Pig's BC #1

[Pigskin Pete]

I got a lot of help from the usual suspects around here when beginning work on my BC. I had a thread in the new to bonsai section and decided I would continue posting weekly updates on the tree here. I figure that might keep me warned from stupidity to which I'm prone.

I won't repost all the pics from that thread. For timeline purposes, these two show the tree as it was when I bought it and when I chopped it on April 29. Zone 8a. Temps at that time were fluctuating in the 80s mainly I think.


After the chop, I left it in full sun until I noticed bronzing on some leaves, complained of it here, and received advice from CJR and rockm to get it into afternoon shade.

The tree then flourished, showing vigor and growth. I then "dunked" it, mainly because smarter people told me to but ostensibly to help create a swampy environment for it to thrive in.

The tree is still growing and getting bushier by the day, though perhaps not as explosively as before. Here it is today.



Temps are hovering in the 90s here in Central N TX and I expect it will be reaching 100⁰+ regularly very soon. I'm just gonna try to keep this moist at all times. I've been using osmocote+ to fertilize, but I think I might begin to add fish emulsion or another supplemental nute.

I don't have an end vision in mind. I think if I keep the tree alive long enough, it will tell me what to do.

My hope is to get advice and counsel when I need it. I don't know enough to help others really, but I know that when I'm looking for advice, inspiration, etc., progression threads with lots of pics help me. They can also show what kind of growth one might expect. So here's just a little attempt to participate in a forum I've been finding helpful.

 

[Pigskin Pete]

One question I have - you can see from the pic that the stake from the nursery is still in the soil. I cannot get it out! Is this cause for concern or can I leave it there without worry until the next stage of rootwork, next spring?

 

[Hack Yeah!]

C"mon Pete, you gotta be able to get that out. Did you try using some pliers, vise grips?

 

[Cajunrider]

One question I have - you can see from the pic that the stake from the nursery is still in the soil. I cannot get it out! Is this cause for concern or can I leave it there without worry until the next stage of rootwork, next spring?

Leave it until spring. Normally it should be no big deal to pull it out but sometimes they do crazy things such as wiring it to the roots down below.

 

[Pigskin Pete]

Weekly update.

Tree seems to be doing well and thickening up nicely. I am still watering every day, keeping the soil moist. I'm keeping the dunk bucket at least halfway full as well and will change it out today to rid it of the little bugs living in the water.

Same sunlight regimen. Morning sun and then afternoon shade by about 2 p.m. Adding fish emulsion every few waterings, shooting for once a week though as I get more consistent with it.

Temps have been in the mid to high 90s this week. No precipitation and low humidity. Here's a look at the upcoming week.

Update pic of Mr. BC:

I'm noticing some of the lower branches don't seem to have the same apical striving they did before. Perhaps they are heavier now or have lost the battle to the higher branches and so are just going out now instead of up.

 

[Cajunrider]

Weekly update.

Tree seems to be doing well and thickening up nicely. I am still watering every day, keeping the soil moist. I'm keeping the dunk bucket at least halfway full as well and will change it out today to rid it of the little bugs living in the water.

Same sunlight regimen. Morning sun and then afternoon shade by about 2 p.m. Adding fish emulsion every few waterings, shooting for once a week though as I get more consistent with it.

Temps have been in the mid to high 90s this week. No precipitation and low humidity. Here's a look at the upcoming week. View attachment 553826

Update pic of Mr. BC:
View attachment 553827
I'm noticing some of the lower branches don't seem to have the same apical striving they did before. Perhaps they are heavier now or have lost the battle to the higher branches and so are just going out now instead of up.

You should be massaging the low branches to make them horizontal.

 

[Pigskin Pete]

You should be massaging the low branches to make them horizontal.

Yes sir. I used the method I read hear about, as i understood it, of pushing down and massaging until I felt the slightest "give" or "crunch" in the branch. Everything seems nice right now, and I will repeat every few days. I basically gave all but the most apical branch a nice massage.

