Scots Pine? Eastern Red Cedar?

PeterPeter

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Brand new to even the idea of trying to bonsai. But a night of insomnia and YouTube may have given me the bug. I live in semi rural Kansas where eastern red cedar is abundant. I also have some grandbaby scots pines. I'm contemplating digging up one or the other or one of each. Potting it at least until spring or more then beginning to train it. Am I crazy?
 

PeterPeter

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They are in the ground now on my property. I plan to dig it or them up soon. Put into an appropriate sized pot to let it transition or recover and grow. After that I'll begin to shape it, wire it, "train it" if you will.
 

Potawatomi13

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OK. Should not dig/pot until just before Spring growth begins. Should not work on after that until well established. Likely 2 years later(for conifers);). Grow boxes for establishing new trees much better than any Bonsai pot. Fancy pots are LAST thing to worry about growing any tree. Happy roots happy tree first primary concern.
 

PeterPeter

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But but but .... okay I'll be patient. I wasn't planning on doing anything beyond nurturing for a couple of years. I guess my primary question is or was about doing such with either the red cedar or the scots pine.

What about height ? Assuming shorter is better. The ones I've identified are perhaps 3' or 1M tall.
 

sorce

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Oh you're Crazy! Welcome to It!

What's the five day look like out in rural Kansas?
Temp, Humidity, and Wind.

I don't believe there is a "too hot" to collect.
Scott's Pine is a summer Repot up here.
And if ERC is so plentiful, might as well dig one up now and see what happens.

If it is "too hot", even if it's just too hot for you, the day after the full moon of September should be safe. But August's is right around the.... horizon!

We won't tell our wives please wait for this thing, so We shouldn't tell you to wait until spring!

Get all the roots you can.

Sorce
 

Orion_metalhead

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Erc will be tough to do much with if there is no foliage close to trunk currently, just keep that in mind.

There are a few nice examples but not the easiest tree to work with. The scotts pinr might be better in the long run, but both trees will be great learning opportunities.

I also say wait to dig them... I have had good success with late winter collection on both my ERC but others have said summer for junipers, so I feel any time during dormancy times would be safe for them.

Good luck.
 

PeterPeter

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First I want to say what a nice forum this seems to be. So helpful and sharing without making one feel like an idiot, so thank you all ! Yesterday I went ahead and dug up 5 baby ERCs maybe 2-3" in height and got them potted. LIving in rural Kansas where ERCs pop up all over, it seems, I found a small "patch" of 10 and made the leap. Today I hope to dig up the other 5 or 6. I've got the pots, I've got the soil and I have the time so figured why not? The scots pine I've found on my property my wife thinks is 20-24" tall so I want to try and successfully dig it up as well as 2-3 ERCs near and in a hedge row. They are closer to 3'. Thinking, assuming, that I can leave them potted and outside. I plan on just caring for them as is for at least 12 if not 24 or more months. Thinking other than the 3' ERCs, growth is a great thing.

Okay my question for the future: With the taller ones, from what I've read and viewed on Youtube videos, cutting the top of the tree off is a good or recommended thing for shaping and encouraging trunk growth - is this the opinion?

Thank you all again !
 

sorce

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- is this the opinion?

It must be someone's! 😉

Everything is equally half horticulture half design.

There is a horticultural chop timing, and an Aesthetic chop timing, these you must marry, with an excellent idea of the future.

Take your time to figure out the future before acting.

Bonsai in a nutshell.

Sorce
 

PeterPeter

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This new adventure is a nice slow paced one. I'm just hoping for nice growth (whatever I decide that is) over the next 24 months. No rush. Thank you for your advice, opinion, etc ;-)
 

Orion_metalhead

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Post pictures of the pine... if the tree is straight, I would cut the top off and wire movement now, and let a new leader grow to thicken the trunk as it lignifies and holds position. If the trunk has movement already down low where you want movement, then I would let the top stay, to aid thickening of the trunk as is, and remove intermediary branches between the lower part of the tree which will ultimately become the part you develop and the apex which is forcing the strong growth. You can leave like that until the trunk is the thickness you want. Putting it in a pot now will slow down the thickening process a bit, so consider this and perhaps work on in-ground root growth and nebari now before digging the tree.

I would look at the pine subforum and what people are doing in the 6yr black pine contest for ideas.
 

sorce

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When's the Pumpkin Eating fest Bro!?

Sorce
 
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