Bald cypress trees

[carino]

I have several bald cypress tree seedlings planted in by back yard. They are approximately three years old. I would like to place them in containers and train them as bonsai. I have some questions and hope I can receive information before taking any action.

1. When is a good time to pot them? (North Texas)
2. Should I trim the roots before potting or leave the root ball alone after I dig them up?
3. What size container should I use?
4. Should I use "Bonsai soil" or just garden soil?

Thanking you in advance for your advice.

[tomc]

Bald cypress tolerate pruning beyond what you are likely to be willing to attempt. You will end up with a bonsai candidate best by letting it grow to field till the base has the size you hope for. And then working finished proportion after potting.

BC will tolerate growing in stagnant water, but will do better with soil made of one part Grani-grit and one part pine bark mulch, and watered by chop-stick test.

Start out with a cut down five gallon pail. And trim back roots incrimentally.

Once the base is flared and fat enough, your going to make what looks ever so much like a baseball bat.

Be patient. Its all about the base...