 

[Pigskin Pete]

Weekly update 2.

Seems like the growth has slowed, but that may just be me. Still getting bigger and bushier I suppose. Now I'm on track with fertilizing with fish emulsion once per week. Osmocote+ will be added again as the current batch in the soil looks used up.

A few of the leaves are showing a bit of "twisting" or kind of a mild curly q, but I'm not terribly concerned as the tree still looks healthy and vigorous to my noob eye.



Temps this week are brutal, as expected.


I'm getting itchy to do something other than water and watch. For now just watering, keeping the dunk filled up, and observing for signs of growth or distress. I haven't needed to do any more branch massaging. I thought they'd perk up but they didn't. What else should I be doing right now? Too early to select a leader I'm sure....

 

[Pigskin Pete]

Here are examples of the twisting leaves I mentioned. Maybe I just never noticed and this is how new foliage growth can look, or maybe it's just heat stress.

 

[Cajunrider]

View attachment 555376View attachment 555375

Here are examples of the twisting leaves I mentioned. Maybe I just never noticed and this is how new foliage growth can look, or maybe it's just heat stress.

Look like normal fast growth leaves to me.

 

[Cajunrider]

Look like normal fast growth leaves to me.

Examples of fast growth BC leaves

 

[Pigskin Pete]

Thanks for the comparison photos. Seems like I was just being worrisome. I tend to do that.

I will carry on, business as usual.

 

[Pigskin Pete]

Weekly update 3.

The tree is doing well and presenting two main leaders and lots of bushy lateral growth. I haven't done anything to it except water every day. Still applying fish emulsion once per week. A "cold front" moved in and temps dipped down into the chilly lower 90s.

Last week I massaged the branches downward. I think one consequence of that was more interior foliage getting light.



I've made no change in light exposure and don't intend on it. I'm liking bald cypress because (1) they look cool, (2) I can water them heavily every day, and relatedly (3) they are standing up to the intense heat as good as any tree in my little collection.

Next week the high temps will come back. Honestly, high temps are giving me as a beginner the hardest obstacle. I primarily have junipers, crepes, boxwoods, and bc. They are all showing stress. I have a little DAS I love and now all its needles are browning out. It may just be too hot for DAS down here.

 

[Cajunrider]

What is your future plan for the tree? Style=?
I ask because you have lots of branches in the same area near the chop and are getting very good growth. This may lead to reverse taper.

 

[BillsBayou]

Your biggest problem is the roots, not the style.

Now: Move it to a larger nursery pot. Pull out the roots a little, but try not to disturb the root ball too much. Water it. Feed it very well. Leave it alone.

Late Winter, just as the buds begin to swell: Pull it out of the pot and remove most of the outer soil. You need to see what mess you have with the roots. Nursery BCs have wonky roots. They grow out from the trunk, hit the side, and turn 90° downward. If you don't address this, the style of the trunk and branches will never matter. It's okay if more than one lateral root decides to turn 90° down, but the nursery pot will cause them to all do it at the same distance from the trunk. An obvious and ugly situation.

Branches:
You chopped the tree hard. Now branches are coming out everywhere but those last couple inches at the top. My recommendation is to let this tree grow out for a few years. Branch maintenance will be key. You will need to remove any branches that are becoming obvious problems. These will be multiple branches coming out of the same spot; upper branches that become much thicker than lower branches (common BC issue); branches growing straight up from lateral branches; branches growing straight down. Don't do much with the problem branches this summer, only a few very bad ones. You can cut out all the major problems when you repot the tree.

Trunk:
Once you get the tree repotted, now, lower the height of the soil down to the best set of radial roots. You might go down half an inch and find one fat lateral root. But going down another inch or two may reveal a better radial display of roots. You can remove that higher root when you repot in the Spring.

