Berberis Yamadori

digger714

Shohin
Messages
367
Reaction score
7
Location
Mooresville, NC - USA
USDA Zone
7B
Hello all. I have a friend that said i could have her barberry shrubs in her front yard. There are 4 that are between 6" & 7" wide, and only 18" tall or so. The trunks are just awesome, and very compact branches where she pruned back every year with cutters, no electric trimmers. She doesnt do bonsai, but looks like they were trained that way. They are growing in the ground, and i am planning on digging this week. . Are there any pointers anyone could give me, or has anyone had any luck with these? They are around 15 years old. berberis thunbergiana species. THanks in advance.
 

Kirk

Mame
Messages
181
Reaction score
17
Location
Atlanta
USDA Zone
8a
Along with your usual collecting gear, include leather gloves and a unit of blood. :) Thorns. Lots of thorns.

Kirk
 

digger714

Shohin
Messages
367
Reaction score
7
Location
Mooresville, NC - USA
USDA Zone
7B
finally got some pics of them today. Im going tomorrow to get at least one, maybe two. They are kind of hard to see from these pics, but they look better than these pics show. I think they are beautiful trees. Any suggestions on how much to dig outside of the trunk, and depth? I was thinking i would cut around it with a reciprocating saw straight in the ground, then lift with a shovel, and cut any roots under the trees. Sound right? Thanks for any advice?

Ps... I got the gloves. Steel plated, lol
 

Attachments

  • dscn2493.jpg
    dscn2493.jpg
    223 KB · Views: 107
  • dscn2487.jpg
    dscn2487.jpg
    210.9 KB · Views: 116
  • dscn2491.jpg
    dscn2491.jpg
    215.7 KB · Views: 111
  • dscn2492.jpg
    dscn2492.jpg
    213.8 KB · Views: 102
Last edited:

digger714

Shohin
Messages
367
Reaction score
7
Location
Mooresville, NC - USA
USDA Zone
7B
Nice tree Jason. Ive always had these in my landscape, and since starting bonsai, ive wanted to do one. They are awesome trees. I ve read your post several times. It made me chop back one of mine in the yard to see what was under there. Thanks again.
 

Jason

Chumono
Messages
502
Reaction score
148
Location
Western Oregon
USDA Zone
8
finally got some pics of them today. Im going tomorrow to get at least one, maybe two. They are kind of hard to see from these pics, but they look better than these pics show. I think they are beautiful trees. Any suggestions on how much to dig outside of the trunk, and depth? I was thinking i would cut around it with a reciprocating saw straight in the ground, then lift with a shovel, and cut any roots under the trees. Sound right? Thanks for any advice?

Ps... I got the gloves. Steel plated, lol

The one's I've dug up (we're talking n=about 5) have had very shallow root systems. I'm not sure you'll need the saw. A spade and your suit of armor out to be enough. The roots probably extend out to about the same diameter as the canopy.
 

digger714

Shohin
Messages
367
Reaction score
7
Location
Mooresville, NC - USA
USDA Zone
7B
Well, i got two of them last night. Three more to go. I wasnt prepared to get all 5 at once, but i should get the rest tomorrow if not raining too hard. You were right Jason, I just needed a shovel. Here are some pics of them in large plastic containers, with holes in the bottom. Where should i start cutting these back do ya think, or should i wait a year? I really like the trunks on them. They are very gnarley, lol. The first three are of one that is 5" at the base, and 22" high right now, and the last two are of one that is 6" at the base, and 36" right now. Thanks to all for the help getting them. The larger limbs dont have barbs, only at the ends of the smallest branches. It didnt poke me one time getting these. I think the younger plants have many more barbs.
 

