The 2022 Yamadori/Collecting Thread

[ShadyStump]

Definitely gonna cut down the thick branch’s better down to the thin ones then let them grow out . Probably just gonna do a cut and grow method on this

So far I've been doing mostly cut and grow on all of mine. I go to wire and get so perfectionist about it I wind up trying to take it off and do it again, and usually do more damage than good, so I really don't like doing it. That and it always feels like I'm forcing the tree against it's will.

I figure most of your primary structure is mostly cut and grow anyway, so I'll have wiring down by the time I reach a point where I have no other choice.
Anyways, that's my current take on the technique. You've got a great eye for material, and are learning fast.

 

[Njyamadori]

So far I've been doing mostly cut and grow on all of mine. I go to wire and get so perfectionist about it I wind up trying to take it off and do it again, and usually do more damage than good, so I really don't like doing it. That and it always feels like I'm forcing the tree against it's will.

I figure most of your primary structure is mostly cut and grow anyway, so I'll have wiring down by the time I reach a point where I have no other choice.
Anyways, that's my current take on the technique. You've got a great eye for material, and are learning fast.

Right now I’m starting to focus on Growing material, Collecting and i will start buying material . I’m planning on actually doing bonsai work when I get out of highschool in 4 years. Right now I just want to get stuff ready so I’m 4 years I can actually start.

 

[PonderingSage:]

Here is a ponderosa. Nothing crazy, but it was easy to collect and is better in person.

Bonus is my lucky recovery gnome, who sits on a juniper thats on the fringe.

 

[PonderingSage:]

Right now I’m starting to focus on Growing material, Collecting and i will start buying material . I’m planning on actually doing bonsai work when I get out of highschool in 4 years. Right now I just want to get stuff ready so I’m 4 years I can actually start.

Way to get an early start…thats huge in the long-game of bonsai!

 

[Cajunrider]

My case for this is purely etymological. The word "Yamadori" [山採り / (No equivalent)] seems to be derived from "yama" [山 / Mountain] and "tori" [採り/ Picking] or "torimasu" [取ります / Take.] So not as to confuse bonsaists by referring to the art of collecting trees from the woods as **"Mountain bird" we thusly arrive at yamadori (lit: "Mountain picking/ taking") as we know it. I think a Japanese person would probably be confused if you said "I practice yamadori" and then showed them a picture of a yard-stump. They might even think, "In America, walking to the backyard is the same as going on a hike in the mountains... I see. What a uniquely American problem..."

Well for quite a few of us, not only here in America but all over the world, walking to the backyard is going to the mountain, sloshing in the swamp, etc.. Many of us choose to live very close to nature.

 

[BrianBay9]

Here is a ponderosa. Nothing crazy, but it was easy to collect and is better in person.

Bonus is my lucky recovery gnome, who sits on a juniper thats on the fringe.

That root looks pretty crazy to me!

 

[MacSpook]

Angus McFife is the prince of the land of Fife.


...just sayin'

Fife is an ancient Scottish kingdom. Along with Carrick.

...jus sayin'

 

[Colorado]

Here is a ponderosa. Nothing crazy, but it was easy to collect and is better in person.

Bonus is my lucky recovery gnome, who sits on a juniper thats on the fringe.

“Easy to collect” ? The root is 10 feet long! we have different understandings of the term!

 

[PonderingSage:]

Ha ha. Yeah it came out easy with all the roots…even that 3 foot one

 

[ShadyStump]

Ha ha. Yeah it came out easy with all the roots…even that 3 foot one

If it's stupid but works ...

 

[Shima]

Coast live oaks

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Best when grazed by deer or cows.

 

[PonderingSage:]

If it's stupid but works ...

Sorry, but l don’t get your meaning here.
I’m not getting these from a field.
Wild collected trees from the mountains in my experience seldom come with an ideal & tidy root ball. They fill the shape of the pocket/crack and often have a running root which will have to be reduced in subsequent repottings.
Thats kinda the reason for building custom boxes.

