Boulevard Cypress Group Planting Progression

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Boulevard Cypress Group Planting Progression

Post by MJL »

I am moving this thread here into this Bonsai Progression Series category. viewtopic.php?f=3&t=25384&p=254682#p254682. This Boulevard Cypress progression may be interesting over time, I hope...and my hopes were raised higher this morning. Here's this morning's story.

The thread in the link above discussed moving a few different cypress into a group plating. This photo below is the end result and it seems to be travelling ok. I said at the time that I wish I had a tree to fill that gap on the right...but I did not.
IMG_4100.jpg
This morning, I had reason to travel to Hawthorn and I visited Lindsay's Bonsai Farm for the first time in a few years. I was about to walk out and I noticed a Boulevard Cypress - looking sad, unpotted (i.e - not even in a plastic pot, simply sitting near a potting bench, looking like a tree-orphan; forgotten to be re-potted.) Hmmmm ... :lost: look at that shape... my forest!! :fc: I enquired and was happy with a very reasonable price. It needed to be, it's not like it was a well kept specimen and there's some risk. :shake: Anyway, I took the risk and off home I came. Here's the tree as it was - no pot.
IMG_4101.jpg
..but ...look at this back budding, which is a not easy on this species, so there is some health. I think.
IMG_4102.jpg
and here is that plant roughly positioned .. see how it will fill the gap when I replant the group on a couple of year's time. I love how it fills the gap. It was meant to be. 8-)
IMG_4099.jpg
Anyway, in the meantime, I have liberated the poor orphan tree. A light root prune (well a 1/4 removed from the base), teased out the roots and replanted into a rescue pot. Here 'tis.
IMG_4106.jpg
I like the story developing here. Its a shared project for sure. Trees have been purchased from 3 Victorian bonsai nurseries - Bonsai Sensation, Bonsai Art and now Bonsai Farm. The larger trees have been rescued .... to the extent that the trees from Sensation were pot bound on sale and today's from the Farm was about the same. The Art series are the complimentary seedlings and younger plants. So ... let's see how it turns out over the coming years. Hopefully it works. :wave:
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Re: Boulevard Cypress Group Planting Progression

Post by MJL »

Hi Folks,

Just hoping to get some advice around trimming new growth on Boulevard Cypress.

I am really happy with how my forest of Cypress has settled into their new home. Repotting some months back seems to have worked well. Phew? Ideas abound and next year I will re-pot again; adding 5 new trees to the planting and make it all a bit more dense.

In the meantime, I am trying to encourage them to bud back (which I know is difficult in this species) and better branch structure. My question is this, can anyone advise the best way to cut back? My sense is that it is best to pinch new growth, is this correct? Also, if I have let the new growth go a bit, where best to cut back?

Please see photos below - any advice will be appreciated.

The two photos here are of the tallest tree in the existing stand.
IMG_4334.jpg
IMG_4335.jpg
The next two photos below are of a tree that will be added to the forest in due course. This orphan is is flourishing after I bought it root bound a few months back and then liberated with a root and a new pot. It is loving me back. :)
IMG_4338.jpg
IMG_4339.jpg
Again - any advice on how to trim will be appreciated. :yes:
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Re: Boulevard Cypress Group Planting Progression

Post by LLK »

Hi MJL,

Yes, with time your tree group is sure to grow into a lovely bonsai. A few things:
First, it is not really a cypress, though it's sometimes called Sawara cypress. Its botanical name is Chamaecyparis pisifera "Boulevard".
In the wild it grows to a tall tree.
Secondly, neither the Chamaecyparis nor the true cypress backbud on old wood, which is why you see a lot of bare branching on your trees, with fresh foliage only at their ends. In the growing season they need to be severely pruned back, to encourage plenty of new foliage. But don't do it now, leave it till you see signs of new growth in Spring.
I hope you are not thinking of root pruning your rescued Chamaecyparis now, poor thing? Water it with Seasol, don't fertilise, don't overwater, leave it in a protected spot and let it recover for a year.
Allow me to suggest that before working on trees you have no experience of, you read about them. When I was a beginner, I also got a Ch. p. Boulevard and didn't bother to look it up. I thought it was a juniper and ruined it. We make mistakes, but some are avoidable. For help, look up the Species Guide on the website Bonsai4me.
Good luck!

Lisa
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Re: Boulevard Cypress Group Planting Progression

Post by MJL »

Thank you for the tips Lisa - much appreciated. I will read up some more.

No - I will not be root-pruning anymore right now - I took a risk with the rescued orphan in May this year (very late) but it has settled in well. No more risks this year; I recently purchased 3 more - 1 young plant that is terribly pot bound but I will repot that one in spring.

My plan is to bring it all together when repotting in September 2019. It will end up being a 15 tree group and I'll reduce the pot size from around 80 cm to 70ish.

Correction: Also - to all - my apologies for the wrong dating above (I think my post is too old to 'edit' now) but the date of the original group planting was August 2017. (Clearly it can't be Aug 2018 ...I time traveller I am not!)

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Re: Boulevard Cypress Group Planting Progression

Post by LLK »

Sounds good. :reading: :fc: :)
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Re: Boulevard Cypress Group Planting Progression

Post by MJL »

By way of update - what’s the saying? Another man’s trash ..... I picked up this ‘treasure’ (for me) at BSV yesterday for $10.
IMG_5311.JPG
It will be a wonderful edition to this forest when I bring it all together in a year of so. The new growth in all my boulevards are now going bananas (that’s a technical term) - so I’ll ensure I cut back accordingly throughout this spring.