Attachments

  • DSCN2500.jpg
    DSCN2500.jpg
    208.6 KB · Views: 63
  • DSCN2498.jpg
    DSCN2498.jpg
    186.6 KB · Views: 52
  • DSCN2499.jpg
    DSCN2499.jpg
    201.5 KB · Views: 47
  • DSCN2501.jpg
    DSCN2501.jpg
    207 KB · Views: 49
  • DSCN2502.jpg
    DSCN2502.jpg
    205 KB · Views: 46
Last edited:

Jason

Chumono
Messages
502
Reaction score
148
Location
Western Oregon
USDA Zone
8
Wow! You have some beautiful material here. The first one has nice nebari and movement. The second one seems like it might be more of a challenge. I'd pick your main leader and give them at least a little haircut. Anything that seems out of synch with your final goal can go. I tend to be a bit more conservative when collecting and wouldn't do anything real drastic until your sure they have a good root structure under them. Reduction is easy...growth takes years! Good work!! (Oh... and I'm glad your weren't mortally wounded....maybe we overplayed this a bit)
 

Jason

Chumono
Messages
502
Reaction score
148
Location
Western Oregon
USDA Zone
8
In other words...the first one won't need much help. Nature has done most of the work for you. Don't get crazy. the second one needs help and may need some substantial reduction and re-growth (main leader could be middle or possibly left trunk if drastically cut back). Have fun!
 

davetree

Omono
Messages
1,556
Reaction score
848
Location
St. Paul Minnesota
USDA Zone
4
I think if you let them grow freely this year you can really reduce them next spring. I really like your first tree, looks easy to style. The second I would be tempted to make into a very short wide shohin tree by cutting off everything and regrowing all the branches from scratch. (no pun intended)
 
Messages
730
Reaction score
170
Location
Kentucky, USA
nice, i really like the first one. i just dug one up yesterday that i'll probably post. seems that even the old ones aren't too difficult to collect.
 

digger714

Shohin
Messages
367
Reaction score
7
Location
Mooresville, NC - USA
USDA Zone
7B
Well, i got the other three today. I wanted to get some pics on here so you could see them. There is one pic of the first one, and two pics each of the other two. There were hardly any roots that i didnt get when digging these. Should i still wait until next year to do any drastic pruning? Any ideas will be welcome. My next post ill put one picture of each one on the screen. Thanks again for the help. These are awesome.
 

Attachments

  • DSCN2504.jpg
    DSCN2504.jpg
    201.1 KB · Views: 44
  • DSCN2506.jpg
    DSCN2506.jpg
    207.7 KB · Views: 44
  • DSCN2507.jpg
    DSCN2507.jpg
    213.9 KB · Views: 36
  • DSCN2508.jpg
    DSCN2508.jpg
    209.2 KB · Views: 35
  • DSCN2509.jpg
    DSCN2509.jpg
    215.1 KB · Views: 39
Last edited:

digger714

Shohin
Messages
367
Reaction score
7
Location
Mooresville, NC - USA
USDA Zone
7B
These are big trees. Probably 50-60 lbs a piece. Anyway here is a picture of each one. If anyone wants other angles, please let me know. It looks like #3 is going to be in the cascade style? Any other ideas would be appreciated. #5 maybe a clump?
 

Attachments

  • DSCN2512.jpg
    DSCN2512.jpg
    212 KB · Views: 30
  • DSCN2514.jpg
    DSCN2514.jpg
    201.8 KB · Views: 30
  • DSCN2518.jpg
    DSCN2518.jpg
    210.1 KB · Views: 31
  • DSCN2520.jpg
    DSCN2520.jpg
    212 KB · Views: 26
  • DSCN2521.jpg
    DSCN2521.jpg
    215.9 KB · Views: 27
Last edited:

Jason

Chumono
Messages
502
Reaction score
148
Location
Western Oregon
USDA Zone
8
Well, i got the other three today. I wanted to get some pics on here so you could see them. There is one pic of the first one, and two pics each of the other two. There were hardly any roots that i didnt get when digging these. Should i still wait until next year to do any drastic pruning? Any ideas will be welcome. My next post ill put one picture of each one on the screen. Thanks again for the help. These are awesome.

I would prune them and remove anything your absolutely sure you won't use in the final design. After that you can give then a year or two to recover while you ponder. I removed about half (maybe more) of the branching and foliage from the one I collected and I can tell you it hasn't skipped a beat. They're tough trees.
 
Top Bottom