Saving A Cypress

bnsaijim

I though I'd share the story of one of my trees, one which will explain why I keep telling people to cover their buttresses deep for at least two years.

I had the opportunity to purchase this tree 3-4 years ago for little more than the price of the pot. I had recently stumbled on cypress and wanted a "finished cypress" really bad so this one was added.

This is a collected Pond Cypress Taxodium dictichum "ascendens"; it differs from the Bald Cypress, Taxodium dictichum in range, (excuse spelling and any failure to adhere to whatever is the popular taxonomy of the moment) being more tropical in its preferences. It has "alligator" bark rather than flaky, tends to dislike developing fine ramification and has foliage described as "corded".

Although not as "slutty" (yes I mean that the way you think) as the evergreen oaks, cypress variants will cross and give you all sorts of characteristics. Rumour has it they will express variances differently based on environmental factors, although I have not seen extensive signs of this in mine, i.e., soil pH affects foliage.

This specimen has the bark, obviously, the ornery nature regarding branching but luckily not quite as rough in the foliage as the Banting Flat top I have in my collection.

It's 10" above the buttress- that pot is something like 17" x 30". It sported two knees at the time of purchase. While a snapshot is probably floating around somewhere it really hasn't changed much... here's one after the first repot. I really just had let it go all summer to heal a chop wound at the top.

I've mercifully blanked out much of the background so you could see what's going on.

Shortly after this repot I met Gary Marchal, was introduced to Vaughan Banting, and started to study cypress bonsai techniqies closely.

Jim Stone
TX

Attached Images

pon.jpg (70.4 KB, 379 views)

Advertisement

bnsaijim

Today I would have known something was up. Something rotten in the state of Denmark...

Instead, I figured a little deadwood on the base.... no big deal, adds character...

Attached Images

pon3.jpg (39.2 KB, 360 views)

bnsaijim

After about a year or so, with no really earth shattering vigor due to teh repot, I noticed some problems with one of the "features"...

I knew some had been sawed off, revealed during the repot, and had figured that would be hidden in the future. Now you can see how it would not be an issue...

Attached Images

knee.jpg (46.0 KB, 354 views)

bnsaijim

This summer I started probing- I knew what had happened When collected, they probably put it into a mortar pan or a semideep wooden box. The buttress had dried out and was now beginning to rot.

But Gary had taught me that most of these problems could be fixed with some skill and time.

I found that most of the buttresses had live portions- hope!-because these could eventually be used to reform them. There were small rootlets and reddish live areas.

Attached Images

basecomp.jpg (49.1 KB, 347 views)

bnsaijim

So... this winter it was top priority.

Fix the dead and rotting basal wood.

Protect and nurture all surviving roots.

Well, how do you do that? If you were to ask, most folks would say you had to cut all that punky wood out. However, I've observed that cypress will scar over and engulf deadwood- so that idea was not to be considered. If not, it would at least provide visual mass while the new buttresses grew. The dead wood stays. This seemed to be the shorter road also.

Using some techiniques learned from some other bonsai guru- Dan Robinson- I set about returning integrity to all that rotted stuff.

Expensive but effective, this product is a penetrating epoxy system used to repair boats and rotted architectural details. I think it's advantage to other products is that it will be sucked up by the rotted wood, will be drawn along the fiber lengths.

Attached Images

gitrot.jpg (39.8 KB, 338 views)

bnsaijim

But it won't displace water... the wood can be wet but it won't penetrate properly...So how do you dry the water and not kill the root.

Some might detach the live portion and re-attach it. Here's my solution usig air-layer technology.

Wrap each root mass in wet sphagnum and then in 6 mil poly secured with wire ties and twine. Dry the wood by placing a "study lamp" close enough to dry the wood but only keep the roots nicely warmed.

This took about 6 days by placing the light in various spots. You could go faster with more lights. Moss can be kept moist by either spraying water in to the "bag" or injecting with a syringe.

By the end, she was starting to bud- not sure but I guess the warm toes...

This would be the "upskirt camera shot" for all you pervs...

If you note the center, I may have a potential hollow trunk...

Attached Images

upskirt.jpg (55.4 KB, 334 views)

bnsaijim

A few more shots...

After drying the deadwood was brass wire brushed to clean slightly. I did not remove bark from obviously dead areas. You would also want to potentially lime sulfur and color prior to using the Git Rot. Post drying application will work but will not be as bleached. Since I wanted this to look as unobtrusive as possible I opted to leave it untreated.

Git Rot is like any other epoxy- mix two part into the pre-marked bottle, and apply. You know the area is saturated when the product collects and stays wet looking. Usually I'll hit each area 2-3x.

It dries for 24 hours then you can carve it, cut it, etc.

Attached Images

workcomp.jpg (53.8 KB, 333 views)

bnsaijim

Happy ending?

Here's some shots of the base. Yes it does dry with a "wet look" which does wears off over the ensuing months.

While I now have a a rotted wood look, it is hard- I can carve it just like real wood if I wish. It can provide a base for root growth to mold over or be carved away as the new roots take over.

Attached Images

aftbase.jpg (44.0 KB, 327 views)

bnsaijim

Here's the parting shot. Late Saturday night....

Notice, one knee remains...

It gives an idea of where the branch structure has gone and is going- I picture a weeping style, a common theme with pondies, off to the right with a minor crown to the left.

Still a long road ahead, the "TX termite" shari still needs refinement, but that's the fun...

Thoughts, suggestions, virtuals welcome.

Sincerely,

Jim Stone
TX