Collected Cedars

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The Cedars below were collected last year from an area that is local to everybody who practices bonsai. This area is literally filled with old stock that is just waiting for the right person to take advantage of the right opportunity to collect it. In fact, these are just one example to refute anyone who makes the statement that collectible stock is not available in their area, no matter if they are from the desert, the meadows, the forests, the inner city, all these environments have one thing in common, they are all filled with decent collectible stock, a lot of it far, far better than these cedars.

Anyone know what I am talking about?

Anyhow, these cedars were lifted last summer and put into these boxes and left alone. After a rough start this spring, thanks to a very cold winter and a few late frosts, they have finally taken off and back budding is starting on the trunks, some of which are in access of six inches wide at the soil line. All have great Nebari and bark, I think there is a future with these, even though they are Cedars. Nick Lenz describes how he takes stock like this and grafts Hinoki foliage to the trunks in his book, something worth considering, maybe?



Will
 

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rlist

Shohin
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I got a nice (I would say world class, but that wouldn't be accurate, as I am not in the ruling class and cannot make such a claim) spruce from that same place this last spring. I will say that when it moves past this pre-bonsai stage (or is it just collected stage?), it will probably be the largest bird's nest spruce bonsai in the world (or because it is so large, does that make it landscape material?)...

Anyway, you are correct, there are lots of areas to collect very nice trees (of whatever classification one wishes to call them) all around us...
 
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Keep your eyes out for supermarkets and fast food restaurants for they commmonly redo their landscaping and tear out 10-30 year old stuff that would make great bonsai if you got a good eye. Some you can talk to and tell them you will put in new material that is smaller and they will let you at it. Most fast food places are localy owned anyway so it is just how the owner is.
 

bretts

Shohin
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Your the refute King Will. Now all you need is a crown on your head
 

Graydon

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All have great Nebari and bark, I think there is a future with these, even though they are Cedars. Nick Lenz describes how he takes stock like this and grafts Hinoki foliage to the trunks in his book, something worth considering, maybe?
Will

Clue us southerners in on what these are Will, when you say cedar down here we are talking eastern red cedar (a juniper).

I do admire the nebari and the bark but I don't really see much to work with as far as trunks go. The second photo really highlights the good and the bad as in the nebari and the stovepipe trunks. Not sure what grafting will do for that. Do you think a chop soon and another decade of growing will induce some taper or do you plan to carve away and try to make something work with keeping a live vein and exposing some deadwood?

Anyhow - I am always looking for landscape material to dig. In several years of looking everywhere I have found 3 or 4 worth digging and dug one. If it lives I will post photos one day.
 
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.....In several years of looking everywhere I have found 3 or 4 worth digging and dug one.

Hi Graydon,

The same could be said of material in the wild, or even in a nursery for that matter. Most landscape material in the older areas have been constantly pruned back over the last 20 to 70 years, pines, mugos, maples, yews, juniper, etc...


Will
 

bretts

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I wonder how you always seem to be on a different tangent with these discussions Will.
As I stated in the other thread there is collectedable material around but not of the qaulity of the ones shown in the thread. I have collected stock but it will be a long time before I am getting the enjoyment of calling it pre-bonsai. I call this healing stock. I would like to think I might get some use out of it in a few years but at the moment it mainly just takes up room.
About 100 year old wisteria stump collected from friends house when they got a pool.
Our country is about 1/5 as old as many great collected bonsai!
 

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Graydon

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So are they cedars (cedrus whateverus) or are they false cedars?
 

agraham

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Graydon,

I think they are "white cedars"/thuja/arborvitae.

andy
 
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Right on the money Andy, native to Michigan and sold all over as cheap landscape trees, although never with this bark texture. Nick Lenz uses such stock to graft Hinoki foliage on I believe and Vance Wood was talking about trying that with one of these I gave him.

I have no plans for these and haven't really thought about it. I am just letting them regain health, back bud, and grow for now. Maybe someday I'll look for something in them, but to do so now at such an early stage is, well, not worth the effort, the trees will eventually talk to me, until then, I can only wait.

Will
 
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Smoke

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.....the trees will eventually talk to me, until then, I can only wait.

Will

I need to find a hobby that does not have so much waiting. If theres one thing I can't stand, it's waiting. I wonder if I could plant my trees near the discharge tube at Diablo Canyon Nuclear Reactor for a few years.... nah!

Al
 
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