How to yamadori?

[jordystokes]

Would anyone like to share how they collect trees?

Can anyone point me in the direction of some reputable sources to read/watch?

Some specifics I would love to have answered are:
Timing of collection?
What to look for while digging around the tree?
Post collection soil?
And probably most importantly: after care??? Shade? Fertilize? Extra water? Defoliate?

Thank you!!!!!

 

[jriddell88]

Collecting Trees for Bonsai with Andy Smith: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkPApPPCd8QvoiGXbLFAiemRjaxCh3Ro3

 

[aml1014]

The YouTube series recommended above is a good one for sure, there's also many threads here on the subject of collecting trees.

Aaron

 

[jordystokes]

I agree there are a lot of posts/threads about yamadori, but I can't seem to find any that talk about the process. They mostly talk about the what and not the how.

Maybe I'm not performing the right search when looking. I've been simply searching "yamadori" and combing through the hits. Is this wrong? Better way?

I will definitely be checking out the YouTube link today!

 

[sorce]

http://www.bonsai4me.com/AdvTech/ATcollectring trees from the wild W Pall.htm

Sorce

 

[jeanluc83]

What are you trying to collect? In general deciduous trees can be collected with minimal root and survive. Conifers need much more root at collection. Most pines can only be collected if they already have a compact root system from growing in a rock pocket.

Since you are in Tennessee I would look into collecting bald cypress. They can take very hard root pruning and trunk chops at collection. I only have one at this point but they are generally regarded as bullet proof. There are a couple of threads worth reading on collection of bald cypress.

 

[BrianBay9]

Collecting Trees for Bonsai with Andy Smith: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkPApPPCd8QvoiGXbLFAiemRjaxCh3Ro3

Andy Smith's video on collecting is great, but will probably be useless in Tennessee. As jeanluc83 says, decide on the species and the location (topography) and that will guide the advice on how to collect.

 

[Grant Hamby]

Since you are in Tennessee I would look into collecting bald cypress.

That beaver-chewed BC at the Artisan's Cup came from Tennessee, it was dope! I got to talk to the artist about it, nice guy. Collected it from a swamp and loaded it into a canoe.

 

[jordystokes]

decide on the species and the location

Well I was talking maybe generally between deciduous and conifer. However, in consideration of the question, let's say white oak, red oak, winged elm, bald cypress, and white pine. All will be located in hilly forest, possibly at the edge of a field or trail or water source.

 

[whfarro]

JS,
Without knowing your level of experience horticulturaly or with Bonsai, I will put out a word of caution.
Unless you have a moderate degree of experience with each, you might want to hold off on collecting and work with some stock/pre-bonsai material for a while.

Many folks end up just digging up trees without the requisite knowledge about how to keep them alive.

 

[jordystokes]

JS

Completely understandable. I have a masters degree in biomolecular science and have a working knowledge of horticulture. I have been practicing bonsai as a hobby for almost a year.

Many folks end up just digging up trees without the requisite knowledge about how to keep them alive.

This is the exact reason why I am trying to gather knowledge from the best place I know to get information about bonsai.

Bonsai is a lot like the medical field. There are things that are known and needed. But there is a great amount of variation in almost all techniques. What one doctor tells you to do may be completely different from another, and both could be right. Hence the reason for "practicing medicine." I like to think of bonsai the same way. I "practice bonsai." I try to gather as much information as I can and make decisions based on that. Hope that makes sense.

 

[aml1014]

In general, you want to collect both conifers and deciduous trees in late winter/early spring just before new growth resumes. At this time they are still dormant which is what you want, and by doing it just before they wake up it gives the trees the fastest recovery time.
I have succefully collected pines and elms in all seasons except for mid winter (permafrost) with great success rates, but I also have a few years of both bonsai/nursery work under my sleeve.

Aaron

 

[BrianBay9]

Have a read through this thread and see if it answers most of your questions....

http://www.bonsainut.com/threads/tree-collecting-guidelines.18940/

 

[jordystokes]

Have a read through this thread and see if it answers most of your questions....

http://www.bonsainut.com/threads/tree-collecting-guidelines.18940/

Perfect!!!

 

[rockm]

Well I was talking maybe generally between deciduous and conifer. However, in consideration of the question, let's say white oak, red oak, winged elm, bald cypress, and white pine. All will be located in hilly forest, possibly at the edge of a field or trail or water source.

White oak (quercus alba) are not all that easy to collect. The species tends to have deep thick tap roots that don't liked to be messed with. In asking for advice on local species, I learned it's pretty necessary to use specific species' names. North America has the largest variety of oak species on the planet. A local name for one in Tennessee may be the name for another species in California.

Best native oak in the south for bonsai is Willow oak (quercus phellos). It tends to have a shallower, more easily collected root mass, smaller leaves and finer branching than most other local oaks.

Bald cypress and ANY elm are among the easiest trees to dig out successfully. Oaks of any type tend to be more difficult and more finicky about root disturbance.

Forget white pine. It's normally pretty uninteresting in the sizes that are useful for bonsai. Pitch pine (pinus rigida) and Virginia pine (pinus virginiana) are better.

You should also be looking for Carolina hornbeam, another more easily collected species that can make pretty decent bonsai.

Take a trip to Zach Smith's website. He's been collecting southern trees for bonsai for decades. His website has some pretty good articles on collecting and developing native bonsai. He's also a regular here.
http://bonsai-south.com/

 

[jordystokes]

Tennessee

The species I named were just ones I knew I had acesss to. I appreciate the information and will check out his website. Thank you

 

[jeanluc83]

I would try to find some littlehip hawthorn if I were you. It appears that they may grow in your area. After seeing what @Brian Van Fleet has done with his collected one I have wanted one but they don't grow natively in my area.

Collected Hawthorn History

 

[yenling83]

Golden Arrow bonsai has a DVD you can buy and a book that I really liked- It's all about collecting trees from the mountains. I wrote some tips recently on my blog, you can check that out too. www.yenlingbonsai.com

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

@jordystokes - I've collected a few. First, accept the fact that you won't be 100% successful, nobody is, even the pros consider a 70% success rate pretty good.

Best way to collect - walk out the door with florescent tape you can use to mark interesting trees. If you are collecting your own property, you can tag trees and wait for ideal season to collect. Other places, you might not be able to markyour trees. GPS can work.

What to collect? If the first 6 inches of trunk are interesting, you have a canidate. if the first 6 inches are straight, with no features, pass it by, even if is a desireable species.

Trees in ground look smaller than they would in a pot, take a tape measure with you, for majority bonsai trunk diameters should be less than 7 inches, bigger than that and you are likely to end up with a 2 or 3 person to lift it bonsai.

you are in Tennesee, there are many more good species for bonsai than you listed. I would look for hornbeam (Carpinus) and hop flowered hornbeam (Ostrya), also deciduous holly (Ilex verticillata) & Catberry (Ilex mucronata) anothe possibility is american persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) and definitely follow RockM's suggestion on looking for Pinus rigida. Actually any of the local native 2 or 3 needle pines will work. Give eastern white pine (P. strobus) a pass, it will frustrate you. Thuja occidentalis is good, also Tsuga canadensis. Lindera benzonin - spicebush is useable. Leaves do reduce nice.

Key is findy an interesting trunk. Anything else is no better than starting with nursery stock.

When, I've collected pretty much year round, success varies, autumn and early spring are good, but have had good success in summer too. When collecting, don't cut off too much to ''balance'' to the roots, especially when collecting dormant. Reason is the tree will only open the buds it can support, but the more that is there, the more root sysem it will make.

that's all I can think of, off top of my head