This isn’t the first time I’ve made a deadwood Bald cypress bonsai, Taxodium distichum. They’ve been part of the ongoing How to Make Bonsai Lemonade series. Today I pulled out the last of the BC’s I’ve been ignoring, that failed to bud all the way when I collected it. As you can see, all of the growth is right near the base.
Yep, that’s a whole lot of dead wood that used to be a Bald cypress trunk. Time to do something with it.
Step one consisted of removing all of the dead bark and all of the shoots I knew I didn’t need. That left me with two as potential leaders. Each had its merits.
I decided on the thicker of the two shoots, just to get a little head start on the thickening process. A little wire, a little shaping.
This is pretty cool. There’s a weevil that burrows under the bark of weak and dying BC specimens, carving curving tunnels. These make for an interesting deadwood feature.
And finally into a training pot. I discovered that there was another set of roots below the ones that lay just beneath the soil surface, so I was effectively able to “move” the new leader higher up on the trunk.
This project will be about four or five years to the point where the tree looks like something. The main thing will be to let the leader grow out unrestrained to thicken up, then cut it back and build a branch structure on it so that it looks like a Bald cypress. I’ve got a feeling it’s going to turn out well.
The next step on this one will be to treat the dead wood with lime sulfur. It’s been chewed on by insects enough, I’d say.
The trunk base is 3″ across, and it’s 20″ to the tip of the snag.
Any progress updates on this one? I’ve got one just like it just starting development. Thanks!
Zach looks like fun, now you have me excited to get my BC any idea on when it will be ready to travel? Also you can send me an invoice for the Oak on the 3rd then ship that one whenever it’s ready as well. I don’t mind waiting if that is what the plants need just let me know. I’m also thinking about another privet but not sure if this area is going to be good for it or if it will go the way of the last one next winter. I’m asking around here in the club too see if anybody has any insight.
Gordon, your BC should be ready to ship in about two weeks. I’m assuming your winter weather has come to an end.
Yes it’s staying above 50 now with an occasional 45 but I doubt they will be many
Sounds good, Gordon. I’ll prep the tree this week and plan to ship it on Monday the 10th.