Style: Wee Beastie
You chopped the tree without a style in mind. That limited your choice of styles. This will never be a formal upright or any feminine style. This will be you coming at this tree in 5-10 years with power tools and chisels; ripping out sections of the trunk while leaving jin, shari, and uro. But that's for years in the future.

Whatever you do, you need to start thinking of a style now. Otherwise, you'll be 5-10-15-20 years down the line cutting it way back and starting over. I've done this. Complete waste of time.

 

[Cajunrider]

Your biggest problem is the roots, not the style.

Now: Move it to a larger nursery pot. Pull out the roots a little, but try not to disturb the root ball too much. Water it. Feed it very well. Leave it alone.

Late Winter, just as the buds begin to swell: Pull it out of the pot and remove most of the outer soil. You need to see what mess you have with the roots. Nursery BCs have wonky roots. They grow out from the trunk, hit the side, and turn 90° downward. If you don't address this, the style of the trunk and branches will never matter. It's okay if more than one lateral root decides to turn 90° down, but the nursery pot will cause them to all do it at the same distance from the trunk. An obvious and ugly situation.

Branches:
You chopped the tree hard. Now branches are coming out everywhere but those last couple inches at the top. My recommendation is to let this tree grow out for a few years. Branch maintenance will be key. You will need to remove any branches that are becoming obvious problems. These will be multiple branches coming out of the same spot; upper branches that become much thicker than lower branches (common BC issue); branches growing straight up from lateral branches; branches growing straight down. Don't do much with the problem branches this summer, only a few very bad ones. You can cut out all the major problems when you repot the tree.

Trunk:
Once you get the tree repotted, now, lower the height of the soil down to the best set of radial roots. You might go down half an inch and find one fat lateral root. But going down another inch or two may reveal a better radial display of roots. You can remove that higher root when you repot in the Spring.

Style: Wee Beastie
You chopped the tree without a style in mind. That limited your choice of styles. This will never be a formal upright or any feminine style. This will be you coming at this tree in 5-10 years with power tools and chisels; ripping out sections of the trunk while leaving jin, shari, and uro. But that's for years in the future.

Whatever you do, you need to start thinking of a style now. Otherwise, you'll be 5-10-15-20 years down the line cutting it way back and starting over. I've done this. Complete waste of time.

Great advice @BillsBayou

 

[Pigskin Pete]

My only original plan was to chop the tree at about 1/3 height of the desired end height. At the same time, I read that the flat top BC style was one you would see more in the nature and the swamps and the old trees so that was my guide.

Thank you both for the advice. @BillsBayou the tree is in a large nursery pot rn. A larger one would probably a 25 gal one. It's pretty much already dead heat of summer here in N. Tx. Are you telling me to get it in a larger pot now? I know the used the word "now" -- I'm scared to do re pots right now because I just killed a plant trying to do an emergency repot and the heat is unbearable. Sounds like you are suggesting what amounts to a slip potting technique for now?

@Cajunrider the plan was to let this run freely throughout the whole growing season, but I will begin to selectively trim branches to avoid taper and start realizing a nascent shape for the tree. As a general rule, at this stage should I try to remove the larger or smaller branches. Or just let style guide me.

For fun, here's the other BC I had chopped. Did a short chop and a tall chop to learn the differences a bit.

 

[BillsBayou]

My only original plan was to chop the tree at about 1/3 height of the desired end height. At the same time, I read that the flat top BC style was one you would see more in the nature and the swamps and the old trees so that was my guide.

Thank you both for the advice. @BillsBayou the tree is in a large nursery pot rn. A larger one would probably a 25 gal one. It's pretty much already dead heat of summer here in N. Tx. Are you telling me to get it in a larger pot now? I know the used the word "now" -- I'm scared to do re pots right now because I just killed a plant trying to do an emergency repot and the heat is unbearable. Sounds like you are suggesting what amounts to a slip potting technique for now?

