Monterey Cypress From Seed On A Whimsey

[Stratified]

Hello from Central California!

For my 40th birthday in 2022, fam and I took a little trip to Bodega Bay. On a lark, I snatched up some cones from a Cypress tree and stuck'em in my pocket. I figured I would suss out how to get the seeds out of there later.

Coming home to a-- much-- warmer climate, I tossed the cones on the work bench in the garage, and went about my business. The following weekend, the cones had opened, and all the seeds had literally just spilled out on the counter. I surmised that late August in 100+ temps ain't really the time to be planting anything at all really, so I bagged em up and stuck em in a drawer.

In the spring, I read about how to go about germinating these guys, and had some success. Left in the fridge for most of March, planted in April 2023, and then...




Some germination occurred... more than expected actually...



Summers in Fresno are hot. I kept the seedlings in the shade under my back porch, where they only received direct sun for the first few moments of the morning. Watered daily. Then when it cooled in November (2023), I checked how extensive the root systems were. They were more established and intertwined than I would have ever expected! And so I made a fast decision to get them out of their group homes and into individual cute lil' plastic Bonsai pots I found on amazon for cheap



I also found a mix of lava, pumice and akadama on amazon and did the best I could, adding a touch of compost to the mix with the idea that I would want just a tad more water retention than is typical due to the heat. Everyone survived the move into their own homes, which was a bit of surprise given the amount of the roots that were not able to make the transfer.

Now in November of '24, things are looking a bit...taller!



The Fresno heat only claimed one casualty this summer as once again the little pots stayed in the shade except for some direct sunlight early in the morning. I was out of town and forgot to remind my wife to water them regularly. The loving wife she is, and tolerant of all my little hobbies that pop up like this, remembered to water them in my absence tho maybe a day or two too late for that one discolored guy in the rear there. This is still way more success than I would have ever expected from sticking some cones in my pocket on a whimsey!

Most are about 2ft in height at this point, even with having been in these little pots their whole life. Most trunks are a pencil width or better:



Some pots have more than one successful seedlings in them, but i figure in time these will be one tree that has a double trunk. So there are eleven "trees" in total.

I have questions!

- should I repot again into some bigger pots?

- most things say to wait 3-5 years to wire... do i really need to wait? can i do it sooner?

- likewise : too soon to begin trimming? I have not trimmed anything other than a dead bit or two thus far.

- what don't I know?

I have been reading other Monterey Cypress threads and websites, but figured I might show my own unique situation here.

Cheers!

 

[radhatter]

I’m no expert but if it were me I’d be putting a little movement into those trunks now while they are still pliable.

 

[Shibui]

There is no one single road to bonsai. Pros and cons to almost all options.

Wiring and bending while the trunks are pliable is a good idea but you can also generate bends by pruning to side branches which then become the new trunk but growing at a different angle.
Keeping the trees in smaller containers will limit growth and trunk development but may give better branch and trunk options. Larger containers allow increased trunk thickening but you will need to manage the tops as cypress do not bud on bare wood easily.
Regular pruning removes foliage (food factory) which will slow growth but will often give better trunk lines, better trunk shape and branching.
Allowing free growth (not pruning) increases growth and trunk thickening but you will need to maintain some foliage where needed to chop back to - see above comment on not back budding well.

what don't I know?

Probably a host of things?

 

[sevan]

I've been trying to learn about Monterey Cypress because I have also been growing some the last few years. I don't have much experience yet, but my understanding is that they don't back bud well on the trunk, so you want to take good care of your lower foliage. That might mean chopping more frequently, which will result in slow development, but keep the tree from getting away from you, or keeping some of the middle growth pruned back so the lower branches get lots of light.

@Eric Schrader is the expert on these and has some good videos on his Bonsaify YouTube channel.

 

[Eric Schrader]

TBT - I stopped growing macrocarpa's because they are naturally confined to the coast by a canker that will kill even old trees. I've lost at least a couple of my older batch to it after keeping them in the east bay. I think the best one is about to lose a key branch to it. There is no known treatment.
It seems like Hesperocyparis pygmaea (Pygmy), H. sargentii (Sargent), H. abramsiana (Santa Cruz) are all good alternates so I've been collecting seed from those instead. They grow just as quickly - even the pygmy, despite the name.

There is a beautiful stand of Sargent cypress in Marin County in the Giancomi open space preserve where I last picked cones. Surprisingly, the "Conifers of California" book says that Sargent Cypress is not resinous, nor fragrant but these are definitely both. So either the range maps are wrong or the description is wrong. https://bahiker.com/northbayhikes/giacomini.html

As for your trees - definitely wire them now, even if it's only to create a little twist or subtle movement. It takes 10+ years to get good bark and many turns will fill in over time, but subtle curves or morse-code style training now will give you a more interesting trunk later.