gadzooks, man !!!
Yup! probably didn't need to take that many roots.What's in the bags? Skis?
Thanks Matt, very kind words! I found the tree on the left maybe 2 or 3 years ago and visited it twice before actually collecting it earlier this month. I had to mentally pump myself up to actually collect and pack it back to my truck. It was super far and I wanted to make sure I did it the right way.There was a thread on "world class Bonsai" maybe its just me but I think these trees have that potential. Do you mind grabbing me one next time your out? Can you tell us some about the collection? Have you know about the trees or did you just stumble on to them while hunting?
Good observation and question! It's possible that I'll just keep it a taller tree and reduce the roots over a few re-pottings. But, I think I might end up root grafting to significantly shortening this one under the guidance of Boon.How do you intend to make it into a pot with that one on the left if I may ask? It appears that there is a long cobra like part of the trunk between the area where you show it sitting on the pot and the roots? Maybe I'm just seeing it wrong... but really, can you use the whole thing?
No worries, folks! Yenling has died this before! He builds a custom box and lets the trees start to grow new roots. Then reduced the root ball down over a couple years.
Here's an example of another tree he's collected:
View attachment 121834
That's the "Coffin Tree". Knicknamed after its first grow box that was shaped like a coffin. I was there a couple years ago when he broke the coffin up, and I helped reduce the root ball. I think there were 3 of us working on it! He was able to saw off some really heavy roots because of the new roots that grew close to the trunk. Then he put it in this smaller grow box.
I made wooden boxes to fit the root ball, they are not much larger than the root ball itself. I reduced the root ball only very slightly, i'm sure some may have made it smaller than what I did, but I figure for now my number one goal is the health of the tree and i'll worry about making thing look nice in years to come. Thanks!They look a bit small but not bad.
What are the boxes like in the end? Where you able to bend the roots into something shorter or decided to reduce them a bit more or just planted them in ski bags?
Nice to see some roots coming back with them.
I see the bark is lightly peeled too, checking for borers?