Another collected Ashe juniper

[Big Country Bonsai]

Hello jbogard, I collected 2 ashe junipers in Feb. 2020. Removed all the rootball dirt with garden hose. Submerged the roots for 3 weeks, Potted them in boon mix, left them in the shade for 5 or 6 weeks, and I watched them slowly die. I did what i saw others do on YouTube. But from your pics, I see you wrap the rootball in plastic wrap. The next pic shows the tree in white rocks, is the rootball you dug up under the white rocks? What is the step by step process ? I have Attached my the tree pics for you. Thanks.

It’s hard to find any info in video form for collecting Ashe juniper. Unlike deciduous trees, you want to keep the rootball intact with conifers. After I collect the tree I take it home and get it out of the plastic while trying to keep the dirt intact. Then expose about 1/2 to 1 of roots all around and cut them cleanly with scissors. If you can’t do this without knocking off all the dirt then don’t worry about doing this step. Find a container and be sure to put tue down wire in it. Wooden boxes are supposed to work best for promoting new growth I believe. Put a thin layer of pumice in the bottom of the container and gently place tree into container. Tie it in so it is really stable and full in around it with pumice. Place in part shade and out of wind. Mist the tree as much as possible. I have mine on a timer that goes off for a minute every thirty minutes.

 

[JW68]

Ok, great! I have 2 more junipers for experiment both 18" tall. One has been submerged with no rootball like the other two that died. The other I kept the rootball, intact and just put it in a pot not tied down. They have been this way for close to a month, both look pretty good still. Now I'm just worried for the one in water. Should I put it in pumice or potting soil? Thanks for your help, appreciate it very much.

 

[Boris]

Hello jbogard, I collected 2 ashe junipers in Feb. 2020. Removed all the rootball dirt with garden hose. Submerged the roots for 3 weeks, Potted them in boon mix, left them in the shade for 5 or 6 weeks, and I watched them slowly die. I did what i saw others do on YouTube. But from your pics, I see you wrap the rootball in plastic wrap. The next pic shows the tree in white rocks, is the rootball you dug up under the white rocks? What is the step by step process ? I have Attached my the tree pics for you. Thanks.

for Juniper/pines, you never want to wash the root but to leave as much as the original dirt with it. It's because of the bacteria that lives with the root and helps digest/eat. Only put pumice/soil outside or inserted in conduits in the middle.

 

[Big Country Bonsai]

Ok, great! I have 2 more junipers for experiment both 18" tall. One has been submerged with no rootball like the other two that died. The other I kept the rootball, intact and just put it in a pot not tied down. They have been this way for close to a month, both look pretty good still. Now I'm just worried for the one in water. Should I put it in pumice or potting soil? Thanks for your help, appreciate it very much.

I wouldn’t touch it anymore. If you do, it will surely die. Just keep the foliage a moist as possible and hope for the best!

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Storing a juniper in a bucket of water is not a recommended technique for junipers, or conifers in general. It is fine for deciduous trees and bald cypress, but for junipers it washes away the soil mass you should have collected.

Even for deciduous trees, like maple, sitting in a bucket of water is an emergency storage trick, and should be used for less than 4 hours if possible. 24 to 48 hours max. Weeks in a bucket of water really is setting yourself up for failure.

Pumice is a good first potting medium for most collected trees. Especially good for junipers and conifers.

Bald cypress, you don't need to use pumice, there may be better media, but this thread is about juniper, pumice is ideal for junipers.

 

[rockm]

Ok, great! I have 2 more junipers for experiment both 18" tall. One has been submerged with no rootball like the other two that died. The other I kept the rootball, intact and just put it in a pot not tied down. They have been this way for close to a month, both look pretty good still. Now I'm just worried for the one in water. Should I put it in pumice or potting soil? Thanks for your help, appreciate it very much.

you CANNOT bare root conifers, you particularly cannot bareroot ashe juniper. Soaking the rootball is also not a great idea, since it tends to wash the soil off. Bogard's cautious approach with original roots and dirt is best. Conifers are not as resilient to the drastic "bare root and chop" techniques that deciduous trees like cedar elm don't care about...

 

[JW68]

Storing a juniper in a bucket of water is not a recommended technique for junipers, or conifers in general. It is fine for deciduous trees and bald cypress, but for junipers it washes away the soil mass you should have collected.

Even for deciduous trees, like maple, sitting in a bucket of water is an emergency storage trick, and should be used for less than 4 hours if possible. 24 to 48 hours max. Weeks in a bucket of water really is setting yourself up for failure.

Pumice is a good first potting medium for most collected trees. Especially good for junipers and conifers.

Bald cypress, you don't need to use pumice, there may be better media, but this thread is about juniper, pumice is ideal for junipers.

Great info, thanks so much.

 

[Big Country Bonsai]

Just dropping this little update. A few years on and this tree is doing great. I did the first styling this spring and it’s seemed to bounce back just fine. Still needs lots of refinement but we’ll get there slowly but surely