The big tree, little car struggle.

[leatherback]

You pay, then ask for a saw.
Problem solved.

 

[BobbyLane]

yes they dont like if you snip before you buy

 

[BillsBayou]

yes they dont like if you snip before you buy

What the hell am I doing stumping trees in Home Depot's parking lot? Just inside the door from the garden center, you can find plenty of cutting tools. "Maximum cutting capacity: 2-inches" Gee, I wonder if it'll do 2-1/2? Let's find out. Then you put the loppers back on the shelf, maybe a little dirty, maybe a little out of alignment, and head to checkout. All you have in your cart are a couple of tree stumps in pots. What do you do with the other 8 feet of tree? Stand it up among the others on display. Put the cut end on the soil. Looks like a pot with two trees in it if you don't look too close.

I don't see the issue here. It's a good plan.

 

[Paradox]

If you have trees that are hardy to your USDA 7a zone, they might do best by having a good freeze. Look into how to best make your trees winter hardy. It may involve placing them down on the ground and using pine straw, or some other mulching material. Then mulch to the height of the first branch.

I had a toyo nishiki quince which was beautiful when I bought it in north Mississippi. It came to New Orleans to languish and nearly die. A couple winters later, we had a series of days of low thirties, upper twenties. That spring, the tree flowered like crazy. Someone from Shreveport said they would take care of it so I gave it to them. Some trees do best when they freeze, I guess.

Who made your greenhouse? I had a Harbor Freight (Horror Fright) greenhouse. It imploded in 30mph winds with every nut, bolt, and clamp in place.

I bought a beech last summer in a 5 gallon pot. It was obviously too late to do a repot then so I kept it in the pot. It was way too big to put in my coldframe so left it in the corner between the cold frame and my fence. We had a few short periods where temperatures dropped into the high 20s. I repotted the tree at the right time but the tree has not leafed out.

I've had beech sulk before and not leaf out but at this point as I keep checking it, its still not dead but still declining. So I think it's probably a goner. The only thing that makes sense is that winter temps got too low and I didn't provide additional protection during the weeks it dropped into the 20s which is why I advise giving additional protection below 30 for a hornbeam in a pot.

If it was a Scots pine, I wouldn't say that since they are more cold hardy.

 

[HENDO]

Loving this thread, can definitely relate!

Our little Rav4 has a ton of room when you take the spare tire out! Here's a 44inch tall Ficus Benjamina "Too Little" stuffed in the back:

 

[Cajunrider]

Loving this thread, can definitely relate!

Our little Rav4 has a ton of room when you take the spare tire out! Here's a 44inch tall Ficus Benjamina "Too Little" stuffed in the back:

View attachment 451118

Beautiful tree in a car.

 

[BillsBayou]

I bought a beech last summer in a 5 gallon pot. It was obviously too late to do a repot then so I kept it in the pot. It was way too big to put in my coldframe so left it in the corner between the cold frame and my fence. We had a few short periods where temperatures dropped into the high 20s. I repotted the tree at the right time but the tree has not leafed out.

I've had beech sulk before and not leaf out but at this point as I keep checking it, its still not dead but still declining. So I think it's probably a goner. The only thing that makes sense is that winter temps got too low and I didn't provide additional protection during the weeks it dropped into the 20s which is why I advise giving additional protection below 30 for a hornbeam in a pot.

If it was a Scots pine, I wouldn't say that since they are more cold hardy.

Just a general statement, not necessarily to your instance:
Another factor in hardiness is that the USDA created these zones for trees in the ground. Sometimes a frost tolerant species will suffer if we don't protect the roots.

 

[Paradox]

Just a general statement, not necessarily to your instance:
Another factor in hardiness is that the USDA created these zones for trees in the ground. Sometimes a frost tolerant species will suffer if we don't protect the roots.

Agreed, a tree in a pot is much less cold hardy than one in the ground.
The general guideline I have seen posted is assume your tree is hardy to one zone warmer than what is stated for the species in the ground

 

[ironliver316]

Who made your greenhouse? I had a Harbor Freight (Horror Fright) greenhouse. It imploded in 30mph winds with every nut, bolt, and clamp in place.

I bought this one from Amazon.

https://a.co/d/41hCKca

The poles are hollow, so to over tighten the bolts at the connection points would easily crush the poles. So I tightly filled the ends with wooden dowels and drilled the hole for the bolts. That way, I can tighten the shit out of it without crushing the cheap poles, making it super sturdy. Then I put sandbags on the entire bottom, even the door flaps. It ended up being very solid and didn't even flinch in any storms or snow that we got. I also duct taped the cover to the poles instead of just relying on the handful of velcro straps it has.

 

[19Mateo83]

What the hell am I doing stumping trees in Home Depot's parking lot? Just inside the door from the garden center, you can find plenty of cutting tools. "Maximum cutting capacity: 2-inches" Gee, I wonder if it'll do 2-1/2? Let's find out. Then you put the loppers back on the shelf, maybe a little dirty, maybe a little out of alignment, and head to checkout. All you have in your cart are a couple of tree stumps in pots. What do you do with the other 8 feet of tree? Stand it up among the others on display. Put the cut end on the soil. Looks like a pot with two trees in it if you don't look too close.

