# Swamp cypress chopped **URL:** \ **Category:** Design\ **Created:** [July 31, 2022, 8:28am UTC](https://forum.bonsaimirai.com/t/swamp-cypress-chopped/9843 "2022-07-31T08:28:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mick\_lord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c77e96/32.png) [@Mick\_lord](https://forum.bonsaimirai.com/u/Mick_lord)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2022, 8:28am UTC](https://forum.bonsaimirai.com/t/swamp-cypress-chopped/9843/1 "2022-07-31T08:28:44Z")
Has anyone done some carving or some work on there swamp cypress where they have done the trunk chop. To create taper or carved it ---
**Author:** ![MartyWeiser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@MartyWeiser](https://forum.bonsaimirai.com/u/MartyWeiser)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2022, 7:17pm UTC](https://forum.bonsaimirai.com/t/swamp-cypress-chopped/9843/2 "2022-07-31T19:17:55Z")
I have a bald cypress that I trunk chopped in 2011 cutting it above a small branch. I wired the small branch up to create a formal upright with taper. After it had become established about a year later I cut the back side of the trunk at about a 20 degree angle from the vertical and applied wound putty. The wound was about 1.5" wide by 5" long and is now about 1/4" wide by less than 2" long. I grew the leader out for a couple of years, cut back hard and grew it out for a couple of more years before starting to style the apical area. If I had rewounded the edges and used more putty it would have closed this year. In the meantime, the style of the tree was changed to flattop which involved brining up a branch from below the wound at the side. I live in Spokane, WA area which is not optimal for bald cypress due to late spring and early fall frosts, but with protection it has grown well. ---
**Author:** ![mff321](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@mff321](https://forum.bonsaimirai.com/u/mff321)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2022, 3:42pm UTC](https://forum.bonsaimirai.com/t/swamp-cypress-chopped/9843/3 "2022-08-06T15:42:08Z")
Hi Marty. I don’t suppose you have any photos of the process along the way, that you could post? ---
**Author:** ![MartyWeiser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@MartyWeiser](https://forum.bonsaimirai.com/u/MartyWeiser)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2022, 4:53pm UTC](https://forum.bonsaimirai.com/t/swamp-cypress-chopped/9843/4 "2022-08-07T16:53:11Z")
I know I took some, but I can’t find them right now. I’ll keep looking.