AusBonsai

I took a drive out to Australian Bonsai Growers today and I got these 2 swamp cypress. The twin trunk is going to stay as a twin trunk, but I'm thinking the big fat trunk would be amenable to layering? Not sure where though, any ideas from folks?

Holy root system, batman...

Yes I was going to say that you will have your work cut out - Steve's trees don't seem to have any root work done on them. In the past trees I have bought there have had to have a ground layer put on them to fix up the roots. Swampies in particular seem to have very un bonsai like roots systems. The roots seem to go down and then turn a right angle

Hi, I am growing swampies in Melbourne, 4 different varieties, which most are not aware of.
Send me an e and we can x change.

When I was on the Gold Coast 6 years back I picked up some trees from Steve also. Taxodium root prune easily and will bounce back almost immediately.
The pictures you posted show them still in green leaf, that would make it the "mucronatum" variety which is what I got off Steve. These will be staring to brown off between now and late spring, as the new growth starts the old will begin to fall off. This is when I work on them.
The pic you have of the single trunk does not have a lot of growth down low so I am guessing this is a tall stick. the one I bought from Steve was the same, I simply cut off at an angle at the height I wanted and stuck the top bit into a mix of sand and peatmoss and kept it WET, it did not stop budding and by the end of summer was going great. the big scar left behind will grow over in 3 or 4 seasons, I can send you some pics if you want. It will backbud.
If you want to be on the safe side then layer it (now), pick a knotty part of the trunk where there has been a lot of growth, you should have roots already by early November.
The picture I have posted is the top half of the piece I originally took off the plant I bought from Steve. With this one I have put an upturned pot on the base and filled it with sand, the idea is to thicken the base with root growth.

Thanks!

I get to look at them again tomorrow, haven't seen them art from watering since Sunday, darn day job.

I know what you mean, we spent Friday to Monday setting up and pulling down our show.
Not complaining just tired, great weekend spent with a bunch of great friends all enjoying our hobby!

Sorry about my non-sensical message. Typing on iPad is quite annoying! Yes, this winter I've been very unsatisfied, as this is a hobby where you only get a proper look at your trees on weekends and days off, and I work 10hr shifts, so it's usually pretty dark when I'm watering. It is nice when you discover new buds on a tree when you finally get time to examine it again.

Today is show day, so I'll go and get some more colanders and a water tray for my cypress'. Might get my hair done too, ha!

Ahhhh its Ekka!

Hi,
Was in Tassie a few weeks back, took the ute so we could fill it with plants (which we did)
Dropped into a nursery and picked up two METASEQUOIA glyptostroboides Gold Rush, because it is colder in Tas they are just coming into leaf, a beautiful Gold colour.
Zyggy.

I love these trees! The twin trunk is quite fun to work on