Digging urban needle juniper

[BonsaiMobius]

Hi, All.

I recently moved to a new house that has a nice needle juniper near one of the corners of the house. I was planning to wait until a little later in spring to dig it but with as warm as it has been here lately, I am considering doing it now. It is going to reach 70° here today and there already is a daffodil blooming right next to it.

What do you think?

 

[nover18]

Hi, All.

I recently moved to a new house that has a nice needle juniper near one of the corners of the house. I was planning to wait until a little later in spring to dig it but with as warm as it has been here lately, I am considering doing it now. It is going to reach 70° here today and there already is a daffodil blooming right next to it.

What do you think?

That's a pretty nice find! I believe you can dig these any time of year but you most likely will have most success if you wait until you notice it starting to green up and put on a bit of new growth. Hard to tell exactly from your pictures what kind of juniper. Perhaps a green -mound or blue-star.

 

[Cypress187]

I'm totally unqualified to classify species, but I think tosho juniper

 

[calviny]

That's a nice one! best of luck getting it out.

 

[wireme]

Trunk looks fantastic.
Since its at your house anyway it might be good to prep it in the ground for a season or two before digging. Why is there so little foliage? Almost looks like the previous owner may have pruned it back hard and it's recovering now? Or died back in the ground and dead stuff was pruned off? Anyway maybe taking really good care of it in the ground to gain more foliage and strength before digging. Trunk looks worth it. Maybe some root chasing in the ground..maybe...
Have you successfully collected comparable trees before?

 

[sorce]

recovering now?

Aye....

To many unknowns....


This could be this trees first year....

Or its last!

Lessin you moving tomoro......

I would start prepping it after this year.

Sorce

 

[Wilson]

Looks amazing, but I too would fertilize and help gain strength well still in ground. Boost that sucker up, then you can be more confident in collecting.

 

[Shun]

Lol.. You guys are so lucky.. Yamadori material on the Garden of your house.. Hahahahah

I bet you've bought the house just for the plant! Hahah

 

[just.wing.it]

Lucky duck!
Wow! That'll be nice one day!
I agree with the above-mentioned of prepping it in the ground by root pruning with a long sharp spade and fertilizing for a year or two first.

 

[LeonardB]

Hi, All.

I recently moved to a new house that has a nice needle juniper near one of the corners of the house. I was planning to wait until a little later in spring to dig it but with as warm as it has been here lately, I am considering doing it now. It is going to reach 70° here today and there already is a daffodil blooming right next to it.

What do you think?

Wow outstanding find. I have a Mauro Stemberger workshop that this would shine in( If you would consider a trade I would love to chat ). To me this juniper rivals any yamadori seen in collected material from the west. Lucky you.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Nice tree with a lot of potential. Last time we went collecting out west, my buddy and I wrapped the roots tightly in burlap, and packed the whole thing into a tight wooden box, back-filled with coarse aggregate. Mist the foliage as often as possible, and kept them in the shade until they started growing. Out of 12 I think my buddy lost one, mine all lived; and now almost 4 years later, they are strong enough to begin training.
Photos of the process are here. This juniper is definitely worth trying. Good luck.
https://nebaribonsai.wordpress.com/2013/05/24/south-dakota-collecting-trip-day-4/

 

[LeonardB]

Nice tree with a lot of potential. Last time we went collecting out west, my buddy and I wrapped the roots tightly in burlap, and packed the whole thing into a tight wooden box, back-filled with coarse aggregate. Mist the foliage as often as possible, and kept them in the shade until they started growing. Out of 12 I think my buddy lost one, mine all lived; and now almost 4 years later, they are strong enough to begin training.
Photos of the process are here. This juniper is definitely worth trying. Good luck.
https://nebaribonsai.wordpress.com/2013/05/24/south-dakota-collecting-trip-day-4/

Brian,
Read your blog and was blown away. Never saw so much collected material all in one garage. Very impressive.
You say they are ready to begin training, can you share photo's of their condition now. Would love to see them.
Are you keeping all or maybe considering some sales?
When you are raking out the old soil, do you replace the mycorrhizae you lose when raking when putting the roots in new soil?
Regards,
Leonard

 

[BonsaiMobius]

Nice tree with a lot of potential. Last time we went collecting out west, my buddy and I wrapped the roots tightly in burlap, and packed the whole thing into a tight wooden box, back-filled with coarse aggregate. Mist the foliage as often as possible, and kept them in the shade until they started growing. Out of 12 I think my buddy lost one, mine all lived; and now almost 4 years later, they are strong enough to begin training.
Photos of the process are here. This juniper is definitely worth trying. Good luck.
https://nebaribonsai.wordpress.com/2013/05/24/south-dakota-collecting-trip-day-4/

Brian, thanks for the link to the blog!

I was planning to hold off a year and trench around the base to help establish a better root system before collecting it. I started to trench around the tree and it popped right out of the ground with almost no force and not very many roots. There was one tap? root that had a circumference a little less than a dime. However, it did have a small mass of decent roots right at the base of the tree.

I was debating what to do with the soil around the roots. It was a very dense, non-draining clay and I was worried about root rot and it properly draining, so I removed most of it as gently as possible.

