Planting Bald Cypress Trees
Several big planting projects are now complete at my Bedford, New York farm.
Every year, I try to plant a good number of trees - some in the woodlands, and some in designated areas around my home. I have planted thousands of trees since I purchased my Bedford, New York property. They look so pretty planted in groves, in allees, and as privacy hedges. I feel very strongly about giving back to the earth - the more trees planted, the better. Last week, my outdoor grounds crew planted more than 200 bald cypress trees, Taxodium distichum, in an area of wetlands between the lower hayfield and my main greenhouse. Because bald cypress trees thrive in wet areas and can even tolerate occasional flooding, this was the perfect spot.
Enjoy these photos.
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- These trees first arrived as bare-root cuttings. Bare-root cuttings are plants that are removed from the earth while dormant and stored without any soil surrounding their roots. We pot them up and nurture them for some time before they are planted in more permanent locations. Now they are ready to be transplanted in the wetland woods.
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- This area is prone to moisture, but bald cypress trees prefer this type of environment. These trees also need a lot of room, so it is a perfect location.
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- My outdoor grounds crew foreman, Chhiring, starts to place the trees, making sure to leave ample room between them.
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- The trees are spaced about 15 to 20 feet apart to allow them room as they grow. Whenever planting trees, always consider the size and spread of the specimen when it is mature.
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- Here is Chhiring placing the trees one by one. These trees are small now and grow more slowly than others, but they mature into very large trees that look beautiful in any landscape.
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- I have more mature bald cypress trees along the carriage road across from my long pergola. This photo was taken last August before the leaves turned russet brown. These trees have done so well here.
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- One characteristic of the bald cypress is its knees. These are specialized root structures that grow vertically above the moist soil near the tree. It is believed that these structures aid the oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange in the roots.
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- There are about 200 trees in this grouping, so it takes a bit of time to place them properly through this area.
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- The wetland woods is situated just behind my grove of weeping willow trees. The bold green bald cypress will look so beautiful behind these yellow-gold willows.
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- Here’s Dawa digging the holes just slightly bigger than the containers – about 10 inches deep.
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- Always have a good quality tree fertilizer on hand to mix with the soil. We use dryroots, a natural granular fertilizer with nitrogen, potassium sulfate, iron, magnesium, kelp meal, vitamins, and humic acids to improve soil and plant health. A generous amount of fertilizer is sprinkled in the existing soil of each hole.
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- Each tree is planted to the height it was in the pot. Planting a tree too deep can kill it. “Bare to the flare” is the rule of thumb. Look for the root collar or root flare – the bulge just above the root system where the roots begin to branch away from the trunk. The root flare should be just above the soil surface.
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- These trees are also given two planting tablets each for added nutrients.
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- We use Remke tablets which contain a combination of macro and micronutrients essential for plant development. These tablets are pre-measured to ensure adequate and uniform root zone feeding.
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- Two tablets are placed on the soil of each tree before it is backfilled.
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- Next, Chhiring carefully backfills the hole.
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- He also makes sure the tree is positioned straight up, so it grows properly – it is details like these that can make a big difference.
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- The bark of the bald cypress is brown to gray and forms long scaly, fibrous ridges on the trunk. Over time, these ridges tend to peel off the trunk in strips.
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- The leaves are compound and feathery, made up of many small leaflets that are thin and lance-shaped. Each leaflet is less than two inches long, alternating along either side of a central stem. They are brown in color now and then turn a medium green later in the season.
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- As the trees are planted, all the pots are stacked and saved. We save pots whenever we can – they always come in handy for projects like these, and I always encourage the crew to reuse supplies whenever possible.
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- The crew works in an assembly line process to get all the trees planted quickly and efficiently. This project also allows the crew to work at safe distances from one another.
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- Then he gently steps around the root ball and soil to ensure there aren’t any air pockets.
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- After two full days of planting, all the trees are in the ground. Hard to see them, but in time they will all look very handsome. I can’t wait to see how they develop. Are you planting any trees this season? This is a great time to work outdoors in your own yard if you can. Share your comments with me in the section below.
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