Hawthorn Collecting 2017

[ml_work]

Thursday morning we had frost on the ground, Friday morning was high 40s, today it was maybe 50 when I left the house, tee shirt and flannel shirt. We have not had a cold winter but I have waited as long as I can, some trees are starting to bud. I had found some Hawthorn on our family property last spring and got one, knowing it was too late in the year but I gave it a try.... it died. So today I go with the plan to trench around a couple, cut the top down and watch for a year or how ever long.. and collect 2 or 3 (knowing it is may be too warm). The first one, trunk it larger than I wanted but figured I would see what it does.

After cutting all the large roots, I covered it with soil.
The next one was too large also but I wanted to take it home.

It almost sent me HOME. As you can see I was using a small saw and shovel ( need to check into a Reciprocating saw.. I think that is the name) I sawed and dug, come out of the flannel shirt and soaked the tee shirt. I finally realized I was not going to be able to get any others if I spent all my time and energy on this one. So I fill the hole with dirt and marked it for later.
I walked and looked for about an hour, marking some Beech that were too small but give them a couple of years and could be nice (marked with orange ribbon).
I found a group of nice ones and got two of them.
Hawthorn 1
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Hawthorn 2









I realize these trees don't have the base and taper that is desired for a nice bonsai. But they are the way nature grew them, it is an hour drive to get to them so working with the while still in the ground on a regular basis is not an option. So I will see what I can learn working with them. Enjoyed the day, my Dad went with me, he was not comfortable walking in the woods as it is un-even and roots, too much to trip on. But he has walked these woods his entire life, it is his old home place, so he enjoyed just being in the woods.

"It Was A Good Day!"




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[M. Frary]

It Was A Good Day!"

Yes it was.

 

[j evans]

Congrats on some nice finds and more importantly some really nice time with your dad. Be sure to spend as much time as possible enjoying time together, it is never enough.

 

[Dav4]

I think they all have decent potential, and who doesn't love that awesome exfoliating bark! I know your probably pretty sore today, but if I had collected these, I might have chopped them somewhat lower- how low depends on each stump- and I might have cut some of those roots back a bit further. I bet they're all going to survive and grow well for you, so being a little more aggressive with the cuts now will pay you dividends down the road. Boy, I wish there were some around my neck of the woods to collect.

 

[JudyB]

I love the growth habit of these, the way they have muscles. And that bark! Glad you had such a day.

 

[Wilson]

Good work getting digging right away! These are beauty, as the others said. Great bark, and strong presence, keep us updated on spring growth.

 

[ml_work]

I bet they're all going to survive and grow well for you, so being a little more aggressive with the cuts now will pay you dividends down the road.

Dave, I am learning that I look at the trees to collect and cut at the desired height, not leaving space for the new growth. I will not say I "forget" that it will be taller with the new growth, I just don't cut back for what it will need. I did not remove any of the roots, my thinking the more roots I leave the better chance for new growth to come from. I was thinking more on getting them into a pot and see if they live. I have watched your work and value your opinion, so I will consider cutting them shorter, but would be afraid to disturb them now that they are in the pot, it would be next weekend before I could do it. As you said better to do now than later, or did you mean on future collections?
Thanks for the encouraging Words and Thanks to Everyone for the encouraging statements.

 

[Dav4]

Dave, I am learning that I look at the trees to collect and cut at the desired height, not leaving space for the new growth. I will not say I "forget" that it will be taller with the new growth, I just don't cut back for what it will need. I did not remove any of the roots, my thinking the more roots I leave the better chance for new growth to come from. I was thinking more on getting them into a pot and see if they live. I have watched your work and value your opinion, so I will consider cutting them shorter, but would be afraid to disturb them now that they are in the pot, it would be next weekend before I could do it. As you said better to do now than later, or did you mean on future collections?
Thanks for the encouraging Words and Thanks to Everyone for the encouraging statements.

