a finished tree in five years or less.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I’ve decided I’m not going to waste a couple years hoping to get it to back bud. Even if it does, will it be where I need it? I am going to work with what I have. Your advices to let it grow for two years is safe but not going to get me anywhere and may even put me back if that grows out to far. I’ll work it again as soon as I think I can. I have Killed enough trees, cypress included to have a very good idea where that line is. And I’m willing to cross it again. I want a finished tree in five years or less.

Fair enough. You understand the trade offs. Go for it.