QuestionQUESTION: I have two questions about the two 9-yr-old Bald Cypress trees in the front of my Dallas, Texas home.
1. Many (3-6) root knuckles are surfacing around each tree approximately 5 feet from the tree base. Root diameters average 1-2" in diameter. I've seen pictures of knees, and I do not 'think' these are knees, but are indeed roots. They are unsightly - would I harm the tree by carefully cutting these exposed roots and painting cut surfaces to prevent disease?
2. Somehow the top "tip"/leader of one of the trees broke on one of the trees two years ago and now it is "crowning" in a verybowl-shaped fashion and it is getting worse. What are my options to correct normal tip growth?
ANSWER: These sound like the beginning of cypress knees. Knees can be cut off at ground level but roots will be damages if they are shaved off. You can either wait and see if these do grow as knees and cut them off OR if you think they are the roots (usually roots are more lateral looking than knees) I would cover the exposed roots with about 2 inches of sand. Do not cover with more than a couple of inches or the added soil will damage the roots. IF you consider them knees just cut them off and do not apply any wound dressing. The wound will heal better without the dressing.
When a tree loses its terminal leader new branches will be formed where it broke off. The tree will look as you say "bowl shaped" at the top. Over time one of these side branches will exhibit dominance and become the new terminal leader. This will happen naturally so just let it grow. It will take several years for the side branch to take over as the top. The time will depend on the growing season where you live. I would guess 4-10 years before you can tell a difference. If the tree is healthy looking and the foliage is good I would let it be and it will straighten itself out.
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bald cypress - roots o
QUESTION: Firstly - THANK YOU for your initial response. This information was very helpful, and I appreciate the kind service that you provide .. thank you.
An additional question about the cypress knees please: The visible tree parts that are surfacing seem to be midstream 'knuckles' along the length of root and not an end/terminal part of root structure. (example - I am seeing ____/\____ and not ____/| ) Does this help you/me to tell for sure if the surfacing wood is root or knee? I have hit these elements a few times already with my lawn mower and I am afraid of damaging my tree - so I'd like to apply one of your solutions (cover with sand / cut) with a greater degree of confidence. In the meantime I will wait a bit to see what happens. I have attached a zip file with 3 images hoping they will help to confirm whether I am dealing with roots or knees.
AnswerThe pictures helped a lot. Yes these are cypress knees. This is what they look like when they first start to grow. They are in fact a part of the root but can be cut off without damaging the root system. Cut them as low to the ground as you can and then if you want you can cover with the sand. But do not be surprised if over the years other grow.
