Ponderosa Yamadori: can I collect these now?

[Atom#28]

I got permission to take any trees I find from this lil private forest. All I can find are Pondys, some are nice and chubby with shortish needles. Safe to collect these at this time of year?

ALSO: do any of these look even remotely worth collecting? All are 3’-4’ tall. 3”-4” trunks at the base


Manipulated the images on a few to see the trunks a bit better:

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

I see sandy soil, that usually means that they have a taproot going down deeper than the longest branch is tall. Not sure about the right timing for ponderosa, but I just wanted to warn you before you dig that this might be troublesome.

 

[A. Gorilla]

Short needles will explode in length for a while (few years) after collection. Don't be alarmed should you successfully dig one.

Goldenarrowbonsai.com. Like around there for impressions of what is worth collecting. He has videos on YouTube of the process. Features him lifting them off rock faces where the roots are distinctly contained.

 

[Atom#28]

I see sandy soil, that usually means that they have a taproot going down deeper than the longest branch is tall. Not sure about the right timing for ponderosa, but I just wanted to warn you before you dig that this might be troublesome.

Thank you. Yeah, it’s a strange area: sandy and very rocky, lots and lots of softball sized hunks of basalt.

 

[BrianBay9]

As Gorilla noted, they're best collected from pockets in rocky ridges. I've had success collecting in the fall in Colorado. I'd wait until October or so though.

 

[plant_dr]

The foliage looks pretty far out on the branches. It will take some creative bending, grafting or chasing the foliage back closer to the trunk when it comes to styling. Great bark though

 

[Atom#28]

The foliage looks pretty far out on the branches. It will take some creative bending, grafting or chasing the foliage back closer to the trunk when it comes to styling. Great bark though

One thing I do know about Ponderosa Pines, having lived among them my whole life, is they are flexible AF! And resilient! You can tie a sapling into 3 or 4 knots and they just keep chuggin' along. No cracks, no tears.

However, one (of many) thing I DON'T know about them is how well they respond / heal after major trunk choppage. Since I have an almost unlimited supply of material, I am looking forward to some experimentation!

 

[BrianBay9]

However, one (of many) thing I DON'T know about them is how well they respond / heal after major trunk choppage. Since I have an almost unlimited supply of material, I am looking forward to some experimentation!

Don't worry about it. They look great with dead wood, both jin and shari. Leave some stumps when you cut.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Much agreement on foliage at ends of long branches not so good. Back budding normally does not go back beyond live foliage.

 

[Atom#28]

Much agreement on foliage at ends of long branches not so good. Back budding normally does not go back beyond live foliage.

Yeah I went back and looked again. Cool trees, but not great yamadori for someone as inexperienced as me.