Tall Guy
Sapling
I‘ve read a number of posts on how is best to collect deciduous trees. So I just thought I’d share my methods, what works for me. I’ve done bonsai for over 40 years and have collected 100’s of trees, mostly deciduous in the East Tennessee area. I don’t consider myself an expert, but I kinda know what I’m doing. I collect in the early spring, before bud break. I look for interesting trunks and bases of trees, the first 12-15 inches or so. I just dig a stump basically. Limbs, branches, and structure are grown later. You don’t need a lot of roots. Any long or thick ones are cut back at collection, so the tree will fit in a future pot. Some examples are below.
Aftercare... I put collected trees in a large plastic tub, like used for washed dishes, available at Walmart. I use turface 75%, and pine bark fines 25% As my planting medium. I usually put a couple large rocks near the tree to stabilize it In the tub. Then let it grow a couple years to recover and grow roots, before anything else is done. Keep it well watered, morning sun afternoon shade.
By doing all this, I’d guess my success rate has been around 90-95% With many different species. No rocket science involved. I hope this helps.
Aftercare... I put collected trees in a large plastic tub, like used for washed dishes, available at Walmart. I use turface 75%, and pine bark fines 25% As my planting medium. I usually put a couple large rocks near the tree to stabilize it In the tub. Then let it grow a couple years to recover and grow roots, before anything else is done. Keep it well watered, morning sun afternoon shade.
By doing all this, I’d guess my success rate has been around 90-95% With many different species. No rocket science involved. I hope this helps.
