Taxodium Distichum - Swamp Cypress

[alpineart]

This is my "stick in a pot" as it progresses into its second season .I set a layer up top 2 years ago however the wind snapped it off , so i basically potted the stick up and left it .The tree will be a flat top Baldy in time

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, the layer itself sulked last year and died back to the trunk leaving dead branches , this season its taken flight

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. The Cypress knees were assisted during a repot last winter and are fattening well

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with more forming .The branches will be left to help develop the trunk as more shoots appear they will be selectively removed .Quite happy with both trainers .Cheers Alpineart

[Glenda]

How did you get knees to form?

Glenda

[alpineart]

Hi Glenda , in confined pots the roots tend to fold and double back on themselves especially if the are growing in water .They become so vigorous and push themselves up out of the pot .I have helped a couple by folding them over and placing a twist tie around them .Its not completely successful but it has worked on a couple of older roots .Care should be taken so the root doesn't kink or it will die off .Cheers Alpine

[NBPCA]

Hi Glenda , in confined pots the roots tend to fold and double back on themselves especially if the are growing in water .They become so vigorous and push themselves up out of the pot .I have helped a couple by folding them over and placing a twist tie around them .Its not completely successful but it has worked on a couple of older roots .Care should be taken so the root doesn't kink or it will die off .Cheers Alpine

Very sneaky and effective.

Grant

[alpineart]

Hi Grant , well everybody manipulates branches and foliage and spreads roots , so i thought i would improvise along the natural lines for a swampy

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[NBPCA]

Hi Grant , well everybody manipulates branches and foliage and spreads roots , so i thought i would improvise along the natural lines for a swampy

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As I said ; very good lateral thinking.

You win the innaugural Max Candy award for Bonsai Innovation and Creativity.

(It doesn't really exist but it should.)

Grant

[Beaumatsu]

Why would you bend the roots is this some technique i have never heard of.

thankyou

Beaumatsu

[Bougy Fan]

It's to replicate the knees - just google swamp cypress and have a look at some in the wild in the UK or the states. The knees shoot up usually in very wet or swampy soil.

Tony

[Taffy]

That's really thinking outside the square Alpine. Thanks mate - that is real food for thought. Who would have thought of simulating Swampy air roots?

Man, you come up with some amazing ideas - and they usually work!! Keep coming up with them, I sure am interested in what ideas you have - and the results speak for themselves.

[alpineart]

Why would you bend the roots is this some technique i have never heard of.

thankyou

Beaumatsu

Hi mate , if you haven't heard of it , then you just learnt it on Ausbonsai . Cheers Alpineart

[alpineart]

Hi Tman , i may not have the greatest detailed trees , but the trees have the natural details . I'm all for testing and trialing different methods on every plant i have , all methods including failures are measured in success around here ,then i try again with a different approach . Cheers Alpine

[Glenda]

Hi Tman , i may not have the greatest detailed trees , but the trees have the natural details . I'm all for testing and trialing different methods on every plant i have , all methods including failures are measured in success around here ,then i try again with a different approach . Cheers Alpine

Its great that you experiment like this Alpine. All bonsai techniques must have started as an experiment - unless God handed Adam a "How to Bonsai" book in the garden of Eden. Someone had to find out each one sometime - some by accident and some by experiment. Keep up the good work!

Glenda

[alpineart]

Hi Glenda , thanks for the inspiration from all on Ausbonsai .The challenges are most rewarding . Cheers Alpine

[alpineart]

This is an update on my Swamp Cypress .

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Not looking for a short fat pig i have chosen the more natural semi literati type tree

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. I does need some lower branches removed however these will remain in place for this season then be removed . The Knees have developed well

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, i have applied some wire to a couple if the manufactured knees just to aid the fusing , 50% of these knees were produced naturally inside the root mass in a square pot where it resided for the first few years

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. The large oval pot it is now in is where it will remain to allow the roots to run around without producing anymore knee's as there is more than enough to show the features originally attempted

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when i wired several roots in the early stages of development .

Cheers Alpineart

[kcpoole]

Nice knobbly knees there mate, Very cool

Ken