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Re: Boulevard Cypress Group Planting Progression

Post by MJL »

A very busy week at work .... unwind by meditating via a two hr haircut...

Start
IMG_5373.jpg
One pad before
IMG_5374.jpg
After
IMG_5375.jpg
Offcuts from just one pad!
IMG_5376.jpg
Finished - more space, light and room for new growth.
IMG_5377.jpg
....


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Re: Boulevard Cypress Group Planting Progression

Post by boom64 »

Hi M.J.L.
Looking good ,love the wispy open look and the little fellows on the right and left are pretty interesting . Chees John.
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Re: Boulevard Cypress Group Planting Progression

Post by MJL »

Hi John,
Appreciate the feedback.
I am not sure this is ever going to be a stunning forest (its not really the right species and it is essentially rescued stock so ....I am starting behind a reasonably sized eight ball :palm: ) but I am learning by trying and even this trim is a mile ahead of anything I could have attempted even a year ago. Thanks to Ray for giving me some practical advice at a YVBS BBQ last weekend too.
Cheers,
Mark
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Re: Boulevard Cypress Group Planting Progression

Post by MJL »

One for the weird but true category.

See that group of trees over there in the early morning light ...
IMG_6443.jpg
Yep, they are a stand of Boulevard Cypress (that are not really Cypress at all but that’s another story)... anyway they are by the door in my courtyard. Nearly every morning and sometimes numerous times a day, I will go over pat the leaves. Yep! Like this.
IMG_6444.jpg
Yeah - I can hear you all calling me a fruitloop and you might be right.... but it’s the smell. These trees smell bl@@dy magnificent- ya touch ‘em and ya get the best smell!

I also say hi to this dude too; he never answers back - I prefer to think him introverted rather than rude.
IMG_6445.jpg
Not sure why I posted this ... just felt like it - well ... you’ll all never get those two minutes back!

As you were.

[SMILING FACE WITH SMILING EYES]


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Re: Boulevard Cypress Group Planting Progression

Post by Max »

8-) :lol: :lol: it's coming along, has there been any interviews for Rangers :o
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Re: Boulevard Cypress Group Planting Progression

Post by MJL »

This group is healthy. Ten months ago I reduced the growth as much as I had the guts to do. See the photos above.

I am going to repot this spring and I wanted to remove some more growth. Nothing drastic - just another thinning out. I know these tree will not back bud (on old wood) but there is lots of back budding on the new growth, so I am reasonably confident that it was OK to have another crack ten month's later. :fc:

I wanted to seperate the reduction from the potting to give the trees time to settle back in. In truth, I am not sure if that's the right thing to do - it just felt right. :palm:

Once again, I am surprised at how much can be removed for not a lot of difference. In the main, I was just taking upwards and downwards growing branchlets and I also took the top out of a few.

Anyway, more before and after pics below. :)

Last week
IMG_1207.jpg
IMG_1208.jpg
Hair cut remnant - actually I took this photo and then added about 1/3 more again to the pile.
IMG_1243.jpg
As it is now - waiting for re-potting as it's been two years in this pot.
IMG_1244.jpg
IMG_1248.jpg
IMG_1246.jpg

Also - I was going to add more trees to this group but alas - I went too aggressive on the new plants and killed them :whistle: ... sooo.. the group will remain as is. ;)
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Re: Boulevard Cypress Group Planting Progression

Post by Raging Bull »

You win some, you lose some. But it's always a learning experience. I quite like the look of this group. Keep up the good work, your posts are always interesting.
Cheers, Frank.
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Re: Boulevard Cypress Group Planting Progression

Post by MJL »

I have a little more time on my hands at present and it's lucky I do, some jobs take a long time. :)

Today I tackled a replanting of this group. I am happy with what I found and indeed, how it is ended up but it was a 4 hr job.

The pictures below will tell the story from start to end but a few words to help. The group had been in this pot 2 years or thereabouts. When I took it out, I was surprised with how many wires I had put in at the prior repotting - these bad boys were well secured. When I eventually got it out - the root mass was enormous and seemed healthy. I must have trimmed at least 30-40% off but I still feel there were plenty of healthy roots to sustain the trees. :fc: At one point I thought I had taken enough off but in the end, I took another 1.5cm off the bottom so that the group sat better/lower in the pot. I also slightly repositioned the knitted group and I feel the angle is now better. Anyway ... quite a strenuous job, especially getting the finished pot too and from my Weber (workbench) ;).

Still, satisfying work. I am happy that a pom pom-type set of trees, continue to improve. Of course, comments welcome. Cheers, M

Starting point ... apologies for the light ..
IMG_6739.jpg
Out she comes
IMG_6740.jpg
IMG_6741.jpg
IMG_6742.jpg
A lot of healthy roots if a tad pot bound
IMG_6743.jpg
After trimming base roots - I actually took a fair amount off the base of the roots even after the next two photos
IMG_6744.jpg
IMG_6746.jpg
It sits in the pot better now I reckon
IMG_6747.jpg
IMG_6750.jpg
IMG_6754.jpg
IMG_6758.jpg
IMG_6759.jpg
and back in place for a few more years.
IMG_6760.jpg
:)
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Re: Boulevard Cypress Group Planting Progression

Post by Ryceman3 »

4 hours we’ll spent!
I don’t have any Boulevard Cypress but it looks to me you left more than enough roots to get a successful result.
It’s coming together nicely, the trees sit nicely with each other... it’s believable no doubt.
Nice job.
:beer:
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