Successes or failures of collecting at the "wrong" time of the year

Bonsai Nut

Nuttier than your average Nut
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I was kinda hoping to hear from the people that had to dig a big lawn juniper , boxwood , azalea, etc. at the wrong time because the owner wanted them gone. I've seen some monster junipers dug that I would be very curious to see if they survived.

I have had to move some large landscape junipers in the middle of the summer in SoCal. The key is to protect the foliage until the roots can recover. Landscape junipers can survive in SoCal without supplemental watering - once established - but need irrigation for the first few years.

When collecting California junipers from the desert, the excepted "best practice" is to use a humidity tent with frequent wetting of the foliage. Since the humidity tent is made from some type of plastic, it is important to not allow the foliage to rest against the plastic, or that part of the tree will usually molder and die.

I was unable to use a humidity tent on the landscape bushes (about 4' in diameter) so I wrapped the foliage balls in burlap (completely), and watered them twice daily. The burlap cut the sun by 75% or so, while still allowing the tree to breathe, and the wet burlap, combined with the wet soil at the rootball, provided humidity. I waited until I saw new growth sticking through the burlap, and then waited about another month or so until the winter rains were approaching before removing the burlap. I have used this method three separate times and not lost a tree. Like everything else with bonsai (and conifers) it requires patience. I kept the burlap on the trees for about six months, give or take.
 

Joe Dupre'

Omono
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Thanks, guys. Those are the kind of experiences I was hoping for. So, extreme attention to aftercare seems to be the common thread throughout. Duly noted.
 

Vali

Mame
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So, extreme attention to aftercare seems to be the common thread throughout.
Not necessarily. I didn't provide any aftercare to my collected trees. The lindens were left outside in very low temperatures (even less than -20C ) with partial protection from wind. The burning bush was placed immediately in full sun. There are too many factors involved to generalise. Different species, different climate, different weather, different work, different everything.
 

Agianinio

Seedling
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My landlord said I could grab anything from his garden since he wasn‘t a garden person. Since it was late June and I just started bonsai I was eyeing to get a deutzia later in the fall along with some lilac and a large black locust. Joke was on me lol. After I returned from vacation July 4th I saw the maintanence guys had chopped the deutzia to smithereens along with the black locust. At that point, I kinda went on a frenzy pulling up anything I could: lilacs, black locust Seedlings, and japanese meadowsweet. I was worried they’d disappear again lol. Almost all the black locust are fine, I have leafless meadowsweet but the stems are green still, and the lilacs have become mini bushes LOL. We’ll see next year
 

Forsoothe!

Imperial Masterpiece
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You need to discriminate more. Black locust is very difficult species, as is Deutzia and Lilacs. This sounds trite, but just because something is available doesn't mean it's worth a shit. Especially to a greenhorn. Miniaturizing woody subjects is hard enough using species that withstand the process, and applying bonsai processes to species that respond poorly usually results in disappointment.
 

Agianinio

Seedling
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Perhaps. Overall, although Black locust is hard to manage, it’s also hard to kill. I tend to have a black thumb when it comes to regular plants, houseplants, flowers, and the like. Overall, my black locust trees been more forgiving than the other with my blundering. If I under or overwater, I see right away, can change my habits, and the tree bounces back as if nothing happens. If there’s too much or too little light it’s the same. I’ve learned a lot about what trees like and how I can keep them living. The others are more vanity projects than anything, as well as practicing on a different more finicky species. The best part is so far I haven’t had to spend anything on trees while I learn.
 

rockm

Spuds Moyogi
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Don't mourn the black locust. Pretty poor bonsai subject--compound leaves and thorns and a reluctant ramifier.
 

Trenthany

Chumono
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This one was a rescue that was taken out back in June. Let’s just say there was a truck involved in its removal and leave it at that. No fine roots at all. Scared to reduce the roots further I dug up a bunch of swamp muck, mixed it with potting soil stuck it in a huge nurserycan with a garbage bag around it inside another can and (taking bad advice) put it in the sun. I left all the foliage but after a month it was bald and and not knowing better (taking bad advice again) I chopped it to around 18”-24” I have over fertilized and flooded it and my aftercare has consisted of keeping it flooded which wets the trunk a couple times a day. I wanted to replicate what almost every healthy cypress I see experiences. Against all odds it survived and has a ton of fine roots now right below the surface. I’ll have a ton of root work to do next year (probably the one after) to get rid of the massive roots and leave only as many feeders as I can then rinse and repeat for about a decade. With as low as all the back budding is I may wind up with a table top stump and multiple trunks like an old logging stump Where to go with that? Anyone ever do a clump cypress? Broom perhaps? Lol

I’ll try and remember to get pics of the small ones in bus tub tomorrow but the concept is similar. Keep them “drowning” wet until dormant season.

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I’m going to cross post this to the out of season collecting thread. Or did I post there already? Regardless it’s going to be a cross post! Lol this is now crossposted to be upfront!
Damn sideways pics again! Sorry
 

Trenthany

Chumono
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I was kinda hoping to hear from the people that had to dig a big lawn juniper , boxwood , azalea, etc. at the wrong time because the owner wanted them gone. I've seen some monster junipers dug that I would be very curious to see if they survived.
This is exactly what I’m about to do... again but I know fall collecting can work so I’m delaying as long as possible till the homeowner says I can’t anymore.
 

leatherback

The Treedeemer
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Do look at the trunk you collected here in the tub. It all died down to the roots. So question is for you to contemplate: Why did it die-back, and what can you do differently with the next collect!
 

Rivian

Chumono
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Sometimes the wrong time to collect is just "later"
I found some fantastic field maples near a path 6 months ago, and I just found out they shredded the whole area. Theres nothing left but wood chips.
 

Forsoothe!

Imperial Masterpiece
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A couple years ago I decided to collect some Quaking Aspen for a forest. It was autumn and they were just matted suckers so I could only get little ones with essentially no roots, but I figured I'd plant them anyway and get some more replacements the following spring. They bulldozed the whole block that spring, but I still have my forest which is doing just fine now.
 

Trenthany

Chumono
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Do look at the trunk you collected here in the tub. It all died down to the roots. So question is for you to contemplate: Why did it die-back, and what can you do differently with the next collect!
Almost everything wrong! Lol. Seasonality matters and so does aftercare! With everything I’ve learned since about collecting I’d do a loooot different! But I have been blessed with another new shoot!
 
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