Identifying Better collection sites

BrianBay9

Masterpiece
Messages
2,753
Reaction score
5,373
Location
Fresno, CA
USDA Zone
9
This was my first collected tree.
A Granite slab with a depression, that had enough eroding grit to fill the pocket. The tree had no running roots, l just had to ease it up.

Those are the best! Can spend a lot of time searching for that circumstance but it's worth it.
 

River's Edge

Masterpiece
Messages
4,708
Reaction score
12,608
Location
Vancouver Island, British Columbia
USDA Zone
8b
This was my first collected tree.
A Granite slab with a depression, that had enough eroding grit to fill the pocket. The tree had no running roots, l just had to ease it up.
Looks like a ponderosa to me. Beautiful trunk. The added advantage of tis type of collection is the ease with which planting angles can be adjusted. Usually such a compact root ball without the lopsided runners present in a lot of circumstances. How did that tree turn out? do you still have it?
 

River's Edge

Masterpiece
Messages
4,708
Reaction score
12,608
Location
Vancouver Island, British Columbia
USDA Zone
8b
Exposed sites with harsher growing conditions can often be spotted from a distance. For me the tell tale sign is the deadwood and twisted nature that exposed trees can exhibit. Whether in the mountains or plateaus the bleached deadwood is like a green light to head in that direction. Usually in the vicinity is something smaller with similar characteristics of interest. Sometimes it is a stand of twisted trees and sometimes a sentinel that gives away the site to explore further.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0685.JPG
    IMG_0685.JPG
    310.7 KB · Views: 127
  • IMG_0732.JPG
    IMG_0732.JPG
    275 KB · Views: 109

River's Edge

Masterpiece
Messages
4,708
Reaction score
12,608
Location
Vancouver Island, British Columbia
USDA Zone
8b
but it's a hike-your-tree-down-the-mountain situation for anything good.
It was ever thus. I have never found a great tree beside the road. The best ones are usually the furthest and the highest elevation. Sometimes the adventure involves highs and lows. Just after taking this picture I stepped into a small hidden crevasse with one leg left up on the snow pack and one down in the hidden hole beneath. My grin turned to a grimace quickly.
It pays to have a collecting partner to helps pack out trees and partners when required. The ice pick in my right hand and the pack helped me to stay above the snow pack at least partially. Trip down the mountain was slower than usual. Early spring in higher elevations requires care! Usually I feel I am carrying more equipment than needed. Sometimes it is needed.
This is typical high elevation site with exposed bedrock and pockets of growth in shallow soil. The sub alpine fir is packed and ready to go. My partner helped carry this one out and we worked our way carefully down to the truck.
 

Attachments

  • 2-P1010271.jpg
    2-P1010271.jpg
    118.4 KB · Views: 108
  • 5-P1010280.jpg
    5-P1010280.jpg
    149.5 KB · Views: 110

andrewiles

Shohin
Messages
465
Reaction score
1,078
Location
Redmond, WA
USDA Zone
8
stepped into a small hidden crevasse with one leg left up on the snow pack and one down in the hidden hole beneath
Yeah, I've done that before. Post-holing in spring snow is a good way to twist things the wrong way.

I've been meaning to make an excuse to climb some peaks on Vancouver Island. Perhaps this summer, and I can stop by your nursery on the way. Border was closed two summers in a row :mad:

On a related note, do you happen to know what bringing yamadori material from BC to WA entails? I'd love to hear anything on that. Maybe this summer I can make a road trip out of it.
 

River's Edge

Masterpiece
Messages
4,708
Reaction score
12,608
Location
Vancouver Island, British Columbia
USDA Zone
8b
Yeah, I've done that before. Post-holing in spring snow is a good way to twist things the wrong way.

I've been meaning to make an excuse to climb some peaks on Vancouver Island. Perhaps this summer, and I can stop by your nursery on the way. Border was closed two summers in a row :mad:

On a related note, do you happen to know what bringing yamadori material from BC to WA entails? I'd love to hear anything on that. Maybe this summer I can make a road trip out of it.
The twisting and stretching part is a bad memory! Not sure what the paperwork process would be from the USA end. I suspect it would involve a federal permit and state permission along with a phytosanitary inspection for border crossing though. I do know there are restrictions on some species.
 
Messages
387
Reaction score
680
Location
Idaho
USDA Zone
7-8
It responded really well with roots growing out of the bottom of the box. The box (thin cedar post board) ended up splitting at the corners, so I gave it a slip pot. Its one yr out of collection. I May style it next fall.622C4A16-82A5-4337-B03F-0DA5920B6FC9.jpeg4C32105D-F7B9-48B4-B92A-62A971731CD0.jpeg
 

Attachments

  • F3A00FBA-FD47-4F1F-AD94-6E5062B50936.jpeg
    F3A00FBA-FD47-4F1F-AD94-6E5062B50936.jpeg
    97.3 KB · Views: 112
Last edited:

River's Edge

Masterpiece
Messages
4,708
Reaction score
12,608
Location
Vancouver Island, British Columbia
USDA Zone
8b
Here is a couple of photos showing " rock Pocket" type of collection site. Folds that collect soil and moisture between rock slabs. A twin trunk sub-alpine fir. Second photo shows Root ball extraction ( cutting the thicker anchor roots, leaving the feeders) and third shows the transportation method. Rack style back pack and poles for steadier balance going down with considerable weight.


IMG_0454.JPGIMG_0456 - Copy.JPGIMG_0458.JPG
 

ShadyStump

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
5,886
Reaction score
9,732
Location
Southern Colorado, USA
USDA Zone
6a
IMG_20210925_170329_142.jpg
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.
 

rockm

Spuds Moyogi
Messages
14,182
Reaction score
22,179
Location
Fairfax Va.
USDA Zone
7
I found a nice old quarry near the wi dells, that had some great old trees that appeared to be aspen with long roots that seemed to connect to each other. Any idea what they might really be, and how to take care of them?
You've identified the problem with Aspen--they tend to share the same root system over very large areas. That complicates collecting them, since there may not be many or any feeder roots to use...As bonsai, they can also be unpredictable, dropping old developed branches in favor of pushing new ones.
 

andrewiles

Shohin
Messages
465
Reaction score
1,078
Location
Redmond, WA
USDA Zone
8
You've identified the problem with Aspen--they tend to share the same root system over very large areas. That complicates collecting them, since there may not be many or any feeder roots to use...As bonsai, they can also be unpredictable, dropping old developed branches in favor of pushing new ones.

FWIW I dug up some aspen last spring. They were connected to underground runners with very few feeder roots. They all survived. Seems they are pretty resilient.

PXL_20210503_212101465 (2).jpg
 

ShadyStump

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
5,886
Reaction score
9,732
Location
Southern Colorado, USA
USDA Zone
6a
It can be craps shoot with aspens. You can never tell what's under the surface until it's too late, but if you can figure them out I'd imagine they'd make incredible bonsai when done right.
 
Top Bottom