Digging up Saskatoon…worth it or leave it.

BuffaloinAB

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Hi guys!
New here, and new to the bonsai world.
If theres any Alberta (Edmonton-west area) peeps on here let me know!


I have this old ugly chopped off saskatoon in my back yard that i kinda would like to experiment with.. mostly for learning to digging up trees and keeping it alive for now lol.
Over all its a very borring trunk line and is suckering like crazy. I dont know much about saskatoons but ive observed it over the last year and it still leaves out and produced a few berries on the suckers, cool thing about this is thats the previous owners have a note in my kitchen cupboard when these trees were planted.

Anyways back to the point, worth messing with or keep it in the ground with its friends. and learn how to air layer. Or just take cutting instead?

Could i maaaybe trim out that 2 inch stem in the front from the main root base (if possible) Or will that kill it?
 

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HorseloverFat

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Hi guys!
New here, and new to the bonsai world.
If theres any Alberta (Edmonton-west area) peeps on here let me know!


I have this old ugly chopped off saskatoon in my back yard that i kinda would like to experiment with.. mostly for learning to digging up trees and keeping it alive for now lol.
Over all its a very borring trunk line and is suckering like crazy. I dont know much about saskatoons but ive observed it over the last year and it still leaves out and produced a few berries on the suckers, cool thing about this is thats the previous owners have a note in my kitchen cupboard when these trees were planted.

Anyways back to the point, worth messing with or keep it in the ground with its friends. and learn how to air layer. Or just take cutting instead?

Could i maaaybe trim out that 2 inch stem in the front from the main root base (if possible) Or will that kill it?

I like these trees, because they remind of Elaeagnus, and I believe are in the same family.

I see them here occasionally, and have tried to collect two (as a newer enthusiast, poorly), and failed. I believe they are totally worth it.

If they behave at all like their cousins, back-budding is no problem, just seal wounds.

Make sure you get a good amount of fine roots when collecting, and protect recently collected specimens from frost/freeze.
 

BuffaloinAB

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I like these trees, because they remind of Elaeagnus, and I believe are in the same family.

I see them here occasionally, and have tried to collect two (as a newer enthusiast, poorly), and failed. I believe they are totally worth it.

If they behave at all like their cousins, back-budding is no problem, just seal wounds.

Make sure you get a good amount of fine roots when collecting, and protect recently collected specimens from frost/freeze.
Thank you!
and great info, once spring finally comes here i will dig and see if fine roots are achievable :)
 

nuttiest

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I would dig it! :) If you don't get to it and it is later spring, You could also dig a little soil and water it down to keeps soil from blades and chaiinsaw straight across to start a forest ring you collect later. You can start rotting the fairy ring center with mild acids and bone meal.
You can prune big roots now, and leave pulling till next year.
 

HorseloverFat

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Hahaha!!!

I JUST pronounced your name correctly OP! (The "in" is NOT a separate word like I thought!)..I love it!

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Respect
 

BuffaloinAB

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I would dig it! :) If you don't get to it and it is later spring, You could also dig a little soil and water it down to keeps soil from blades and chaiinsaw straight across to start a forest ring you collect later. You can start rotting the fairy ring center with mild acids and bone meal.
You can prune big roots now, and leave pulling till next year.
Ok that was quite a bit to think about for this newbie!! I appriciate the feed back! NOW, i think i understand but added a picture to make sur thats it what you ment and i get it right.. so dig around the stump as in red, then chop it all right down to ground give or take few inches yellow line .. and use acid and blood meal ( where do i find this/ brands please or thread on the forum on this? ) on the big fat stumps crossed out in blue… then hopefully get it out of ground when ready to do so and let the new shoots grow that then can be used with the final design in mind being as a clump planting( see attachedquick search google picture) set up many year down the road kinda idea?
 

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HorseloverFat

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Hmmm ..

Given the nature of these trees that I have observed in the wilderness..

How sure are you that those "x" trunks are alive?