Reworking the roots +/- chopping lower would have been fine today or for the next few days, but if you couldn't get to it for a week, I'd probably wait until next year. These are going to be nice either way, so no worries!

 

[milehigh_7]

I love Haws, maybe my favorite trees.

 

[ml_work]

I have learned that when collected some trees will push out new growth that was stored up in them and really not be going to make it. I saw a few small dots in March and took a picture the first of April and then yesterday... with this much growth I hope these are really living and not just pushing something.

April 1
You can see both trees



April 11



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[barrosinc]

what kind of hawthorns are these???
Cool that they are budding! Making memories is the most important. Cool day with your dad

 

[Don Blackmond]

They look like good projects to me.

 

[discusmike]

Nice start and for free!

 

[ml_work]

Max, I don't know the species, I collected one last year (to late in the year, it died) and posted it here asking what it was. BVF posted a picture of his and said that is what it was..... now if I can just get them to something remotely close to that hawthorn. My Dad enjoys anything in the woods, he goes to the property once a week, now he is telling me about trees he sees that I should collect, I told him tie a ribbon on it and we will get it.

Discusmike, I agree... Free is really nice... there are many more of these on the land, I plan to take more time next year in my search. My Dad showed me a large section of Birch trees the last time we were there. It is too late in the year to collect now, and the snakes are out so I did not get to look at them... but will this winter.

Thanks Don, I look forward to working with these.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Littlehip Hawthorn.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crataegus_spathulata

 

[Giga]

Those are great material, good luck with them

 

[Cattwooduk]

Dave, I am learning that I look at the trees to collect and cut at the desired height, not leaving space for the new growth. I will not say I "forget" that it will be taller with the new growth, I just don't cut back for what it will need. I did not remove any of the roots, my thinking the more roots I leave the better chance for new growth to come from. I was thinking more on getting them into a pot and see if they live. I have watched your work and value your opinion, so I will consider cutting them shorter, but would be afraid to disturb them now that they are in the pot, it would be next weekend before I could do it. As you said better to do now than later, or did you mean on future collections?
Thanks for the encouraging Words and Thanks to Everyone for the encouraging statements.

This was my first spring collecting material in the woods. Having been reading other people collecting threads and seeing what you said I have been doing exactly the same - leaving more roots than what might be necessary to try and increase survival chances. I figure if it survives maybe in a couple of years time I can cut back some of the larger roots again once it has developed better fine roots to live with.
I think about half of the things I have begun as projects this spring as well (my first) I didn't cut stuff as low as I should have. People have said if in doubt cut low, but I also think once it's cut it's gone!

These look like nice ones to start with though. I've got about 4 I dug around the roots and trunk chopped to collect next spring, and have maybe 3 others I saw too late to collect. Going to be making some more space for next year!

 

[barrosinc]

Littlehip Hawthorn.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crataegus_spathulata

Oh man!! I thought it was a fantasy name you gave yours... Like little miss sunshine.

 

[ml_work]

Update on the Hawthorn, 8-13-17. I have let the grow untouched. Well I did try to put a small wire on one of the branches to pull a different direction... it broke off in my had.. have not touched since.

Hawthorn 1


Hawthorn 2


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Have not made a trip back to the woods to check on the ones I cut back and left in the ground. It maybe this fall before I have the time or want to walk in the woods with the snakes... may wait until they are taking a Long Winters Nap!

 

[ml_work]

12-29-17
Went to check on the trees that I left in the ground last year. Had not been this summer due to Snakes and was looking forward to the 2 I left, really thought they would have been doing good... not.
It appears they pushed a little growth this summer and died.


I think 1 of the ones I collected has died at end of summer also. But we have cold enough temps that I can go and collect more in a few weeks. Will try the same, leave a couple in the ground, may just cut the top off and wait a year before cutting the roots. And bring a couple home.
My Dad went and got to walk around, he has stories of being in these woods as a young boy, life was different then... he has seen a lot of change in this ole World.... "It Was a Good Day"