Advice on how to travel with a newly collected yamadori bonsai while out of town

[Damart81]

I recently collected a bald cypress that is around 4ft tall with a chop, this was collected while I am currently out of town visiting a friend's property. I am not heading back home for another two weeks, but will be transporting the tree in my car. Due to space issues, I will have to lay it on it's side and not sure if I should pot it now or wait due to the size when transporting.

What would be the best way to maintain it for now and then transport it? I currently have it in a trash bag in a mix of sphagnum moss, peat moss, perlite, vermiculite, and I am keeping it moist.

Should I just leave it in the trash bags for now so it will be easier to transport in two weeks or should I pot it now and figure out how to best transport that on it's side?

Thanks!

D

 

[BrianBay9]

Can't say I've tried this before, but if it were me I would pack the root ball tight with sphagnum moss, wrap securely in plastic (cling wrap), cover the whole tree in plastic bags then keep cool as possible before and during travel.

 

[19Mateo83]

If I was in your situation I would pot the tree in your pot like you plan to when you get home. I would make sure to tie it in really well and mound the soil a little bit. When it comes moving time two weeks from now you put the whole thing in a trash bag and get a roll of the packing shrink wrap. Wrap the whole pot as tightly and throughly as you can to minimize disturbance to the roots. It should then be good for a ride. Your odds of survival will go way up if you only have to pot it once. @Canada Bonsai deals with a lot of shipped trees. Maybe he will chime in on this one. Great BC and a hell of a first post! Welcome!

 

[Pixar]

Get a roof rack and transport in trash bag

 

[Backwardsvg]

Where you headed? If you’re going from warm to a freezing climate it may also change your ideas

 

[vp999]

That tree in the 2nd pic is killer, I would jin the top and make a lightning tree with it. Good luck.

 

[Damart81]

Where you headed? If you’re going from warm to a freezing climate it may also change your ideas

Just to Texas so the weather shouldn’t change too much.

 

[Damart81]

If I was in your situation I would pot the tree in your pot like you plan to when you get home. I would make sure to tie it in really well and mound the soil a little bit. When it comes moving time two weeks from now you put the whole thing in a trash bag and get a roll of the packing shrink wrap. Wrap the whole pot as tightly and throughly as you can to minimize disturbance to the roots. It should then be good for a ride. Your odds of survival will go way up if you only have to pot it once. @Canada Bonsai deals with a lot of shipped trees. Maybe he will chime in on this one. Great BC and a hell of a first post! Welcome!

Thanks! Thinking of heading in this direction so it can be potted already, if just to quell my worries. If I can wrap the pot like crazy, I guess it wouldn’t matter if it’s on it’s side.

 

[19Mateo83]

Thanks! Thinking of heading in this direction so it can be potted already, if just to quell my worries. If I can wrap the pot like crazy, I guess it wouldn’t matter if it’s on it’s side.

Nope, it won’t matter one bit. When I ship plants I do the same thing and they ship on their sides and I haven’t had any issues yet. Just make sure it’s wired in tight and you mound a little extra soil on top so it compresses when you wrap it and it will help keep the tree and pot solid and secure when it’s on its side. You shouldn’t have any issues.

 

[Shibui]

It is winter there. The bald cypress is dormant in winter so it won't know or care if it is potted up or vertical or horizontal. The only issue will be drying out. Wrap the roots well with something damp - moss, sawdust, sand, soil, wet towels, pretty much anything that will hold and retain moisture for the time you are travelling. Wrap securely in plastic to hold it together and retain moisture. I would also wrap the trunk to protect it from accidental damage as you load and unload the car. A dormant tree does not know or care about light so any wrap will do.
After you get home you can remove all the wrapping and root packing and pot up as usual.