Can you shape bonsai in the woods?

[Njyamadori]

So I live near the pine barrens and also a very moist part with high bush blueberrys . My question is that can I cut off branches in the woods to turn into future bonsai other than collecting it because I don’t have any containers to put them in at the moment?

 

[Cmd5235]

The short answer is yes, to a degree. If you’ve selected a small tree, you can mark if for later collection and use this time to work on the trunk development. Branches can be worked on later, but trunk development crawls in a pot.

 

[sorce]

The short answer is of course.

Though these fellers talk about some things dying when you hack em back.

If your actions are not worse than nature's worst damage, they should be fine.

But you are left with the conundrum of, what if doesn't collect well.

Be more confident working thing that you know will collect safely. Pines, of they're in a rock pocket with a tiny little bonsai root mass, work em, maybe stabilize em to preserve your work.

On the other extreme, if it goes straight into granite that won't move until the earth's crust shifts, your efforts will be useless...well, if you don't kill em it's good knowledge and you're young enough to see that crust shift I reckon.

Speaking of crusts shifting...

I was watching a dude who had Rona talk about how he doesn't have his sense of smell back...

What if that Rona is to take away our sense of smell so when Yellowstone starts gassing we don't panic and just die peacefully?

#scratchandsniffstickersarenomore

Sorce

 

[Shibui]

I frequently do trunk chops on wild trees. The cuts will heal up better while the trees are still in the ground. Replacement growth is also faster so you can get a replacement leader thickening up to make better taper.
I have not had success growing branches on trees still in the ground. Replacement growth is generally long with long internodes so ramification will be poor.

By all means chop and prune to improve the trunks but save the final phases for when they are in a pot and you can control growth and direction better.

 

[leatherback]

When you do chop in the forest, keep in mind that trees need sun. Chopping trees that are competing with the surrounding trees for light, might result in them nog getting direct light anymore, giving lanky regrowth..

 

[Woocash]

Also, in Britain at least, new growth is often picked off by deer and rabbits. I chopped maybe ten hawthorn back last year ready for future collection and 4 were nibbled. They survived, but the top died back further than I’d have liked.

 

[SeanS]

Only if there is no one else around to hear the sound

 

[penumbra]

Sure you can, best if you own the property or have pretty good control of activities on the property. Notwithstanding deer of course.
It is actually a very good idea and probably most bonsai people with land have done so.
There is absolutely no guarantee you will be able to later harvest the plants.

 

[Njyamadori]

Only if there is no one else around to hear the sound

What do you mean ?

 

[penumbra]

What do you mean ?

Its a joke man. A play on an old Zen Koan.

 

[Njyamadori]

Its a joke man. A play on an old Zen Koan.

Oh yeah I don’t know what that is . I actually thought you didn’t want people to hear the sound lol

 

[leatherback]

I don’t know what that is
Something like If a tree falls in the forest and there is no-one to hear it. Does it make a sound?

 

[Igor. T. Ljubek]

Whenever i let trunk chopped tree in the woods, deer would most likely eat all new shots/leaves that appears. And they do it twice or three times per growing season. These animals focus only on my trees, even though there are hundreds of other trees around. I guess deer just hate bonsai trees. I've lost several trees in a nearby forest just because of deer. Lesson learned. Now i always trunk chop and collect on a same day or collect one/two days later.
Anyway, if a wood is not too dark, if there are no deer and rabbits around, you can safely cut off some branches. If you cut off too much or you are planning to do a trunk chop be aware that you might weaken some trees that way. It's safer to cut off branches AND slightly trim around roots.

 

[Njyamadori]

Whenever i let trunk chopped tree in the woods, deer would most likely eat all new shots/leaves that appears. And they do it twice or three times per growing season. These animals focus only on my trees, even though there are hundreds of other trees around. I guess deer just hate bonsai trees. I've lost several trees in a nearby forest just because of deer. Lesson learned. Now i always trunk chop and collect on a same day or collect one/two days later.
Anyway, if a wood is not too dark, if there are no deer and rabbits around, you can safely cut off some branches. If you cut off too much or you are planning to do a trunk chop be aware that you might weaken some trees that way. It's safer to cut off branches AND slightly trim around roots.

Ok something to be aware of. I’m guessing I can do cutting of trees I may want and take the trees I definitely want . There are deer In the area I collect so I don’t want them to eat my trees . Especially I’m doing this to highbush blue berry

 

[Njyamadori]

I styled a few pitch pine in the woods that look amazing and went back to the ones that I did in fall last year and still doing good . When can I collect these or how long should I wait ?

 

[penumbra]

If it wasn't pouring down rain I would be tempted to go out and do this today.

 

[HorseloverFat]

My favorite Koan is along the lines of.

“What did the representation of your ‘face’ look like before you were born?”

 

[penumbra]

My favorite Koan is along the lines of.

“What did the representation of your ‘face’ look like before you were born?”

That is a good one. I think I heard it years ago without the word "representation". This word denotes a western origin. I believe in its original Asian context the word was not used. I think it was simply, "What did your face look like before you were born?"
Either way it is an excellent Koan that can stop the brain in its tracks.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Highbush blueberry respond well to pruning and collecting all on the same day. Collection time is good from right after fruit harvest through autumn, winter collection is good, and they can be collected through early spring up until flower buds open. Best times are probably early spring, and Sept 1 thru Sept 30. ( For New Jersey). But blueberries can be collected pretty much anytime. I avoid periods where new shoots are tender.

 

[HorseloverFat]

Thank you!!.. actually the “representation” part is the one portion/idea/notion that I was unsure of, even in my “loosely quoted memory”

It makes sense that it never was supposed to be there, in the first place.