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Fern Leaf Hinoki Cypress

13 years ago

I posted this in the bonsai section as well, because I plan on using it for bonsai. Anyway, I picked up this big guy today at a local nursery for $10 (yes really). It is around 3 feet tall and has about a 2 inch trunk. Now I've read everything there is about these trees and it all seems to mention how these trees DO NOT back bud on old wood. Check on one of my pictures and tell me that is not backbud. Anyway, I thought you guys, being the conifer experts, would know the best way to shorten the height of this tree. How much can I cut off at once, and when can I repot it? Thanks all!

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Backbud down there:

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Trunk:

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Ryan

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Comments (4)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
13 years ago
what it might do normally.. and what a 3 foot tree in a 2 gallon pot does.. might be two completely differing things ...

obviously its budding ...

if it were the prime focus of the front of your house.. we would probably tell you that it is questionable that it will rebud.. and to start over with something better ..

since you are going into bonsai .. and you got the bargain of the century ... go for it ...

all that said.. chamaecyparis roots pretty easily ... which would translate to me.. that it is pretty flexible on the basic conifer rules ..

ken
scotjute Z8
13 years ago
I have some Hinoki Cypress (not your particular cultivar) planted and have seen some evidence also of this "rebudding" on old wood. However my trees are small and under 4 years of age.
Have seen several instances where pines, eastern red cedar, etc. are run-over with lawn mower and then regenerate a new top or leaders and start growing again. Believe this phenomenon is applicable to the seedling to 3-5 yo sapling stage on many conifers, but as Ken mentions it does not occur as maturity sets in on most conifers.
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I have a Hinoki Cypress grafted or trained as a 3' standard which I planted last year. We sprayed WiltPruf on it heavily at the start of winter. In late winter/early spring it started to brown noticeably, about the same time that some of our large-leaf rhododendrons did. Careful review showed all the browning to be on the sunward (south) side, not the windward (north/northwest) side. This spring we transplanted it to the north side of our garage, where during winter, w/ the lower sun angle, it should be mostly shaded from direct sun. We did something similar w/ one of our large-leaf (English Roseum) rhododendrons. We'll see if that makes the difference. Both plants already liked the summer better where they're at now. So, my experience so far seems to indicate it's the late winter sunshine, while the ground is still frozen, that hurts these evergreens the most.
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its more an issue if you want to look at it like that ... for the next 3 to 5 years ... if it were out back on my 5 acres.. i would leave it be... and see what happens... if it were where i would see it.. every freakin day.. it would drive me absolutely insane ... and it would be gone.. before i could fire up the computer to ask a question like this .. presuming you dont have 5 acres.. be done with it.. life is too short... to be irritated by something like this.. every day ... your choice ... ken
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my quandary was.. and always will be... how do you know which ones to cut off ... what if you cut off the only ones that will end up viable ... and the rest die ... and on that basis ... i was usually paralyzed into taking no action ... until i was convinced the plant was fully re established ... and it really didnt matter ... i fully expect some serious problems with die back ... and browning .. transplant damage ..... etc ... and you should too ... dont go all ballistic with what you see in spring .. or summer next year ... it will just be the evolution of what you did to it ... and it wasnt done by peeps with experience ... complete proper... deep watering.. and near drying in between such ..... will be the key ... see link above ... for two or three years ... if you save and regrow the roots ... the plant will survive ... and to be sure.. there will be odds... that it will end up looking like something completely different.. so be it ... if you have questions and concerns next year.. we will need pix ... ken
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longaeva54
13 years ago
Hi Ryantree, it is bad choice for bonsai.This particular cultivar will lose lot of its needles every year and it will not rebud. If you are using it for bonsai,youhave to reduce the roots and pot it in a flat pot.
goodstav
13 years ago
Hi Ryantree,
I've tried to make bonsai out of Hinoki cypress with no success. I tried to make it bud in old wood by pinching the tips and giving it a lot of sun, but it didn't work... pruning a whole branch didn't result in back bud either in my case. I recently gave up and planted them in a garden.
I would reduce the height of the tree as a natural Jin, and get rid of some branches using Shari, and wire the best branches, increasing density by pinching the tips. It is difficult however to make Hinoki cypress look dense, this might take years. It is easier in some dwarf cultivars.
Don't be drastic with root pruning either, maybe 20-30% each time you prune them (every 2 years maybe, if healthy and vigorous), until you achieve a shallow root system.
Good luck!

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