another bushy Eastern Red Cedar

[Joe Dupre']

I dug this one yesterday on one of my favorite stretches of roadside. The road crews had scalped it, so I cleaned it up early last summer. I dug it yesterday with a really nice, compact root ball. It was very healthy and full. Today I thinned it out considerably by taking out several branches in the wrong places and growth coming out of the crotches. It could use a bit more taper, but it's pretty good just coming out of the ground. I massaged the branches down to a more horizontal angle. Two or three days of doing that usually gets them to assume the new shape. A bit of wire and clip and grow takes care of the rest.

 

[Shogun610]

Nice !! I’ve worked on several collected eastern red cedar. The big thing with them is peeling away that bark to prevent pests. I see short thick white old bark ones every day driving home ..... I just need to shoot my shot and ask a land owner permission to dig one.

 

[Joe Dupre']

I'll have to try that bark peeling. I've never seen any pests on mine, but it pays to be cautious.

 

[Shogun610]

I'll have to try that bark peeling. I've never seen any pests on mine, but it pays to be cautious.

Yeah peel it away carefully and or wire brush after growing season .. you’ll expose that beautiful wood underneath.

 

[Shogun610]

Slow down man , I know it can be exciting finding a new hobby , but if you want longevity and not quit with frustration you gotta be patient , spring time up in NY is best what’s your USDA zone ? March would be best , but will likely frost so if you dig it up , you need to keep as much soil along the root ball and place it in pumice , if you do you need to protect from frost so roots won’t freeze. Check out some collecting threads on here and YouTube this place is a treasure trove of knowledge

It’s the month of August in New York I found a couple of Eastern red Cedar’s in the woods I’m wondering if I can dig it up now or do I have to wait another month? Plus I’m wondering if when I dig it up can I do a root reduction now and put it into a bonsai pot, or do I have to keep the roots and put it in a regular big pot for a year before reducing it down to bonsai? Thanks

 

[Paradox]

It’s the month of August in New York I found a couple of Eastern red Cedar’s in the woods I’m wondering if I can dig it up now or do I have to wait another month? Plus I’m wondering if when I dig it up can I do a root reduction now and put it into a bonsai pot, or do I have to keep the roots and put it in a regular big pot for a year before reducing it down to bonsai? Thanks
to wait another month? Plus I’m wondering if when I dig it up can I do a root reduction now and put it into a bonsai pot, or do I have to keep the roots and put it in a regular big pot for a year before reducing it down to bonsai? Thanks

Now is not a good time to collect a ERC in NY.

Its generally not a good idea to take a tree straight out of the ground and into a bonsai pot because typically that requires a huge reduction in roots to get it to fit. We usually use a larger transition pot or two and reduce the roots over a number of years to a bonsai pot. You should probably wait a minimum of 2 years to repot it again after collection so that it has a chance to recover from the initial shock of being taken out of the ground and another year to get strong before you repot it again.

So collect in Spring 2022 >>> Let recover all of 2022 and get strong in 2023>>>> repot in spring 2024 IF the tree recovered well and grew strongly the year before. If it didnt, then you wait some more until it is strong enough.

 

[sorce]

do a root reduction now and put it into a bonsai pot

I don't believe in "root reduction" at all when it comes to digging junipers.
I believe you will either be able to collect it successfully with all, or many of it's roots, or not collect it successfully.

If yours is an environment where you can collect a lot of roots. You will be successful.
If not, you will fail. Regardless of "season".

ERC are like useless stuff you shouldn't buy off Amazon. Like Job openings. Like Moron SJW's. Like Afghans around an airport. Like Lies from the news. Like dumbass pronouns. Like Littered masks in the streets. Like soil mix suggestions.

Abundant.

Go friggin dig one!

Sorce

 

[Joe Dupre']

"Like lies from the news......" Sorce, surely you jest!!!!!

 

[Joe Dupre']

A little update. Here we are 6 months later. I kept chasing the foliage back bit by bit as it gained momentum. That "feel" is something that I've acquired and helps me be successful with ERC. Let it grow a "bit" , and then pinch and prune to promote backbudding. It's still got a LOOOONNNNNGGG way to go, but it's taken on the proportions of a miniature tree. I don't normally use a lot of wire, but I needed it to get the first inch or two moving in the right direction. Not a pretty wiring job, but it won't be on long. As the branches backbud more, I'll prune back to side branch to get taper and movement. About 80% organics seems to work just fine.

 

[HoneyHornet]

Me likey

 

[MrFancyPlants]

You know I’m team “Yeah!”

Looking good so far.

 

[HoneyHornet]

A little update. Here we are 6 months later. I kept chasing the foliage back bit by bit as it gained momentum. That "feel" is something that I've acquired and helps me be successful with ERC. Let it grow a "bit" , and then pinch and prune to promote backbudding. It's still got a LOOOONNNNNGGG way to go, but it's taken on the proportions of a miniature tree. I don't normally use a lot of wire, but I needed it to get the first inch or two moving in the right direction. Not a pretty wiring job, but it won't be on long. As the branches backbud more, I'll prune back to side branch to get taper and movement. About 80% organics seems to work just fine.

View attachment 396989

Great job identifying an apex..trying to find it in your first redux pic but maybe foliage is blocking..either way great positioning

 

[Joe Dupre']

Great job identifying an apex..trying to find it in your first redux pic but maybe foliage is blocking..either way great positioning

If I remember, I wired up a back branch for the new apex.

 

[Crazy Diamond]

Are you going to maintain it with juvenile foliage?

 

[Joe Dupre']

I've not found a way to stop juvenile foliage. It's something I just accept as part of the package. It really doesn't bother me, though. I've said before, I like ERC because it's the only evergreen conifer we have in bayou country. We have no pines or other junipers. Someone suggested grafting on shimpaku foliage but that would defeat my purpose of raising a native tree.

 

[Crazy Diamond]

Yes I dont mind them also, I like needle junipers