Identifying Better collection sites

[andrewiles]

what did you use as soil when you potted them?

Just some potting soil I had lying around. Mostly pine bark and organics.

I think I showed this in another thread, but here are two plants side by side. Collected at the same time. Difference is the one on the left had zero roots (just a runner stub going in on one side and out the other). The one on the right had more fine roots and some original soil. Shows that they do reduce nicely.



Back to the broader subject, I've noticed a similiar looking process happening with some high alpine trees as well, specifically subalpine firs and western larches. The photo below shows a fir I collected last year in the high Washington Cascades. You can see the large "runner" on the left. It goes out the back right. I think this was probably a large branch from a since deceased tree that ground layered. The layered branch had roots along its length. This tree is doing fine so far.

 

[PonderingSage:]

I’ve pulled out aspen with just the thick sucker root and just a few fine roots. One died & one going strong, so 50% so far.
Used pure pumice.

 

[Kyleboldy2003]

I’ve pulled out aspen with just the thick sucker root and just a few fine roots. One died & one going strong, so 50% so far.
Used pure pumice.

Idaho must be a very fun place to collect

 

[Kyleboldy2003]

View attachment 416397
I thought I had a better shot of this area. Guess not.
Found a trail long forgotten out on the back roads tail end of summer. It climbs very precariously up a steep clay slope to the top of a sandstone plateau.
Everywhere you look there's trees grown 100 years or more in sand pockets no deeper than your shins.
If it were possible to get a vehicle up there (it's not) you could pluck up a 7 foot tall 400 year old piñon pine or one seed juniper buy the root with an engine hoist if you wanted.
Think I might go back in spring.

damn this is where I want to be

 

[Frozentreehugger]

Some great suggestions covered most of my stuff but I have some stuff a lot people don’t consider . All considering I find the farmer your best friend what’s the use of . Government land and or spots to difficult to track the owner . Farmer has grazing animals and equipment that creates trees. To collect . Here in central Canada the winter wind blowing across fields with no crops creates ideal spots along the forest edge same as the shore of islands . Farmer is easy to get permission from . Another un taped resource a friend has is a in side guy in a landscaping company corporate buildings often change landscaping and remove and throw away stuff in raised planters. He gets pre info to scout and take what he wants . And don’t overlook modern technology resources like Google earth maps and the use of a drone can cover a lot more land than you can walk . Condense scouting locations

 

[stinkylittlekitten]

how do y'all research the legality of collecting on public lands/forest/BLM? I live in Oregon, USA. I can't seem to find the search terms to find anything beyond clearcutting/harvesting information.

 

[Frozentreehugger]

how do y'all research the legality of collecting on public lands/forest/BLM? I live in Oregon, USA. I can't seem to find the search terms to find anything beyond clearcutting/harvesting information.

I’m a Canadian so different laws . But others have talked . That in the states you can purchase a collection. Permit . Fir like 10 dollars a tree . Search forestry dept ir ask nearest forest ranger station . If nothing else . The nearest state or county or whatever government. Ask the nearest bonsai club in the state

 

[TN_Jim]

how do y'all research the legality of collecting on public lands/forest/BLM? I live in Oregon, USA. I can't seem to find the search terms to find anything beyond clearcutting/harvesting information.

find who manages the land (agency etc.), find the closest field office, be prepared to call someone else and then someone else, don’t trust anyone who speaks without certainty and keep their contact info., obtain permits if required

east of the Mississippi regarding roadside collection, the county clerk is a good easy start -Sunday drives looking for those points of elevation way out in the sticks, and for old country roads that wind along streams..know where the county (etc.) cuts and how many feet from the road you are still on public land… if you’re real savvy take a screenshot from the google maps or whatever so you know where you were in 2019…make sure to take no notes aside from random screenshot

switch from satellite to default map so you can see the streams

 

[Frozentreehugger]

Still end of winter here . But latest idea I have is a little un orthodox . Commute detour . Has me looking at a cut your own Christmas tree farm . People chose a tree and go out in winter and cut it down . So now the snow is almost gone . I’m looking at all these stumps 1 to 3 feet tall . Stopped to talk to local . He says owner waits until all the trees from a field are cut then . Removes the rest with heavy equipment . I’m thinking some have new leaders starting that I could see . Thinking when I tracj down the owner . Some of the back fields may have back budded trees . Looks like most are Scot’s pine . After all he is in the business of selling trees

 

[ShadyStump]

Still end of winter here . But latest idea I have is a little un orthodox . Commute detour . Has me looking at a cut your own Christmas tree farm . People chose a tree and go out in winter and cut it down . So now the snow is almost gone . I’m looking at all these stumps 1 to 3 feet tall . Stopped to talk to local . He says owner waits until all the trees from a field are cut then . Removes the rest with heavy equipment . I’m thinking some have new leaders starting that I could see . Thinking when I tracj down the owner . Some of the back fields may have back budded trees . Looks like most are Scot’s pine . After all he is in the business of selling trees

That's some outside the box thinking. Only so much luck you can expect with pines being hard chopped, but totally worth looking into.

how do y'all research the legality of collecting on public lands/forest/BLM? I live in Oregon, USA. I can't seem to find the search terms to find anything beyond clearcutting/harvesting information.

For Federally administered lands your looking for personal use transplant permits. $5 for shrubs, $10 for trees. Only good for that year, and only for specific locations. BLM is sometimes more lenient with pricing and what counts as what than National Forest Service in my experience. There are no limits to the number of permits you can buy, and nurseries sometimes take advantage of this and buy all of the permits they can by the thousand to dig more mature trees in stead of spend years growing them, so get there early in the season.

Roadside finds, contact your county or state department of transportation like @TN_Jim suggested. If it's on state land, your state department of natural resources or park system will be your go-to. How to contact the above will vary location to location.
Your local state university extension office often has information and connections that would surprise you, especially in rural/agricultural areas.

 

[andrewiles]

Note also that for forest service land the rules vary quite a bit by district. What's allowed and where it can be collected. Best to call your target ranger district and ask.

My experience in Washington is that the further away the district is from big population centers, the less restrictive they are.