Taking the dog for a walk.

M. Frary

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It's not a thread about my dog.
But rather the spots I look for to collect trees.
I was looking for Jack pines this time.
When I look for trees I use a little fishing strategy.
Look in the high percentage areas.
Just like fish the trees I'm looking for aren't everywhere. You need to put yourself in a good spot for the tree to be growing. Yeah trees live in forests but ones for bonsai usually don't. Like fish they will be in high percentage areas. Like edges. That's an easy one to figure out. They live on the edge of the forest. Away from alk of the straight growing trees. That means for Jack pines I don't look in the plantations but on the outskirts.
Another place are clear cut areas. They don't cut small trees but just run them over or go by them. Lots af small trees are left to grow because they are useless as lumber.
The best places for Jack pines that I've found are old clear cut areas next to plantations.
Plantation trees grow straight fighting for light. But seeds get blown out into the clear cut area and grow. Left with room to grow a Jack pine will spread out and not be so straight. Low branches and good health. Ivealso found that they are kess prone to grow a tap root. No competition lets the roots spread out too.
This is one such place. You can see the Jack pine plantation in the distance. I was the guy that leveled this place 16 years ago. I know where there are more too.
The oaks are coming back. The tall ones are ones that got missed or were small. The red pine out in the distance was one that was left. It was a cut everything but red pine sale. Like 7 out of 30 plus acres. Way out there is the jack pine plantation. Its behind me too. We cut giant holes in the woods here.20170910_093432.jpg 20170910_093848.jpg Out there are what I'm looking for.20170910_094839.jpg
Man that dog has big feet!20170910_094720.jpg
 

Waltron

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Ahh I love it up there. Wrangled up a couple decent prospects back in late August. Got this jack out in full sun now and it doing nice. The larch actually has grown some, still green.IMG_3561.JPGIMG_3561.JPGIMG_2784.JPG
 

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Waltron

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you should figure how to get those oaks to survive collection. I have never even tried one, but I've found several I'd like to. that way I dont have to kill them haha
 

M. Frary

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you should figure how to get those oaks to survive collection. I have never even tried one, but I've found several I'd like to. that way I dont have to kill them haha
I've tried. Not for bonsai but just to replant for people. I used a tree spade too. They tend to have tap roots going down into the earth as far as the trunk goes into the air.
There are other things out there though.
Stray firs,spruced and eastern white pine. I took a picture of this one. I'm even thinking about collecting it to sell. It's jyst starting to bark up. The tree is around 3 feet tall with a 5 inch diameter trunk.20170910_095218.jpg 20170910_095225.jpg
 

Bonsai Nut

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Stray firs,spruced and eastern white pine. I took a picture of this one. I'm even thinking about collecting it to sell. It's jyst starting to bark up. The tree is around 3 feet tall with a 5 inch diameter trunk

Man, I love five needle pines. Still on the hunt for one I can keep alive here in Southern California. This year I started two new experiments - one bristlecone and one sugar pine. Neither could take the direct summer sun, but they are doing pretty well under shade cloth. I am planning on moving them back into full sun as soon as the sun weakens - perhaps October.
 

M. Frary

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bristlecone
I had one.
The cold killed it.
Who knew they couldn't handle 35 below. But if I ever see another that's worthy I'll be trying again.
I would really like a Japanese white pine but I'm pretty sure it wouldn't make it either.
So maybe a huge ass EWP will take it's place. And this tree has backbudded. You can see young branches down low.
 

Waltron

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I love Ewp. Collected this one in 2014 as basically a seedling, put it in the ground and it really took off. Did heavy reduction this year, back buds all over, they seem to do it on their own though. IMG_3539.JPG Think I trenched half the roots about a year ago can't remember which side lol. I was thinking of making it a yardsai, but it's starting to bark up and I found this really giant pot I like so I'll dig it up in a year or two. I have another small one as well that I love.

I guess it's up to me to figure out the northern oak haha. My problem is timing, but hey maybeIt's not and I'm over thinking it. I just don't get up there in the exact proper time which I think is best. 3 successful oak collections down state this year I will add though.
 