If they were pruned, LIVING... during above freezing temps, you'd see some budding, or response.

Did YOU make these prunes?

Just attempting to alleviate some potential future heartache, Loin-Ranger.
 

HorseloverFat

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Where do all those "suckers" start?

Can we get some closer shots, 'round the trunks?
 

BuffaloinAB

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Im guessing its alive the “suckers all had leaves that looked correct to species, and the few it produced berries tasted like Saskatoon's (and i didn't die from eating them ) lol

I did not cut it down. It came with the property and It looked like that when i moved into this place last winter, so i have no idea when or why they chopped it the way they did.

Ive tried to dig down snow more but still to iced up/ frozen. To really tell. But ive attached what i can see

The non snowed in trunk is also a saskatoon and im thinking to attempt an air layer on its far left branch..
 

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nuttiest

Omono
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Ok that was quite a bit to think about for this newbie!! I appriciate the feed back! NOW, i think i understand but added a picture to make sur thats it what you ment and i get it right.. so dig around the stump as in red, then chop it all right down to ground give or take few inches yellow line .. and use acid and blood meal ( where do i find this/ brands please or thread on the forum on this? ) on the big fat stumps crossed out in blue… then hopefully get it out of ground when ready to do so and let the new shoots grow that then can be used with the final design in mind being as a clump planting( see attachedquick search google picture) set up many year down the road kinda idea?
Yeah exactly but maybe way more modest end goal.
 

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Hmmm, i don't know maybe look up raft with deadwood or hollow stump bonsai. I know i saw fairy ring but no real images.
Fertilizer and vinegar or peroxide acids just a way to rot stumps sooner.
 

HorseloverFat

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Im guessing its alive the “suckers all had leaves that looked correct to species, and the few it produced berries tasted like Saskatoon's (and i didn't die from eating them ) lol

I did not cut it down. It came with the property and It looked like that when i moved into this place last winter, so i have no idea when or why they chopped it the way they did.

Ive tried to dig down snow more but still to iced up/ frozen. To really tell. But ive attached what i can see

The non snowed in trunk is also a saskatoon and im thinking to attempt an air layer on its far left branch..
Oh yeah.. I see it, for sure.

Just wanted to make sure everything was on the "up" and we were being realistic.

...

I made a similar mistake, and now how three big dead trunks that follow my Lonicera around until I figure out what to do with them!

🤣🤣
 

BuffaloinAB

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Oh yeah.. I see it, for sure.

Just wanted to make sure everything was on the "up" and we were being realistic.

...

I made a similar mistake, and now how three big dead trunks that follow my Lonicera around until I figure out what to do with them!

🤣🤣
LOL! thats just it no need for all the dead weight
 

BuffaloinAB

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Hmmm, i don't know maybe look up raft with deadwood or hollow stump bonsai. I know i saw fairy ring but no real images.
Fertilizer and vinegar or peroxide acids just a way to rot stumps sooner.
SO Fairy ring, is this what you mean with that? (found on a thred here,
 

rockm

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FWIW, this looks like a LOT of work for not much return...If You get that stump out without killing yourself, you're going to need a pot to put it in. You're also going to have to move it around for various reasons--overwintering being one. Combined with soil, expect over 100 lbs.

Believe me, big bonsai can be a pain in the ass. Most of mine are over 50 lbs. A couple over 100. They use a lot of space and resources --plan on needing gallons of soil and a pot that won't be flimsy or break apart.

This stump really doesn't have much to use. It's just a bunch of saplings attached to two dead trunks. You won't wind up with anything like the photo of the Korean hornbeam you've included--which, BTW, is about one third as large as what you're thinking about digging up.

Sorry to be so negative, but there's bound to be better trees out there.
 

BuffaloinAB

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FWIW, this looks like a LOT of work for not much return...If You get that stump out without killing yourself, you're going to need a pot to put it in. You're also going to have to move it around for various reasons--overwintering being one. Combined with soil, expect over 100 lbs.