I don't see the issue here. It's a good plan.

You forgot the part where you ask for a discount for a broken tree…. It’s usually 50% . They will never know lol

 

[Frozentreehugger]

Before you read this yes I am a automotive tech . . But this is easy . Every car I have owned has the tools necessary to remove the passenger seat in the car at all times . Normally this requires one wrench or a cheap socket driver and one socket . 4 bolts and disconnect one electrical connector . This changes the storage ability of any car dramatically . Seat can be folded and stored in trunk or upside down behind drivers seat . . Pre remove the seat so your prepared older cars often have rusty very tight bolts pre removal makes in and out easy . Learn how to disconnect the wiring connector locking tab correctly . Always remember if you put effort into growing trees in a pot and work to keep small what naturally wants to be big your already crazy . So people looking at you strange when your taking the seat out in a parking lot with a large object like a tree beside the car . Should not faze you

 

[Backwardsvg]

Just packed this guy into my Subaru hah. Didn’t want to top it as I want it to grow out more. But safe to say it looked insane inside my car while driving.

 

[Frozentreehugger]

A great compromise is a utility trailer . If your like me my long commute to work . Requires a small fuel efficient car for practicality . ( would love a pick up truck but fuel would leave no money for trees ) Even the smallest cars can tow 2000 lbs mist mid size or even larger small cars can tow 3500 lbs . A quality small single axle trailer 4x8 is a common size solves a lot of problems . Mine is a 4x6 box on a 4x8 trailer frame . If you are not used to a trailer a word of advice tongue length . Is the most important statistic to make moving it easy . That is the distance from the trailer hitch ball on the car to the axle or tires . The longer this distance is the more stable the trailer is on the road and the easier it is to back up . Short little trailers are a pain . He hence the build of mine . Great addition to any home owner gardener or tree people . Mine was custom made 10 years ago 700 $ Re grease the wheel bearings once a year . Don’t neglect the tires when they get weather cracks on sidewall replace them . End of 90 percent of common problems

 

[AshleyMammal]

Juniper

 

[Frozentreehugger]

Juniper

What is that is that a nursery tree or dug wild tree . Pretty overgrown for a nursery looks like gig up landscape tree

 

[AshleyMammal]

What is that is that a nursery tree or dug wild tree . Pretty overgrown for a nursery looks like gig up landscape tree

This was dug out, on my own in the cold/wet January weather, from a former very historic iron foundry site in the UK, shortly before being ripped out to make way for houses.

I've spent the last two years reducing it down and chasing the growth back to the trunk and got it into a large training pot this year. In hindsight, it grows so strong that I could have chopped back a whole lot more but better safe than sorry.

 

[Frozentreehugger]

This was dug out, on my own in the cold/wet January weather, from a former very historic iron foundry site in the UK, shortly before being ripped out to make way for houses.

I've spent the last two years reducing it down and chasing the growth back to the trunk and got it into a large training pot this year. In hindsight, it grows so strong that I could have chopped back a whole lot more but better safe than sorry.

Nice find I’m confident you did the correct thing keeping the foliage for recovering after collection most junipers can absorb moisture from the atmosphere . Thru there foliage . Helping recovery while they grow roots .

 

[Srt8madness]

This was dug out, on my own in the cold/wet January weather, from a former very historic iron foundry site in the UK, shortly before being ripped out to make way for houses.

I've spent the last two years reducing it down and chasing the growth back to the trunk and got it into a large training pot this year. In hindsight, it grows so strong that I could have chopped back a whole lot more but better safe than sorry.

Actually it's possible what you did was just right, and that cutting back more would have only slowed recovery down. It's easy to think "well it worked so I could have been more aggressive ", but give yourself a pat on the back for keeping such a large/old yamadori alive and thriving.

 

[Frozentreehugger]

Do you have a pic of the trunk base . Any idea exactly what species of juniper . I have found older long running nurseries . . With long time ownership or employees . And or landscape people a wealth of info in this regard .often can help with what was common and or available in landscape industry at a given time in the past .

 

[WNC Bonsai]

Before you read this yes I am a automotive tech . . But this is easy . Every car I have owned has the tools necessary to remove the passenger seat in the car at all times . Normally this requires one wrench or a cheap socket driver and one socket . 4 bolts and disconnect one electrical connector . This changes the storage ability of any car dramatically . Seat can be folded and stored in trunk or upside down behind drivers seat . . Pre remove the seat so your prepared older cars often have rusty very tight bolts pre removal makes in and out easy . Learn how to disconnect the wiring connector locking tab correctly . Always remember if you put effort into growing trees in a pot and work to keep small what naturally wants to be big your already crazy . So people looking at you strange when your taking the seat out in a parking lot with a large object like a tree beside the car . Should not faze you

Even pwning a trick is not a guarantee of easy transport. Just this past weekend I had to remove the passenger seat from my Tacoma to transport a tree to the local club meeting. Took about ten minutes to pop out the 4 bolts holding it in place.