Collecting from the wild

[Rusty Hills Farm]

I've a small farm in northwestern Alabama. About a third of it is heavily treed. Checking fence lines today I discovered a great little juniper about 3 feet tall with a beautiful thick trunk and nice taper. However it's sitting right against an electric fence and will have to be removed before it interferes. I think it would make a great little bonsai but I have never "collected" a specimen from the wild and haven't a clue how. Can you nice folks point me to a good how-to source--on here, online, book, whatever? All help greatly appreciated!



Thank you,

Rusty

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

I don't know where they're at, but there have been some extensive reports on how people collected trees.
First things first: be in the right season. It seems that for junipers, this usually is early spring.

In a nutshell, and basically with some plant knowledge, this is really all you need to know:
Collecting is about keeping as much foliage as possible and keeping the rootball intact. Don't let the tree dry out in the sun, take it home with as little disturbance as possible. Then get it into a good (wooden) grow box and fill it up with good bonsai soil. I made a few boxes on the fly, but honestly it's better to go out and scout your tree, check how the root spread is and make a fitting box before you start digging. Larger is better sometimes, smaller is more handy and easier to control. Once you've got it in the pot, it's about providing the right after care. This right after care can take two to four years.
Some people swear by cleaning out the rootball in one go, others give it a few years in a pot before removing the old (field) soil. I've had mixed results with both in pines, as well as junipers. I depends on how the soil is and how it acts next to the bonsai soil. Sandy soils for instance, easily wash out and are almost automatically replaced by sinking bonsai soil. More loamy soils can hold way too much water. It depends..
Some people swear by misting their trees after collection, I don't. Nature holds a lot of pathogens, and I'm not going to give them the advantage on a weak tree by misting. Others might think that getting the tree healthy first is better, because a healthy tree rejects pathogens on its own. I can support both arguments! But not misting is easier ;-)
I'm a fan of supplemental sugars, others think that's a bad idea. I feel comfortable saying I did over 450.000 plant transfers onto carbohydrate rich media, and all of them made it. But that was in a laboratory, not in a pot.
See? There's various approaches and they're all right from a certain point of view.

It all comes down to the fact that it's basically a very, very, very rude/crude repotting. It can take a few months before the damage shows, and knowing what you're doing is the key to success. If the specimen in question is really worth collecting, then give a few non-worthy trees a try first. This'll give you a bucket load of experience. Knowing what type of tree you're collecting and how others have collected the same type can also learn you a great deal.

 

[bonsaichile]

Not all trees can be collected. Only a small percentage will survive. The key is to determine how are the roots growing. Dig a little at the base of thr tree. If you only see long tap roots going deep into the ground, then no matter what you do, it will die if uprooted. the key is to get as many fine (feeder) roots close to the trunk as possible. they tend to be at the end of thicker roots. You will inevitably need to cut some roots to get it out of the ground. If you don't keep enough fine roots, the tree will die. So evaluate whethet ot not this tree can be dug out. If it can, you should do it in the spring, to maximize the timeframe in which the tree can regrow an efficient root system. Some people have collected in the fall. I have never done so, so I cannot vouch for it. Once the tree is out, aftercare is critical. Wrap the rootball in wet sphagnum moss, and wrap all that in a dark plastic bag. Seal it well with duck tape anf take the tree home as soon as you can. Keep as much dirt as you can in the roots and take some with you. Once home, build a box barely big enough to contain the root ball, anchor your tree to it with wire so it doesnt move, and plant it in pure pumice, mixing it with some of te original soil. Keep as much as the dirt in the roots as possible. Water it until the runoff is clear, wetting the foliage as well. Then, 20 min later, water it again. Place the tree in dappled shade and water it every day or as needed. Mist te foliage several times a day. Remember that you will not know if you successfully collected a tree until it has grown strongly for at least 2 seasons. Only after 2 years of strong growth you can do some initial styling. Good luck!

 

[BrianBay9]

There is a Forum here called "Collecting and Importing" with over 500 threads in it. You should search there for juniper collecting, or just browse. You'll find lots of good info.

 

[M. Frary]

Only a small percentage will survive.

True words have never been spoken.
If I get a 50% survival rate I'm kicking ass.
I don't know if this is true for others but for me it is.

 

[bonsaiDerek]

I don't know where they're at, but there have been some extensive reports on how people collected trees.
First things first: be in the right season. It seems that for junipers, this usually is early spring.

In a nutshell, and basically with some plant knowledge, this is really all you need to know:
Collecting is about keeping as much foliage as possible and keeping the rootball intact. Don't let the tree dry out in the sun, take it home with as little disturbance as possible. Then get it into a good (wooden) grow box and fill it up with good bonsai soil. I made a few boxes on the fly, but honestly it's better to go out and scout your tree, check how the root spread is and make a fitting box before you start digging. Larger is better sometimes, smaller is more handy and easier to control. Once you've got it in the pot, it's about providing the right after care. This right after care can take two to four years.
Some people swear by cleaning out the rootball in one go, others give it a few years in a pot before removing the old (field) soil. I've had mixed results with both in pines, as well as junipers. I depends on how the soil is and how it acts next to the bonsai soil. Sandy soils for instance, easily wash out and are almost automatically replaced by sinking bonsai soil. More loamy soils can hold way too much water. It depends..
Some people swear by misting their trees after collection, I don't. Nature holds a lot of pathogens, and I'm not going to give them the advantage on a weak tree by misting. Others might think that getting the tree healthy first is better, because a healthy tree rejects pathogens on its own. I can support both arguments! But not misting is easier ;-)
I'm a fan of supplemental sugars, others think that's a bad idea. I feel comfortable saying I did over 450.000 plant transfers onto carbohydrate rich media, and all of them made it. But that was in a laboratory, not in a pot.
See? There's various approaches and they're all right from a certain point of view.

It all comes down to the fact that it's basically a very, very, very rude/crude repotting. It can take a few months before the damage shows, and knowing what you're doing is the key to success. If the specimen in question is really worth collecting, then give a few non-worthy trees a try first. This'll give you a bucket load of experience. Knowing what type of tree you're collecting and how others have collected the same type can also learn you a great deal.

What do u mean by supplemental sugars?

 

[Rid]

I've a small farm in northwestern Alabama. About a third of it is heavily treed. Checking fence lines today I discovered a great little juniper about 3 feet tall with a beautiful thick trunk and nice taper. However it's sitting right against an electric fence and will have to be removed before it interferes. I think it would make a great little bonsai but I have never "collected" a specimen from the wild and haven't a clue how. Can you nice folks point me to a good how-to source--on here, online, book, whatever? All help greatly appreciated!



Thank you,

Rusty

If it’s juniperius Virginiana, search the forum for posts about that too. It’s a local celebrity

 

[bonsaichile]

What do u mean by supplemental sugars?

Supplemental sugars are nonsense. They are not in a form the tree can use; they will only attract insects and vermin

 

[Rusty Hills Farm]

True words have never been spoken.
If I get a 50% survival rate I'm kicking ass.
I don't know if this is true for others but for me it is.

This is why I am so hesitant. I've never collected anything before. It's such a beautiful little tree that I'm actually thinking about moving the fence rather than risk killing it.

Rusty

 

[M. Frary]

This is why I am so hesitant. I've never collected anything before. It's such a beautiful little tree that I'm actually thinking about moving the fence rather than risk killing it.

Rusty

I would either dig it at the appropriate time or if it's going to interfere with fence if you cant I,myself would cut it down.
They make trees every day.
It will be less work in the long run.