First wiring job - Eastern Red Cedar

Dragon60

Shohin
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Dude, it’s trunk collecting season. Elms, privets.. what’s growing in your woods and river banks? Hawthorn? Holly bush? Here’s a privet I pulled from a creek, lost it the 3rd year before I got to work on it but they are plentiful in numbers and grow fat near water.

Got any native pines in your area?
Your trees - super nice finds! Well, I'm not out to have a gazillion trees. I do keep my eyes open for what I can get. I live close to the middle of Jacksonville and the city extends for about twenty miles in every direction. So not a lot of woods or wild areas. I did rescue a couple of what I think are azaleas that apt. workers had thrown on a scrap heap. They are recuperating and have potential. A few months ago I dug up a maple that was growing next to my apt. building. I potted it up and chopped it while dormant. If I ever see something nice on someone's property that I can get permission to dig up I'll do that. The maple has some buds just starting to open. Roots are covered with dirt. Nothing fantastic but we'll see what happens.DSCN6293.jpg
 
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WesB

Mame
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Your trees - super nice finds! Well, I'm not out to have a gazillion trees. I do keep my eyes open for what I can get. I live close to the middle of Jacksonville and the city extends for about twenty miles in every direction. So not a lot of woods or wild areas. I did rescue a couple of what I think are azaleas that apt. workers had thrown on a scrap heap. They are recuperating and have potential. A few months ago I dug up a maple that was growing next to my apt. building. I potted it up and chopped it while dormant. If I ever see something nice on someone's property that I can get permission to dig up I'll do that. The maple has some buds just starting to open. Roots are covered with dirt. Nothing fantastic but we'll see what happens.View attachment 228166
No worries, I only mean to motivate you and to get you looking at other options besides the Eastern red cedar. You may have 4-6 weeks of collecting time left in your zone. For the Chinese privets (ligustrum) even longer. I’m in Arkansas and assuming I had the window space or greenhouse to protect them from freezing I wouldn’t blink at collecting one regardless of season.
 

Dragon60

Shohin
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So anyway here's an updated pic of my infamous ERC. Wire has been on over a year. I've been working on the trunk a little so's not so straight which is the trademark of most ERC. Definitely has much more foliage.DSCN6800.jpgSeems very healthy.
 

Orion_metalhead

Masterpiece
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I like it! Keep at the species and experiment with what others have done effectively and try new things. Maybe you'll figure out the ERC. I have two myself which are smaller and I like messing with them.
 

Dragon60

Shohin
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This is a more direct side angle. Can't quite see the slight cork screw bend of the trunk from this view. I am working towards the effect of a tree twisted and blown in the wind. The very lowest branch will eventually be removed.DSCN6820.jpg
 

Dragon60

Shohin
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I like it! Keep at the species and experiment with what others have done effectively and try new things. Maybe you'll figure out the ERC. I have two myself which are smaller and I like messing with them.
Yes, of the trees I have - some boxwoods, maple, privet, azalea, wisteria - this is my favorite.
 

Leo in N E Illinois

The Professor
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Let it grow 12 months with zero work.
I'm impressed it is still alive, I really thought it was a goner, due to being worked excessively. I know from personal experience, if you keep working a favorite tree you will loose it if you don't give it a chance to grow.

Warning from my own experience, stop working on it for 3 months before repotting and leave it alone for 12 months after.

I do agree with others, ERC is very unlikely to give you a show worthy bonsai. Mine have been a disappointment.

@TN_Jim 'Grey Owl' is usually listed as J. virginiana, but it likely is a natural hybrid. It may actually be a little better choice than the typical ERC.
 

Dragon60

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Let it grow 12 months with zero work.
I'm impressed it is still alive, I really thought it was a goner, due to being worked excessively. I know from personal experience, if you keep working a favorite tree you will loose it if you don't give it a chance to grow.

Warning from my own experience, stop working on it for 3 months before repotting and leave it alone for 12 months after.

I do agree with others, ERC is very unlikely to give you a show worthy bonsai. Mine have been a disappointment.

@TN_Jim 'Grey Owl' is usually listed as J. virginiana, but it likely is a natural hybrid. It may actually be a little better choice than the typical ERC.
Other than the bending on the trunk I've just been watering and feeding it for several months. If like previous years it will start putting out a lot of new growth in January. I thought December might be a good time to repot as it still has much of the original soil from when I dug it up many years back. And only about 10 percent of the roots have been cut back. I don't see evidence of being pot bound but thought it's probably due. And then let grow for 12 months like you said
 

Leo in N E Illinois

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Do not repot, if it doesn't need to be repotted. Trees, including ERC do not like roots being disturbed. I have a shimpaku I have not repotted in 11 years media still drains well, pot is okay, no need to repot.

Second ... only repot if the tree has some signs of active growth. If no buds are green and growing, do not repot. In terms of the spring repotting calendar, junipers are last on the list. My climate is different than yours, but I'm guessing December is when they will be fully dormant, which is a bad time to repot.
 

Dragon60

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Do not repot, if it doesn't need to be repotted. Trees, including ERC do not like roots being disturbed. I have a shimpaku I have not repotted in 11 years media still drains well, pot is okay, no need to repot.

Second ... only repot if the tree has some signs of active growth. If no buds are green and growing, do not repot. In terms of the spring repotting calendar, junipers are last on the list. My climate is different than yours, but I'm guessing December is when they will be fully dormant, which is a bad time to repot.
Thank you for the info. I'll plan on a repot MAYBE a year from this coming Jan./Feb. when it starts showing strong growth. Which by the way it has just started showing back budding on one branch which absolutely took me by surprise. I had been hoping but really didn't expect it. And at this time of year especially.
 

Vance Wood

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Thank you for the info. I'll plan on a repot MAYBE a year from this coming Jan./Feb. when it starts showing strong growth. Which by the way it has just started showing back budding on one branch which absolutely took me by surprise. I had been hoping but really didn't expect it. And at this time of year especially.
If you take the tree from the container without distrubing the soil mass; just to look at the roots around the outside of the soil mass and they are white pink or red and look like Chinese noodles you can repot the tree. If not leave the tree alone for at least another year. In other words put it back in the original container.
 

Dragon60

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If you take the tree from the container without distrubing the soil mass; just to look at the roots around the outside of the soil mass and they are white pink or red and look like Chinese noodles you can repot the tree. If not leave the tree alone for at least another year. In other words put it back in the original container.
I have this tree in a larger pot than it will eventually have. I don't think I need to worry about it being pot bound because when I started to turn it over a whole lot of soil started falling out. So I quickly turned it back over so as not to disturb the root ball and put the soil back in. So still a lot of room for growth. I'll eventually get it into a much smaller oval or round pot - probably 3 or 4 years.
 
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