Yamadori

[Stuster]

Question. I have opportunity to collect 50 year old junipers from an old parking lot at a closed mall (I know the owner) before they redevelop. I assume these plants have serious roots. What is best way to collect. I have a few months and could do some preliminary root and/or foliage cut back. Any advice would be appreciated

 

[bonsaichile]

Now is a good time to do it. Try to get as many fine roots as you can, and bud a grow box where they fit snuggly. Keep them out of full sun at first, plant them in pure pumice with whatever original soil remains in the root ball. Water once a day and mist the foliage often, especially the first month. Be consistent in the aftercare you provide.

Good luck!

By the way, those would ve collected trees, not yamadori. Not all collected trees are yamadori, and never if they are collected in a human environment like a park, parking lot or backyard.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Where are you located? If it’s spring, this is a good time. This is how I handle collected junipers with good results:
https://nebaribonsai.wordpress.com/2013/05/24/south-dakota-collecting-trip-day-4/

 

[Potawatomi13]

Not collected from wild showing character of privation/weathering/age=NOT Yamadori.

 

[JoeH]

Not collected from wild showing character of privation/weathering/age=NOT Yamadori.

wow, that is so helpful.

 

[Shibui]

Mall parking lot trees often show character of privation/weathering/damage like mountain trees. Damage may be from human foot traffic and cars rather than deer and other wild animals but the results can be the same. Depending on the age of the parking lot the trees may be as old as some that are mountain collected.
I'm sure you are comparing some of the best yamadori with our parking lot trees. Obviously those very best trees will have far better character than almost anything else but I have seen quite poor examples collected and passed off as 'yamadori' and therefore supposedly superior to any other sources. I'd rather have a good bonsai than an ugly yamadori any day.
While not strictly yamadori, for many of us, urban sources of advanced stock for bonsai is the closest we can get and should be encouraged rather than denigrated.

 

[bonsaichile]

Mall parking lot trees often show character of privation/weathering/damage like mountain trees. Damage may be from human foot traffic and cars rather than deer and other wild animals but the results can be the same. Depending on the age of the parking lot the trees may be as old as some that are mountain collected.
I'm sure you are comparing some of the best yamadori with our parking lot trees. Obviously those very best trees will have far better character than almost anything else but I have seen quite poor examples collected and passed off as 'yamadori' and therefore supposedly superior to any other sources. I'd rather have a good bonsai than an ugly yamadori any day.
While not strictly yamadori, for many of us, urban sources of advanced stock for bonsai is the closest we can get and should be encouraged rather than denigrated.

A yamadori is not just an old, collected tree from the mountains. It is also a tree that has been sought for. The idea of the search is related to the search of oneself and is associated with Zen Buddhist practices and concepts. No parking lot tree can live up to that, and most collected trees dont either. So in fact, calling a parking lot tree simply "collected" is not denigrating anything. Quite the opposite: calling it a yamadori is to denigrate the concept of yamadori.

 

[Jonathan_J]

A yamadori is not just an old, collected tree from the mountains. It is also a tree that has been sought for. The idea of the search is related to the search of oneself and is associated with Zen Buddhist practices and concepts. No parking lot tree can live up to that, and most collected trees dont either. So in fact, calling a parking lot tree simply "collected" is not denigrating anything. Quite the opposite: calling it a yamadori is to denigrate the concept of yamadori.

 

[BubblePopScott]

Where are you located? If it’s spring, this is a good time. This is how I handle collected junipers with good results:
https://nebaribonsai.wordpress.com/2013/05/24/south-dakota-collecting-trip-day-4/

That's really useful thank you, did you remove the burlap once it was in the box or leave it in for a while?

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

That's really useful thank you, did you remove the burlap once it was in the box or leave it in for a while?

Left it until the first repot 2-3 years later.

 

[BubblePopScott]

Thanks Brian, is the reason to help protect the roots from shock of the transplant?

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Thanks Brian, is the reason to help protect the roots from shock of the transplant?

No, just to minimize any further disturbance and to keep what’s left stable until the tree recovers enough to start sending out new roots. The burlap roots and the new roots easily grow out into the aggregate. By repotting time, the new roots are out into good Bonsai soi, and it’s easy to remove the old field soil.

 

[BubblePopScott]

Thank you, I have much and more to learn