I imagine I have reduced it's chances of survival by taking it now. It was/is starting to push new growth. I secured it in a terra cotta pot with a coarse bottom level and then a 1-1-1 mix of akadama, lava and pumice and have been keeping it in the shade, watered and misted. I am hoping that I get lucky and it pulls through over the next few years.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

@BonsaiMobius I think you got enough roots to sustain the tree, and dug at the right time. If you didn't wire it in to the pot at collection, secure it tightly to the pot now by some external means. You don't want it to move in that pot...at all. I'd crumble some sphagnum moss on the soil surface, and mist the foliage and live vein on the trunk every time you look at, but go very easy on watering...like every 3-4 days. Looks like you're using Clay King soil. Its good stuff for this, porous, but retentive enough.

You'll know how the tree is doing in a few weeks. If interior foliage turns yellow and starts to drop, while the tips of the shoots stay green, it's really a good sign; it is responding to the transplant. Keep doing what you're doing and it should live. If all the foliage turns dull gray overall, it isn't responding, and is probably dead. Keep good pix handy from when you collected it so you can compare the foliage condition over the next few weeks.

Good luck, it's really fantastic material. If you're new, this is the right way to start bonsai.

Brian,
Read your blog and was blown away. Never saw so much collected material all in one garage. Very impressive.
You say they are ready to begin training, can you share photo's of their condition now. Would love to see them.
Are you keeping all or maybe considering some sales?
When you are raking out the old soil, do you replace the mycorrhizae you lose when raking when putting the roots in new soil?
Regards,
Leonard

I dug 4; gave one to a friend and still have 3. One is being grafted with Itoigawa, the other two are just waiting for me to have the time and inspiration on the same day to tear into them. Yes; I would sell any or all of them, for local pickup.

I do not worry about mycorrhizae, good soil and watering habits are what really matter. The fungi responsible for this symbiotic relationship are already in the soil, or remain in sufficient quantity on the roots, and are in the air. What's necessary will colonize the pot in time. This is more visually apparent with pines than other species.

 

[LanceMac10]

Hope it makes it for you, pretty interesting considering it's growing in a pretty toney neighborhood!!! Not much fear for avalanches and the like, I imagine....

Good luck with it!!

 

[just.wing.it]

Nice, at least you got some roots!

 

[Steve Kudela]

Brian, thanks for the link to the blog!

I was planning to hold off a year and trench around the base to help establish a better root system before collecting it. I started to trench around the tree and it popped right out of the ground with almost no force and not very many roots. There was one tap? root that had a circumference a little less than a dime. However, it did have a small mass of decent roots right at the base of the tree.

I was debating what to do with the soil around the roots. It was a very dense, non-draining clay and I was worried about root rot and it properly draining, so I removed most of it as gently as possible.

I imagine I have reduced it's chances of survival by taking it now. It was/is starting to push new growth. I secured it in a terra cotta pot with a coarse bottom level and then a 1-1-1 mix of akadama, lava and pumice and have been keeping it in the shade, watered and misted. I am hoping that I get lucky and it pulls through over the next few years.


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I like this one. It looks like a really old conferta , common name blue pacific. Good score!

 

[Saizan]

Good luck! Find this in your property is like a Christmas present!

 

[BonsaiMobius]

@BonsaiMobius I think you got enough roots to sustain the tree, and dug at the right time. If you didn't wire it in to the pot at collection, secure it tightly to the pot now by some external means. You don't want it to move in that pot...at all. I'd crumble some sphagnum moss on the soil surface, and mist the foliage and live vein on the trunk every time you look at, but go very easy on watering...like every 3-4 days. Looks like you're using Clay King soil. Its good stuff for this, porous, but retentive enough.

You'll know how the tree is doing in a few weeks. If interior foliage turns yellow and starts to drop, while the tips of the shoots stay green, it's really a good sign; it is responding to the transplant. Keep doing what you're doing and it should live. If all the foliage turns dull gray overall, it isn't responding, and is probably dead. Keep good pix handy from when you collected it so you can compare the foliage condition over the next few weeks.

Good luck, it's really fantastic material. If you're new, this is the right way to start bonsai.


I dug 4; gave one to a friend and still have 3. One is being grafted with Itoigawa, the other two are just waiting for me to have the time and inspiration on the same day to tear into them. Yes; I would sell any or all of them, for local pickup.
View attachment 133893 View attachment 133894 View attachment 133895 View attachment 133896
I do not worry about mycorrhizae, good soil and watering habits are what really matter. The fungi responsible for this symbiotic relationship are already in the soil, or remain in sufficient quantity on the roots, and are in the air. What's necessary will colonize the pot in time. This is more visually apparent with pines than other species.

Thank you for the helpful information, Brian!

 

[chicago1980]

Hi, All.

I recently moved to a new house that has a nice needle juniper near one of the corners of the house. I was planning to wait until a little later in spring to dig it but with as warm as it has been here lately, I am considering doing it now. It is going to reach 70° here today and there already is a daffodil blooming right next to it.

What do you think?

Nice find! Great movement!