Collected Eastern Red Cedar

[rockm]

I'm sure they do, but it seems to be overlooked by a big percentage of bonsai enthusiasts. I get the distinct impression from reading about soil that, if you don't have some kind of high-percentage inorganic soil, you are not really "doing bonsai".

My two mostly-finished Bald Cypress bonsai slowed way down when put in a 50/50 organic/inorganic mix. That is what was needed at the time. I collect most of my trees, and sometimes regular old Miracle Gro potting soil gets put in the pot for a new collection. Works fine.

FWIW, what works for you in South La. can kill trees elsewhere...especially in areas that freeze. High organic soils tend to turn to mush after a year or so in freeze/thaw cycles...Bald cypress will grow in pure muck, so they're not really the best examples of using high-organic soils. Hell, I use 90 percent potting soil and composted pine bark mixes for my BCs, even with the winters here. Same for big collected wisteria.

I've found that collected boxwood do a lot better in soil that has a higher inorganic content. Elms seem to like an even mix, as do hornbeam, beech, cherry.

 

[Joe Dupre']

"I'VE FOUND that collected boxwood do a lot better in soil that has a higher inorganic content. Elms seem to like an even mix, as do hornbeam, beech, cherry.

That's the important point, rockm. You've FOUND something different by experience. Location is an important factor.

My buddy who tipped me about the boxwoods on the side of the road put his in the ground and in big tubs in almost pure pine bark soil conditioner. They LOVED it.......put on new growth like crazy.

 

[hemmy]

A big part of my bonsai effort is walking 50 miles a year on roadsides and disturbed places looking for that character.

If you are covering that much ground and there are also mature stands of ERC, keep an eye out for different foliage types. I’ve always wondered if there could be some variants or witches brooms with really tight mature foliage. I’ve seen a decent amount of variation with some tighter forms, but nothing worth propagating. How cool would it be to have your own cultivar with tight enough foliage to work for smaller trees! Heck, then you could graft it on shinpaku!

 

[Joe Dupre']

Hemmy, there are no "stands" of mature ERC here. They tend to be around older homes and are very sparse on the roadsides and what little high ground we have here. You might walk a mile of roadsides and find two or three from 1/2" to 1" in diameter. This one is VERY unusual as it was on the outside edge of the reach of the mowers..........just enough to get cut back and not cut down.
I have noticed difference in foliage on different trees. That's something I'll look into more.

 

[hemmy]

Hemmy, there are no "stands" of mature ERC here. They tend to be around older homes and are very sparse on the roadsides and what little high ground we have here. You might walk a mile of roadsides and find two or three from 1/2" to 1" in diameter. This one is VERY unusual as it was on the outside edge of the reach of the mowers..........just enough to get cut back and not cut down.
I have noticed difference in foliage on different trees. That's something I'll look into more.

In Kansas the mature ERC were all in windbreaks along field and yard borders. Probably planted in the 1930s at the earliest and mostly ‘50-‘70. Certainly no 940yo trees like the supposed oldest ERC in West Virginia. In fact, maybe none will ever get that old if the bagworm take over. I was surprised last year to see the extent of the bagworm infestation across the Midwest. We saw them on the Missouri-Arkansas border and all over the ERC in central KS. Enough that they had killed several trees. It seems that as the ERC have moved west across the prairies, the bagworm have slowly followed behind.

 

[Forsoothe!]

Maybe that's an example of the reason why there are very few forests of single species. Cities routinely plant block after block, mile after mile of street trees that are the same variety and pathogens can drift right down the line without skipping a beat. In SE Michigan, you can only have a birch if there isn't another one nearby because we have a Bronze Birch Borer problem. American Chestnut, American Elm and Green Ash all suffered the same demise. Yet, the so-called city Arborists all keep a list of a half dozen trees as "approved" for planting along streets. Alas.

 

[Tulsabonsigh]

I just collected this one today. Had my eye on it for a few months

 

[Joe Dupre']

That one has character. Good find!

 

[Tulsabonsigh]

Here in Oklahoma they often cut highways right through small hills so you have a sharp embankment on both sides of the road. On these sharp embankments these ERC’s love to grow and because the ground is dang near a 90 degree angle they grow really funky. Now I’m giving away my secret but if you keep a ladder in your truck you can crawl right up those puppy’s and find some great shaped erc’s

 

[Tulsabonsigh]

So I put mine in gravel, would you guys suggest putting it in regular ole miracle grow potting soil? I’m not sure I need a lot of growth... just want it to be fuller.

 

[Tulsabonsigh]

And by gravel I mean bonsai soil

 

[Forsoothe!]

Here in Oklahoma they often cut highways right through small hills so you have a sharp embankment on both sides of the road. On these sharp embankments these ERC’s love to grow and because the ground is dang near a 90 degree angle they grow really funky. Now I’m giving away my secret but if you keep a ladder in your truck you can crawl right up those puppy’s and find some great shaped erc’s

I used to carry a ramp that I could roll stones up and into my van that were too heavy to lift....

 

[Forsoothe!]

So I put mine in gravel, would you guys suggest putting it in regular ole miracle grow potting soil? I’m not sure I need a lot of growth... just want it to be fuller.

Mimic what it came out of for the first potting. In time, when you're sure it's OK, evolve to bonsai.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Potting soil and junipers don't go well together. Some nurseries use cocopeat, that seems to work well for at least a couple of years. But as can be seen in the gardening world: it takes a special kind of person to be able to work with coco peat. I've tried it for a decade, but me and cocopeat are just incompatible. It seems to be the case with 80% of all people. I've never found out why.
But bonsai soil will do the trick too. For good growth you just need a stable soil, a healthy plant, a decent sized pot and the right nutrients at the right time.

 

[Tulsabonsigh]

It was in rocks and grey clay... I have no idea how to find grey clay but I’m pretty sure it has no fertilizer value. I think my bonsai soil will be good. Yeah now that I think of it putting it in black potting soil would probably be quite a shock

 

[Tall Guy]

How did these collected trees do this year? Updates please!

 

[Tall Guy]

No updates?

 

[sorce]

I'd like to see em too, I thought this was a new thread till I seen Tulsa's ! Lol!

Can't get this 1/20 thing to convert right.

Sorce

 

[Joe Dupre']

Ok, this is how she looks now, however sad as she may be. The top three branches were all lined up one above the other, which looked rather odd. I turned and tilted the tree throughout the year, looking for a good line and sillhouette and finally settled on this. I chopped off the top 12" or so. Obviously, the apex and the transition needs a LOT of growing out, but that's what you have to do with oddball collected material.