Collected A Few Trees Today

[Waldo Street Pottery]

I came to South GA this week unexpectedly, but at the perfect time for the trees to be popping. I visited my favorite old growth nurserys and pulled some great azaleas and went into the woods and pulled a couple of small stumps and stumbled on something very special.

I pulled this hop hornbeam whose proportions look better in 3D than they do in the pic.


I photo'd this hornbeam from the wrong angle, I'll update sometine.


This Liquid Amber is epic, no two ways about it. I have crossed fingers and high hopes for this tree.


I'll post the azaleas when I have more time, thanks for checking these guys out.

 

[Poink88]

Wow, both look awesome. Great find!

I hope they both make it.

 

[Poink88]

BTW, I can see a promising azalea on the background of the first pic.

 

[Waldo Street Pottery]

Thanks D, I'm going back in this am for round 2 with the sweetgum, its a beast. This time I'm resorting to the Sandev method by taking a come along to get some leverage so I can get under it. There seems to be a major tap root holding it in, it's burning saws-all batteries like crazy.

 

[Zach Smith]

Thanks D, I'm going back in this am for round 2 with the sweetgum, its a beast. This time I'm resorting to the Sandev method by taking a come along to get some leverage so I can get under it. There seems to be a major tap root holding it in, it's burning saws-all batteries like crazy.

You may want to wait on the sweetgum. It's already leafed out, and I've found the survival rate on sweetgums collected this time of year is not that great. If you can, go back in May or June and collect it. Just be sure to defoliate at that time.

Good luck!

Zach

 

[Waldo Street Pottery]

Thanks Zach. They're actually unfolding with some all the way opened, would you still wait?

 

[Poink88]

In my little experience collecting deciduous trees...once the leaves opened, it is too late. You better let it replenish all the spent energy producing those leaves before you dig them. They are totally spent at the moment and have no more reserve for another flush of growth.

If the area is "secure"...you can always wait until next year too, by then you may have better branches also (review your chop now and adjust if need be). What you can do is go back now and cut some of the major roots close to the trunk (make sure it is bonsai length and distributed around the tree) so when you dig next year you have fine feeder roots where you want them.

Good luck!

 

[rockm]

Trees can be collected once in leaf, some are more accepting of the practice than others (elms, in particular). Sweet gum, as Zach said, ISN'T one of them. Once buds move in the spring, they're almost impossble to get out alive.

 

[Zach Smith]

Thanks Zach. They're actually unfolding with some all the way opened, would you still wait?

Yes, definitely with leaves already open. A couple of years ago I was disappointed with my sweetgum survival rate, so I took a page out of the bald cypress collecting handbook and tried in early July. I had much better success. So now my practice is to wait till May to collect sweetgum.

You may need to do some experimentation to learn the best time for this species in your area. I don't know if my experience necessarily translates all over. I'd just hate to see you lose a really nice tree like that one.

Zach

 

[Poink88]

IF you follow Zach's advise...note that he is probably into spring now (or possibly even a month ago?) Do factor the timing difference. His May equivalent in your area could be July.

Personally, I would wait for next season as the buds start to swell.

Good luck!

 

[Zach Smith]

IF you follow Zach's advise...note that he is probably into spring now (or possibly even a month ago?) Do factor the timing difference. His May equivalent in your area could be July.

Personally, I would wait for next season as the buds start to swell.

Good luck!

We had some warm weather a few weeks ago which caused some budding, the Chinese elms came out along with one bald cypress, then we got a cold snap so leaf-out has been stunted a bit. We're warming a bit again, so I think spring will have finally sprung in a couple weeks.

Zach

 

[Waldo Street Pottery]

Update Fall '14

Here's a couple of bad pics to update the thread... The Sweetgum didn't make it and one of the Hornbeams from this lot suffered the winter last year. Of these, I'm left with an American Hornbeam and a Hop Hornbeam, seen below happily growing on tiles in the ground.

 

[dkraft81]

I love the flare on the base. Great looking stock.