 

[ShadyStump]

Sorry, but l don’t get your meaning here.
I’m not getting these from a field.
Wild collected trees from the mountains in my experience seldom come with an ideal & tidy root ball. They fill the shape of the pocket/crack and often have a running root which will have to be reduced in subsequent repottings.
Thats kinda the reason for building custom boxes.

"If it's stupid but works, it isn't stupid," is how the saying goes.

Ridiculous root found in a ridiculous place moved to a ridiculous box. If it all works, it's not so ridiculous now, is it?

 

[Potawatomi13]

Here is a ponderosa. Nothing crazy, but it was easy to collect and is better in person.

Bonus is my lucky recovery gnome, who sits on a juniper thats on the fringe.

A real actual Yamadori. Could have good potential.

 

[Kidkidsupreme]

Bald cypress, old pic but has some buds now. Took it out of the ground a few weeks ago.

Update: it's not a bald cypress. I'm confident that it's a metasequoia. Also added a photo of a design I was inspired by.

 

[TN_Jim]

This thread should require reports of the event of mortality in collected trees . Curious of the long-run fate of these “out of season” collections and how they may be misleading to members of the forum regarding best practices.

Privet here collected today from location where it rightfully should and would be eradicated from, feel 94% certain of its survival given the species and experience with :

 

[sevan]

Here are some proof of life (mostly) pictures from the trees I collected in late Feb (north Georgia). The pictures aren't that great because I didn't want to move them to get a better backdrop.

Two hophornbeams that are thriving. I suspect I can do some light root work and primary branch selection next year with how strongly they are growing.
A smallish American hornbeam that is growing nicely. I will start working it back to shohin size next year. I couldn't get a great picture of the whole tree, but it's about 5 feet tall right now. I'll probably chop it above the second branch next year and see what I get to work with. I don't know if I should do anything with the roots next year or not.

An American Beech that's limping along. It hasn't put out any new branches, but it has started setting lots of buds for next year on the couple of existing branches. I won't touch this one at all next year.


And lastly my dead American Hornbeam. It never put out any buds or showed any sign of life. It's still sitting among my other trees and getting watered in case it decides to wake up, but I don't expect anything at this point.

 

[MacSpook]

Was clearing a bit of ground in the garden and collected this....















Not sure what it is or if it's suitable for bonsai. It looks a bit like a shrub sometimes used locally for small hedgerows. It has small leaves and short internodes and I like the exposed roots and craggy bark. Gave it a haircut and trimmed the heavy roots keeping plenty of fine roots for a safe recovery (hopefully).

Mac

 

[HorseloverFat]

Was clearing a bit of ground in the garden and collected this....

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Not sure what it is or if it's suitable for bonsai. It looks a bit like a shrub sometimes used locally for small hedgerows. It has small leaves and short internodes and I like the exposed roots and craggy bark. Gave it a haircut and trimmed the heavy roots keeping plenty of fine roots for a safe recovery (hopefully).

Mac

Looks neat!

Probably some sort of Privet... ligstrum.. by your definition AND foliage.. Great Bonsai Candidates.. I'm just wholly unfamiliar with Ligstrum, in general. I don't see many up here in the Arctic Forest. HA!



Keep it out of direct sun!

I'd, personally, 'bag it' for 4-5 days... then "bright shade".... no direct.

 

[BeepBeepBonsaiSheep]

Well, it’s monsoon season here (so lower temps and higher humidity) and I decided to just go dig material on 7/30 at the local abandoned lot (with permission from the owner of course)

Dug a number of Tree of Heavens. I know some of you just screamed, but why not torture some Trash Trees, eh?

They range in thickness from 1/2” to 2”

I actually repotted all these yesterday, 8/4, and 3 of the 5 (one small one not shown) had already started pushing new roots!

More of these can be seen in the Other Deciduous sub forum