My first Yamadori, and biggest project....

[Redwood Ryan]

Hey all, I went and dug up this monster of a tree today. I thought it was a great looking tree, but I'm sure no one else thinks so . I think if I can get this thing to live, it would turn out to be a great tree. I know it doesn't have any branches, but I'm hoping to get some backbud on it. I, of course, am hoping to do a twin trunk. What does everyone else think of this monster? It's about 2 feet tall.

Here it is:

I placed it in a giant container of water, since I do not have a pot as of right now, but I am going out to get one soon. I plan to pot it up, let it grow out for some years, then see what I can do with it:

Ryan

 

[misfit11]

what species is it? It looks like you were able to get plenty of fibrous roots so it should survive given you pot it up in grit soil.
It looks as if the two trunks are roughly the same diameter (in the picture anyway). Is this so? I think, ideally, the twin-trunk style is done best when one of the trunks is considerably larger than the other, but I'm sure some people would disagree.

Depending on the species, you may have a good find here. Good luck with it and keep us posted on its development

Cory

 

[Smoke]

OK at the risk of being called a bastard, which I am called all the time anyway, what made you feel this was a "great looking tree"?

Once again at the risk of saying Al has no compassion, I see the future development of two baseball batts with branches?????

Is there a plan in place to develop some kind of taper in this or just go with whats there "cause it's yamadori"?

Your enthusiasim is admirable but possibly misplaced.

 

[milehigh_7]

Al did you get your nickname by making the hopes and dreams of us noobs go "up in 'Smoke"?

Na just kidding you are at times harsh but seldom wrong.

 

[Smoke]

Al did you get your nickname by making the hopes and dreams of us noobs go "up in 'Smoke"?

Na just kidding you are at times harsh but seldom wrong.

I am an American Idol fanatic. When Simon Cowell leaves next year... so will the ratings. People watch to hear Simon say what they always wanted to say but held their tongue.

I just ask whats on my mind.

He did say: What does everyone else think of this monster?

 

[Ross]

I am an American Idol fanatic.

I'm predicting Crystal Bowersox for the win. The harmonica is a nice touch.

 

[grouper52]

Redwood Ryan,

Al has done the heavy lifting for us all with his questions. I'm curious to know the answers as well.

G52

 

[Victrinia Ensor]

Ryan my dear... my first question is: What is it?

Sadly I have to agree with Al in principal if not delivery... it may take a teeth rattling comment to get the full attention of some people, but I am a chick and prefer the soft approach. I would normally like to say that it's always good to cut your collecting teeth on something less glorious, but in this case, I feel it was taken with the notion of size over interest.

As a form of positive feedback with tongue possibly in cheek... maybe you could pull a Kimura and split each trunk into three or four sections lengthwise once it has branches and make a clump group out of it. To my mind it's going to take radical creativity to make it interesting... (tongue is in cheek because what he did that to was a pine, and therefore flixble). I guess what I am trying to suggest is to throw away the box whatever you do... and open your mind to the seemingly impossible. That is what this tree will require to become great. Whatever you do... you'll have to radically alter the wood or you'll be giving years of your life to what will likely become a big raffle table tree others will scratch their heads at.

Warmest regards,

V

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Ryan,
I love collecting too, and while this may lack some unique character (for now), collected d-trees can be bare stumps with good radial roots and developed pretty quickly. It's a little different than collecting pines or junipers, where you are really looking for a special base, trunk line, or character that already exists in the tree.

You are looking at a 10-year project here anyway, so look for the BEST features the tree offers and get rid of everything else. If you haven't potted it yet, you'll need to shorten the thick roots and leave as many of the fine feeder roots as you can; work from the underside of the base to get rid of anything bigger than 1", but always trying to preserve feeder roots. You might want to shorten the trunks down to 10"-12", and regrow some taper to eliminate the baseball bat look, and make your height-to-width ratio a little more aesthetically pleasing. Then let it grow for a few years (maybe even in the ground).

What did you see in the tree to make you take the time to collect it? The best feature I can see is how the taller trunk moves out and away from the shorter trunk at the base. That would be my focal point. Find a front that really accentuates this, and shorten the trunks until you have a 4-1 ratio. Then...go do some more collecting!!!!

 

[Bill S]

As per Al I will applaud your passion, but also take a risk as well. I'll premis the rest with read up on some collecting articles, you apparently don't know what it is, it is for all practicality bare rooted (not necessarily bad), you don't have a pot, you plunked it in a bucket of water until you can get a pot, these all add up to you probably shouldn't have collected it. Any of the previous could be the death warrent for the tree, there are at least 4 no no's that could kill this, where some patience might have been in order.

Hope it works out, as I think Brian said, you have at least a 10 year project ahead of you. Once you get it in a pot leave it alone for a couple of years at least.

 

[Klytus]

It looks peaceful in as much as it has yet to be fashioned into a Shillelagh.

Maybe with leaves it will yield more room for the mind to roam,i hope so.

 

[Redwood Ryan]

Well thanks for your opinions everyone. I have gotten different views about it on different forums. I guess I just see something different than what everyone else does. I still think it will have potential way down the road....

 

[Klytus]

Do we know what it is yet?

I'm guessing it's not an evergreen.

 

[treebeard55]

If your purpose is primarily to learn how to care for a yamadori after collection, then you won't lose no matter how the tree turns out. Even if it were to die by Memorial Day, you would still have learned something!

Taper can be built, tho it takes a while. Again, tho, if you look at that phase as primarily for learning, working with this tree can never be a total loss.

I honestly don't see much artistic potential any time soon. But think of it as a learning tree, and if it turns out a show-stopper, that's a bonus!

And I'll ask too: what is it?

 

[Redwood Ryan]

Yes, it is mostly a learning tree

And as to what it is, I'm unsure. I have heard many differing opinions and the only one I have turned down is that it is an oak, because it definitely is not an oak.

 

[Redwood Ryan]

Ryan,
I love collecting too, and while this may lack some unique character (for now), collected d-trees can be bare stumps with good radial roots and developed pretty quickly. It's a little different than collecting pines or junipers, where you are really looking for a special base, trunk line, or character that already exists in the tree.

You are looking at a 10-year project here anyway, so look for the BEST features the tree offers and get rid of everything else. If you haven't potted it yet, you'll need to shorten the thick roots and leave as many of the fine feeder roots as you can; work from the underside of the base to get rid of anything bigger than 1", but always trying to preserve feeder roots. You might want to shorten the trunks down to 10"-12", and regrow some taper to eliminate the baseball bat look, and make your height-to-width ratio a little more aesthetically pleasing. Then let it grow for a few years (maybe even in the ground).

What did you see in the tree to make you take the time to collect it? The best feature I can see is how the taller trunk moves out and away from the shorter trunk at the base. That would be my focal point. Find a front that really accentuates this, and shorten the trunks until you have a 4-1 ratio. Then...go do some more collecting!!!!

Well, sadly I already potted it after this was posted. I presume I could take it out once it establishes itself, then cut the roots, etc? And I was also recommended on another site to cut it back, but shouldn't I let it recover first? Thanks!

 

[Klytus]

Was is an urban find or more of a wilderness thing?

You could cut it back,with two trunks you could cut one this year and see what happens.

 

[Redwood Ryan]

It was back in the woods. It was chopped naturally by beavers, and I don't think Oak is a beaver's favorite kind of tree.

 

[Klytus]

Not a Populus area,probably native or naturalised.

I'm on the edge of my seat here,it had better throw a leaf or two.

 

[Redwood Ryan]

I sure hope it does too, let's just hope I can keep it alive and have it backbud....