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Waltron

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Man, I love five needle pines. Still on the hunt for one I can keep alive here in Southern California. This year I started two new experiments - one bristlecone and one sugar pine. Neither could take the direct summer sun, but they are doing pretty well under shade cloth. I am planning on moving them back into full sun as soon as the sun weakens - perhaps October.

I was just in Nor Cal about a week ago. There is a pine that grows there that looks basically just like an EWP. also another pine that grows amongst the redwood/sequoia forests. saw them both in a big park near oakland. I have a photo somewhere but its not very close up, you prob know the ones im talking about anyway
 

Bonsai Nut

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I was just in Nor Cal about a week ago. There is a pine that grows there that looks basically just like an EWP. also another pine that grows amongst the redwood/sequoia forests. saw them both in a big park near oakland. I have a photo somewhere but its not very close up, you prob know the ones im talking about anyway

Probably sugar pine. It's the largest pine in the US, but I have yet to hear of anyone using it for bonsai. Don't know why not.

It grows here in Southern California, but only in the mountains. I have only seen it at 5000' or above. I am hoping that means that it will survive in lower elevations with protection, but the sugar pine I got this spring was badly burned by the sun even on relatively cool days. I had to move it under shade cloth, but it now seems to have stabilized.

With bristlecone, sugar pines are the only five needle pine species I am aware of in California... but there could be others. LOL - I just looked and there are a bunch more; foxtail pine, Torrey pine, western white pine, limber pine, and whitebark pine. Some of these are strictly alpine species (high-altitude, cold-hardy).
 
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GGB

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I've heard sugar pines are extremely fickle about every aspect of everything. I've never tried one here in PA, but it would cool to see what someone experienced could do with one
 

sorce

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I been afraid to look at this thread Cuz I thought Old Wang Flic might a got in an accident.....
You member the Wang flic? Ruperts Duper!:p

Whffeeew!

When I look for trees I use a little fishing strategy.
Look in the high percentage areas.
Just like fish the trees I'm looking for aren't everywhere. You need to put yourself in a good spot

This is frigging excellent!

And another great cross- training application.

This high percentage area phenomenon is present for folks with office jobs too!
Like don't put your lunch in a "high percentage" area of the fridge, and it is less likely to get stolen! :mad:

Bonsai is Everywhere!

I gotta dig up a book on sound design I have....

I'm going back on old mixes and applying the High pass filter to individual tracks while listening to the mix as a whole and achieving that separation I've been seeking for years on this old Yamaha midi sequencer.

That HPF is soooooo like designing an apex.

Just as the trunk is a bass drum, sub trunks the bass, branches the guitar chords, leaves the ride cymbals, conversation branches are guitar solos (real guitar solos, not bitch ass guitar solos!), flowers are chorus noise...etc...

I might continue this as a series of "taking the dog for a walk" threads that have little to do with walking a dog, and more about some other random shit, and Bonsai!

Sorce
 

M. Frary

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You member the Wang flic
He just gets a little excited at times.
I might continue this as a series of "taking the dog for a walk" threads that have little to do with walking a dog, and more about some other random shit, and Bonsai
I've started taking pictures of places and trees and other random things to put in this thread.
I take him for walks every day.
 
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I agree @M. Frary , but you are giving away all the secrets! JK ;) Looks like you have some nice areas there. It took me awhile to realize that finding good Yamadori is mostly about finding the right spots.

It looks like you are finding some nice Jack Pine spots, most of the Jack Pine we have over here on the West side are pretty boring. They seem like one of the first species that re-cultivates an area after fire or clear cut but they bark up really fast. Im still trying to find the areas that they have been growing for 100 years in a battered place.
 

M. Frary

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Im still trying to find the areas that they have been growing for 100 years in a battered place.
Maybe over your way but here they like to keep changing them out for the Kirtlands Warbler.
I'm not even sure they live that long. I've never seen a huge one. The largest ones I've seen were probably 20" in diameter.
There are spots over by Mesick that look like this that have Scots pine.
 
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