Although I'm a good bit south of you, I'll begin collecting stuff from late summer through spring. Always have had good survival rate........about 90per cent survival so far. As you said, aftercare is the ticket. If the plants you've seen are going to be destroyed anyway, go for it.
Same here. For just that reason.
If you collect deciduous species in fall with this qualifier, do you have any evidence that collecting more root produces a better survival rate? I haven't seen it. With the assumed reduction of the aboveground part of the tree in balance with chopping off most of the roots, trees have in my experience responded very well with surprisingly little root. Food is not stored exclusively in the root zone during winter; this is one of the arguments I hear for collecting lots of roots.
I’ve noticed that you have lots of experience with collecting our native trees in the south. Do you find spring and fall to be equally good times to collect deciduous trees such as oak? Should we wait till the leaves have fallen and tree is dormant in either case? Any advise is greatly appreciated!
This is a 2 year old thread. However, Harry Harrington has a recent article in Bonsai Focus magazine about Autumn collecting. He says the success rate is higher, but you need to be able to protect the tree from frosts. In Autumn most trees are going into their biggest phase of root growth. Also, as temperatures go down the tree needs less water. When you collect in spring the tree has to grow new roots and put out foliage at the same time. Also, temperatures are rising and leaves are opening, so the tree starts to need more and more water soon after you've reduced its roots. It helps if the tree still has leaves when you collect in Autumn. This produces hormones that trigger root growth. Walter Pall and the book Modern Bonsai Practices also recommend collecting and repotting in Autumn. This idea is still new and controversial.
Yep.
Thanks for the reply! So you’re saying it’s also beneficial to keep as much foliage as possible during autumn collection?
No, I wouldn't say collecting in spring and fall are equally advantageous. I have done both, but unless there's a compelling reason I stick with a season of January 1 through March 31 for the bulk of the work. Sweetgum is collected after first flush, April through June works really well and better than in dormancy. You can lift Chinese elms after they come out, just defoliate. I've had worse luck with them in the dead of winter or prior to budding. Oaks can be collected later in the year, into summer, but not too late. Also defoliate (this is true for all deciduous when in leaf).
Yes, I saved an 80 plus year old rose bush but I made sure the soil never got colder than 40 degrees.
