Tree of Heaven No. 1

[BeepBeepBonsaiSheep]

Ailanthus altissima

I saw this on previous trips to this property. I got permission again to dig a few of these trees up (Will post in separate threads)

I know these are invasive species and native to China. Best case, I got good material. Worst case, one more off the streets (to be replaced by 100 more)

The plan is to let it recover and then chop it end of winter

 

[Crazy Diamond]

To me is a species that is not worth the effort, giant leaves very coarse and poor ramification, they also smell bad xD

 

[Michael P]

Yes, dig and torture all you want! You are doing your ecosystem a favor.

 

[BeepBeepBonsaiSheep]

Yes, dig and torture all you want! You are doing your ecosystem a favor.

My thoughts exactly

 

[penumbra]

They do have a horrible smell. But that is just one of the reasons it would be the very last plant I would waste my time on. In fact, my mouth literally dropped open when I read the title of the post.

 

[BeepBeepBonsaiSheep]

Had some free time and had a big 20gal pot of used potting soil/ nursery soil I could use up

Repot time! Better than the literal dirt they were in

 

[WNC Bonsai]

I have one in my back yard I am about to lop off and paint with Roundup. Free to anyone willing to dig it up

 

[penumbra]

I have one in my back yard I am about to lop off and paint with Roundup. Free to anyone willing to dig it up

I have found it a little bit easier to kill bamboo.
I remember where I lived about 40 years ago there was a single tree with about a 10-12 inch caliper trunk. I cut a ring around the entire trunk removing a strip of bark about 10 - 12 inches. I ignored it for awhile because the place it was growing was out of sight, out of mind. It didn't die. It bridged the gap. The bridge started on the top of the cut and dripped downward like alien snot. The next year I cut the tree down, bored some holes downward and poured brush killer into the holes. It finally died.
I think if you paint roundup concentrate on the fresh cut right away, you just might kill it.

 

[WNC Bonsai]

I think if you paint roundup concentrate on the fresh cut right away, you just might kill it.

That’s the plan. Actually I have a couple gallons of 45% concentrate and will paint it with that!

 

[BeepBeepBonsaiSheep]

Just noticed this afternoon that this one is pushing buds!

 

[BeepBeepBonsaiSheep]

A little clean up and it looks much better. Also moved into (mostly) full sun to really get some energy stored for winter. I’ll prob do a light fertilizing later today. All my other material has responded well to fertilizing the last few times (about once every 2 weeks)

I may save the aforementioned “chop end of winter” to see how this tree does. And see what I can get away with next season as well as how it responds to wiring and stuff. So at least a full season of experimenting, maybe 2, before doing a final chop way low at the movement

Or just chop end of winter and figure things out from there? We’ll see I guess

 

[BeepBeepBonsaiSheep]

It lives! I like the colors

I copped it at some point. I think I took off 2/3 of the previous amount of leaves, so it’s a little shorter than in the other pic

 

[BeepBeepBonsaiSheep]

To all the haters, it’s back! It’s been doing fine

I haven’t done anything to it since last season. It may look taller than the pic two yrs ago, but it’s because a shoot has grown straight up

 

[WNC Bonsai]

That’s the plan. Actually I have a couple gallons of 45% concentrate and will paint it with that!

I sprayed mine as planned and it is dead for sure, no leaves in a couple of years.