@Cajunrider the plan was to let this run freely throughout the whole growing season, but I will begin to selectively trim branches to avoid taper and start realizing a nascent shape for the tree. As a general rule, at this stage should I try to remove the larger or smaller branches. Or just let style guide me.

For fun, here's the other BC I had chopped. Did a short chop and a tall chop to learn the differences a bit.
View attachment 556968

Yes. Slip pot it. Considering the heat, you might want to use two pots. Slip pot the tree into the first one. Then place a construction-grade trash bag inside the second one. Place the first pot into the second pot and fill it with water. Leave it submerged as much as possible. Fill it to the top. You'll likely need to weigh the tree down with a few bricks. Oh, look, there's bricks in your photo. They'll do.

As for pot size. Judging by the 8"x8"x16" cinder blocks, what you have it in now is a 5 gallon nursery container. That link is only for reference, it is not a recommendation of price or vendor. The pot appears to be roughly the same size of 11" high and 12" wide. My recommendation is a 7-gallon squat from A.M. Leonard. I've purchased from them before. According to the sizing, the pot would be the same height as your current pot, but the width is more suitable to decompressing the roots. At 16" wide, it would give you 2" on either side of the root ball. You could go with their 10 gallon squat pot, but that link is for 20 pots. The link for the 7-gallon pot is a bundle of 10. The 10-gallon squat is much wider than your current pot.

When possible, I recommend using the squat pots. Standard nursery containers are deep, not wide. Eventually, we want to put these into bonsai pots. That's hard to do if you have a tall root ball.

 

[Pigskin Pete]

Weekly update 4

In this week's Wee Beastie adventures, I took the advice of CJR and BillsBayou the best I could.

I slip potted the tree into something resembling the recommended pot above. Unfortunately, with shipping, the recommended pot comes in 10s and would have cost me about 70 bucks with shipping. I went to the big box store and found a suitable alternative that has similar dimensions. No deeper than its current pot and about 1.5 - 2 inches to grow laterally. I can see now it could have been wider but I'm making do with what I can right now. When I repot in the spring I will use one of those flat tubs.



I teased the roots gently and combed off about an inch and a half of top soil, but that's it. I can see the root mess that will await me in the spring. I'm excited.



I also removed some problem branches earlier in the week. I only removed branches that were crowding the same spot or looked like inverse taper trouble. Now I will water and feed until winter and see what's up.




Here's hoping Wee Beastie continues to thrive. One lesson I'm learning in bonsai is to ask yourself, "Do you want this tree to look good right now or do you want it to look good for a long time?" Then act accordingly.

Here's this week's weather. Same light/shade routine for wee beastie. No changes there.

 

[Cajunrider]

Weekly update 4

In this week's Wee Beastie adventures, I took the advice of CJR and BillsBayou the best I could.

I slip potted the tree into something resembling the recommended pot above. Unfortunately, with shipping, the recommended pot comes in 10s and would have cost me about 70 bucks with shipping. I went to the big box store and found a suitable alternative that has similar dimensions. No deeper than its current pot and about 1.5 - 2 inches to grow laterally. I can see now it could have been wider but I'm making do with what I can right now. When I repot in the spring I will use one of those flat tubs.

View attachment 557874
View attachment 557875
I teased the roots gently and combed off about an inch and a half of top soil, but that's it. I can see the root mess that will await me in the spring. I'm excited.

View attachment 557876

I also removed some problem branches earlier in the week. I only removed branches that were crowding the same spot or looked like inverse taper trouble. Now I will water and feed until winter and see what's up.

View attachment 557877
View attachment 557878

Here's hoping Wee Beastie continues to thrive. One lesson I'm learning in bonsai is to ask yourself, "Do you want this tree to look good right now or do you want it to look good for a long time?" Then act accordingly.

Here's this week's weather. Same light/shade routine for wee beastie. No changes there.
View attachment 557879

Now put some bark on top and cover those roots. They don't need to be exposed now in the summer, after you cut off their bottom.