Mesquite Tree from Nursery..

[Warlock]

Thoughts?.. I was thinking of collecting one in the fall.. but I saw this.. I'm a complete novice but for $10 I thought it would something to try and work with.. it does have a lot Thrones..

 

[AZbonsai]

Thorn city. Really just started with trying my hand at southwest desert plants. I like to see more people giving them a try. I am air layering a Texas Ebony right now. Seems to be doing well.

 

[Michael P]

I love mesquite! Old ones have such character, it will be interesting to see how yours progresses. There is a thornless variety called 'Maverick'.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Thrones? Can see nary single throne. Nor even king or queen to sit one.

 

[Warlock]

Ha... Ok. I am a huge Game of Thorns fan. You got me...

 

[Nicholas Box]

I have heard that in many areas they have super long tap roots and that can make collecting them difficult. I'll be interested to see how it goes for you, but my thoughts would be to look for an area with rock pockets so you hopefully have a collectible root ball. Like many do with pines/mountain trees. Good luck and please update if you collect one(or ten)

 

[Cypress187]

Needs some more growing It's very thin.

 

[Warlock]

I have heard that in many areas they have super long tap roots and that can make collecting them difficult. I'll be interested to see how it goes for you, but my thoughts would be to look for an area with rock pockets so you hopefully have a collectible root ball. Like many do with pines/mountain trees. Good luck and please update if you collect one(or ten)

I was told these are Nursery grown only in this pot. They had more.. was maybe gonna grab s couple more.. and in the fall/winter mayb collect some from the wild.. but small ones with some Woody bark in them.

It's thin .. what is the advice on growing out.

Should I let it go wild or start trimming lower Branches?. J
Keep it in the pot or growing box?..

 

[Nicholas Box]

I wouldn't trim anything. Ground(with tap root precautions) or grow box imo. You could even bury the grow box if you use something like Anderson Flats. I wouldn't trim any lower branches right now. Its pretty thin and if you want the trunk to thicken up at all, typically you'd leave lower branches in particular alone and let them grow like crazy. IRRC there are some Tuscon folks who were experimenting with mesquite for bonsai several years back. https://tucson.com/lifestyles/home-...cle_97a067ef-f782-5f1a-9d5d-eead61d81fdf.html If I were you I'd do some reaching out and see if they can give you species specific info.

I hope you are able to successfully collect some. The old ones in the desert are so beautiful and gnarly.

 

[Warlock]

i was looking at putting it in a grow box... wanted to restrict the tap root for sure.. thanks for the link

 

[milehigh_7]

Thoughts?.. I was thinking of collecting one in the fall.. but I saw this.. I'm a complete novice but for $10 I thought it would something to try and work with.. it does have a lot Thrones..

If it was seed grown it likely still has it's taproot. You will want to at least give that a snip on your next repot. Their taps can go straight down over 100 feet. It goes without saying that if you use the escape method and let the roots go you will never get it out of the ground. I would recommend a nice big strainer to get some fibrous roots going on the next repot. The timing of which I do not yet have down.

 

[milehigh_7]

You won't restrict the taproot. Not sure it's possible. It needs to be removed or at least pruned back.

 

[milehigh_7]

If you put it in the ground you will never get it out alive.

 

[Warlock]

If you put it in the ground you will never get it out alive.

that i figured.. it didn't take much research .. however, i still what to dig up some smalls ones in the winter that are not as green just for fun

 

[milehigh_7]

Try an air layer, they root very easily. Phoenix gets massive wind sheers and it frequently blows the landscape ones over (no taproot and irrigation). They don't die the root wherever they touch the ground and you see rafts all over town. Digging them will bring you frustration. The first thing they do when they sprout is throw that tap as far as it can go. Then the top grows.

 

[Warlock]

Try an air layer, they root very easily. Phoenix gets massive wind sheers and it frequently blows the landscape ones over (no taproot and irrigation). They don't die the root wherever they touch the ground and you see rafts all over town. Digging them will bring you frustration. The first thing they do when they sprout is throw that tap as far as it can go. Then the top grows.

air layering>> !!! hmmmm.. that could work

 

[Warlock]

@milehigh_7 .. i have been going alot of reading on Air Layering.. OMG>. its awesome.. totally going to try this! Mesquite is EVERYWHERE here in Texas.. lol.. i am going to wrap up several trees and see how this works !! totally worth trying!!

 

[rockm]

Mesquite has a valid rep as difficult to collect, since, like a lot of trees that grow in arid and semi-arid environments, it has a big tap root and/or a diffuse root system that defies effective "digging" or moving.

Don't know about air layering, might work, might dry out in that Texas sun left unattended for even a day...just sayin pick a tree near you that you can check on every day until the end of October...;-)