bald cypress initial styling and potting
Sneak Peek
This specimen will make a nice larger flat-top BC bonsai.
Bald Cypress Initial Styling and Potting
Larger Bald cypress specimens almost always lend themselves to one of two styles – either the classic pyramidal (informal upright) or flat-top. This is a larger tree than I usually make flat-tops out of (3.5″ trunk, 29″ to the chop), but it definitely lends itself to that style. The radial roots are very nice and serve the flat-top style well.
As I’ve said before, when you approach a piece of material to do the initial styling you’ll likely have a general idea of how you want the design to turn out. That’s another way of saying you know just about all you need to about the tree’s front, the branches to keep, where the leader is, etc. With that said, however, you’ll often face a tree where it’s easier to decide some things than others. In this case, I have two leaders in the right spots and so that issue along with the front is settled. However, there are a lot of thin lower branches that I’ll need to choose from for my “vestigial” branches. Frankly, I’m not sure at this point which I’ll keep. But the low stuff all needed to go.
Though I usually start wiring branches from the bottom, since I don’t yet know which I’m keeping I went ahead and wired the two leaders I’m keeping. Start from certainty and work your way toward what you’re not certain of.
This is where the leaders need to be.
I went ahead and picked a couple of lower branches and wired them. I can always change later on, given the fact that the tree will push a lot of trunk buds in a few weeks.
I also did the angle cut on the original trunk chop.
It’s always best to go ahead and smooth your carved areas right away. This is just because if you put it off you’re likely (as I am) to forget about it for the rest of the growing season and kick yourself for having neglected it.
It’s good to keep a few mica training pots around in case you need them. Big BC’s need big pots, and pot costs can often be prohibitive. This one is easily a third of what a custom job would cost.
So this specimen is on its way. The leaders will thicken rapidly as I control the lower branch growth. I should have a credible design well on its way to completion by early fall.
Let me know what you think.
Hi,
With a trunk chop from earlier this year, how do you decide when to start removing unwanted growth? To develop the leader, should I start removing unwanted young branches now? Or should I leave it alone for a year? I’m concerned that leaving it unchecked will develop other branches before the leader. Thanks!
It’s okay to remove unwanted growth now. You need to direct the energy to development of the leader, followed by the branch set.
When pruning the branches to the trunk, do you use concave cutters? How do you prevent the bald cypress from developing big calluses from where you pruned off the rest of the branches?
Yes, concave cutters. It’s almost impossible to prevent callusing where branches are pruned, but the good news is that if you carve and carve the spot it can end up looking less natural than going with the callus. Check out trees in the wild that have dropped branches; they have knobs/knots in their place. The naturalistic approach works for me.
When you’re dealing with a large BC, how do you decide which branches to keep?
It depends on the style. Classic pyramidal, or informal/formal upright, follows the same rules you can find in any basic bonsai design book or guide. First branch about a third of the way up from the soil to the intended final height of the tree, on the opposite side of the where the apex ends up for informal upright, the next branch either on the other side or in back, a ways up the trunk from the first one, the next branch in back or on the opposite side of the first branch a ways up from the second branch, then continue up in a circular stair-step pattern with the branches getting closer together. Cut off whatever you don’t need once you’ve selected the branches to keep.
For flat-top, imitate what’s in this post and you’ll probably do all right.
Thank you. I think I have had a lot of indecision on exactly where I will end up. If I put a picture on here and tell you what I think it could look like, would you be willing to give me some insight? I think I have ideas but I dont have the knowledge to put them into practice for lack of a better explanation.
You won’t be able to post a picture here. If you email me one at the contact email on this site I’ll see if I can help. Be aware that I’m in the process of retiring from the bonsai business, so my availability will be very limited.
I am wondering if you would elaborate on the last paragraph, specifically “the leaders will thicken rapidly as I control the lower branch growth.” Does this mean that you remove all new growth besides the leaders? If so, how quickly after sprouting or does it matter so long as one removes the new growth eventually. Seems that you mentioned removing unwanted growth allows the tree to focus energy on the leaders.
Yes, all new growth will be removed except for what is on the leaders and the lower branches I’m keeping. The tree is apically dominant so it won’t be hard to keep the energy mostly in the top of the tree. If I don’t do this, some energy will be spent on lower branch growth that I don’t want.