Swamp Cypress - Taxodium Distichum

Post photo's of your bonsai under-construction for discussion and inspiration.
Post Reply
Watto
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 3939
Joined: July 6th, 2009, 8:17 am
Favorite Species: Plum
Bonsai Age: 0
Bonsai Club: Goulburn Bonsai Society
Location: Goulburn
Has thanked: 509 times
Been thanked: 1096 times

Swamp Cypress - Taxodium Distichum

Post by Watto »

I was inspired by David Willoughby's swampy and so here is mine. I bought this on a Goulburn Bonsai Society bus trip to Sydney in 2015 and to get it home one of the members had to walk - only joking, but it was a reasonable size.
I cut it down to a more manageable size and it is now 1100 mm high, probably still a bit too tall but I am considering an apex change and that might help.
The tree has a hole in the trunk (on the right side as you look at it) and it goes through to the soil so that is good because there is no water build-up and that is a feature that I like.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Check out my blog at http://www.ausbonsai.com.au/blog/Watto" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Max
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 587
Joined: April 14th, 2016, 2:05 pm
Favorite Species: all
Bonsai Age: 3
Bonsai Club: grow chop snip
Location: Taree
Has thanked: 34 times
Been thanked: 6 times

Re: Swamp Cypress - Taxodium Distichum

Post by Max »

Happy New Year Watto

are you going to widen and elongate the hollow?
User avatar
Keep Calm and Ramify
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 944
Joined: April 1st, 2017, 11:50 am
Bonsai Age: 0
Location: Newcastle NSW
Has thanked: 397 times
Been thanked: 445 times

Re: Swamp Cypress - Taxodium Distichum

Post by Keep Calm and Ramify »

Wow Watto - what impressive girth you acquired! :mrgreen: envious
Watto
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 3939
Joined: July 6th, 2009, 8:17 am
Favorite Species: Plum
Bonsai Age: 0
Bonsai Club: Goulburn Bonsai Society
Location: Goulburn
Has thanked: 509 times
Been thanked: 1096 times

Re: Swamp Cypress - Taxodium Distichum

Post by Watto »

At this stage there are no plans to extend the hollow, although I must take the wire off, its starting to cut in.
Check out my blog at http://www.ausbonsai.com.au/blog/Watto" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
User avatar
wiggs
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 67
Joined: February 2nd, 2012, 6:20 pm
Favorite Species: Fig
Bonsai Age: 1
Location: Sydney
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 1 time

Re: Swamp Cypress - Taxodium Distichum

Post by wiggs »

Question on these species, I’m located in the Shire, Sydney could you repot these now in summer or would it not survive due to heat?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
User avatar
melbrackstone
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 3442
Joined: December 15th, 2015, 8:05 pm
Favorite Species: the ones that live
Bonsai Age: 28
Bonsai Club: Redlands, BIMER, VNBC
Location: Brisbane
Has thanked: 1191 times
Been thanked: 707 times
Contact:

Re: Swamp Cypress - Taxodium Distichum

Post by melbrackstone »

Question on these species, I’m located in the Shire, Sydney could you repot these now in summer or would it not survive due to heat?
according to my club's notes, (here in Brisbane,) swampies can be root-pruned all year round. If you do it, I'd just make sure it went into a water tray so that the level of water is above the holes in the pot for the duration of the summer.
User avatar
DavidWilloughby
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 388
Joined: August 28th, 2012, 7:51 pm
Favorite Species: Ficus
Bonsai Age: 0
Bonsai Club: IBS
Location: Sydney
Been thanked: 18 times

Re: Swamp Cypress - Taxodium Distichum

Post by DavidWilloughby »

Hi Watto,

I love this swampy mate, I really like what you have done with it. The base is sensational and that hollow is on point, makes you want to get up close and personal and peer in to what it hides. I can't wait to see this one in a few years in your care mate.

Not sure what under the foliage at the crown has as far as bones, but perhaps this could be something to consider mate (edited in a quick virt)
A virt.jpg
*that shoot removed

Cheers
Willow

p.s that pot is delicious

Wiggs,
wiggs wrote:Question on these species, I’m located in the Shire, Sydney could you repot these now in summer or would it not survive due to heat?
The optimal time for us in Sydney is late winter as they are deciduous, depending on each tree as some do go fully dormant and lose their leaves, others keep growing and retain them over Autumn and Winter, but the rule of thumb is late winter/early spring.

I asked the same question to the man I got mine off, Leong and that is his answer.

Hope that helps

Cheers
Willow
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Last edited by DavidWilloughby on January 5th, 2018, 4:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
wiggs
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 67
Joined: February 2nd, 2012, 6:20 pm
Favorite Species: Fig
Bonsai Age: 1
Location: Sydney
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 1 time

Re: Swamp Cypress - Taxodium Distichum

Post by wiggs »

Ok sweet thanks


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Watto
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 3939
Joined: July 6th, 2009, 8:17 am
Favorite Species: Plum
Bonsai Age: 0
Bonsai Club: Goulburn Bonsai Society
Location: Goulburn
Has thanked: 509 times
Been thanked: 1096 times

Re: Swamp Cypress - Taxodium Distichum

Post by Watto »

Thanks for the vert Willow, hopefully I will get it like that in the near future. Now I have started a thread I will post a photo when it is naked so you can see the bones. I still haven't taken all the wire off, been a bit too hot, but I'm working on it.
I re-pot mine at the start of spring and there have been no problems so far.
Check out my blog at http://www.ausbonsai.com.au/blog/Watto" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
User avatar
melbrackstone
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 3442
Joined: December 15th, 2015, 8:05 pm
Favorite Species: the ones that live
Bonsai Age: 28
Bonsai Club: Redlands, BIMER, VNBC
Location: Brisbane
Has thanked: 1191 times
Been thanked: 707 times
Contact:

Re: Swamp Cypress - Taxodium Distichum

Post by melbrackstone »

Hey @Watto, how's this one going?
Watto
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 3939
Joined: July 6th, 2009, 8:17 am
Favorite Species: Plum
Bonsai Age: 0
Bonsai Club: Goulburn Bonsai Society
Location: Goulburn
Has thanked: 509 times
Been thanked: 1096 times

Re: Swamp Cypress - Taxodium Distichum

Post by Watto »

Unfortunately Mel there was a watering mishap when I was overseas last year and it failed to recover.
Very sad, but I did get a cutting off it so it sort of lives on. No where as big of course, but its a start.
Check out my blog at http://www.ausbonsai.com.au/blog/Watto" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
User avatar
melbrackstone
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 3442
Joined: December 15th, 2015, 8:05 pm
Favorite Species: the ones that live
Bonsai Age: 28
Bonsai Club: Redlands, BIMER, VNBC
Location: Brisbane
Has thanked: 1191 times
Been thanked: 707 times
Contact:

Re: Swamp Cypress - Taxodium Distichum

Post by melbrackstone »

Bummer. :(

At least you have a cutting!

Thanks for responding.
Post Reply

Return to “Bonsai Progression Series”