Believe me, big bonsai can be a pain in the ass. Most of mine are over 50 lbs. A couple over 100. They use a lot of space and resources --plan on needing gallons of soil and a pot that won't be flimsy or break apart.

This stump really doesn't have much to use. It's just a bunch of saplings attached to two dead trunks. You won't wind up with anything like the photo of the Korean hornbeam you've included--which, BTW, is about one third as large as what you're thinking about digging up.

Sorry to be so negative, but there's bound to be better trees out there.
thats a fair statement, thank you!
 

HorseloverFat

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FWIW, this looks like a LOT of work for not much return...If You get that stump out without killing yourself, you're going to need a pot to put it in. You're also going to have to move it around for various reasons--overwintering being one. Combined with soil, expect over 100 lbs.

Believe me, big bonsai can be a pain in the ass. Most of mine are over 50 lbs. A couple over 100. They use a lot of space and resources --plan on needing gallons of soil and a pot that won't be flimsy or break apart.

This stump really doesn't have much to use. It's just a bunch of saplings attached to two dead trunks. You won't wind up with anything like the photo of the Korean hornbeam you've included--which, BTW, is about one third as large as what you're thinking about digging up.

Sorry to be so negative, but there's bound to be better trees out there.

Definitely solid, realistic reasoning.

...

OP...

When I go spring or fall "tree Hunting".. I go out every day for about three weeks...

MOST days, I come home empty handed. Sometimes only collecting 2-3 trees for a season if I can't locate realistic specimens.

It takes a few years for one to learn this particular balance.

🤓

(Oh yeah! a gem I took from Leo in Northern IL;... "I wiggle it.. if it doesn't 'give' at all... It's not going anywhere."

I've also spent three hours trying to UNSUCCESSFULLY dig a tree!

🤓
there's bound to be better trees out there.

...will always be true.


....
 

rockm

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Half the work of collecting trees for bonsai is recognizing what's worth the effort. Ninety-nine point nine percent of everything you look at isn't worth it. The shove technique is step one in deciding if the tree is worth the trouble. Shoving it with one hand, the BOTTTOM of the trunk should move --a bit. If you shove the trunk, and nothing moves, forget it. It's got an impossible root mass to try to dig up without destroying it or messing it up beyond recovery.
 

Kanorin

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FWIW, this looks like a LOT of work for not much return...If You get that stump out without killing yourself, you're going to need a pot to put it in. You're also going to have to move it around for various reasons--overwintering being one. Combined with soil, expect over 100 lbs.

Believe me, big bonsai can be a pain in the ass. Most of mine are over 50 lbs. A couple over 100. They use a lot of space and resources --plan on needing gallons of soil and a pot that won't be flimsy or break apart.

This stump really doesn't have much to use. It's just a bunch of saplings attached to two dead trunks. You won't wind up with anything like the photo of the Korean hornbeam you've included--which, BTW, is about one third as large as what you're thinking about digging up.

Sorry to be so negative, but there's bound to be better trees out there.
My thoughts as well - especially for a beginner. You would likely have to build some kind of custom box for this beast. It might have been worth it if those larger trunks were still alive and had some more movement. That was a saskatoon serviceberry, right (Amelanchier)? If so, those can make decent bonsai - especially for your climate. So you are on the right track!

Take a look at those apple trees that the previous owners wrote about and see if there are any good spots for airlayers. Apple trees often have twisty, gnarled branches that make for nice airlayer-to-bonsai transitions.
 

HorseloverFat

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My thoughts as well - especially for a beginner. You would likely have to build some kind of custom box for this beast. It might have been worth it if those larger trunks were still alive and had some more movement. That was a saskatoon serviceberry, right (Amelanchier)? If so, those can make decent bonsai - especially for your climate. So you are on the right track!

Take a look at those apple trees that the previous owners wrote about and see if there are any good spots for airlayers. Apple trees often have twisty, gnarled branches that make for nice airlayer-to-bonsai transitions.

Check the malus sp. for rust resistance if you plan to go this route.

;)
 
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