Juniper ? I'll be danged. If I'm not mistaken, I remember it had the spiral shape. It's all gone by now. Owner never kept up pruning. Thanks for the advice, I'll pass on this one.
Yeah., I'll pass on this one.
Don't know bro. I'll let the neighbor deal with it !I don't think its J.Crack they use for those spirals.
I like the foliage on Those..
Get it.
Knowledge at least!
Sorce
Don't know
Why dig up something to learn on if you never find a good one?Sorce is right, dig up the crap ones to learn how to keep it alive. I wish I had known this before I dug up a beautiful spruce years ago. It was an amazing twin trunk. It died. I'm sad. I wish had done a few practice digs before hand and learned what I need to do. I am going out to dig up a small sugar maple this afternoon before I dig up a couple monsters in a year or two. I don't want the tree I am digging up but if its alive in two years, I'll give it to someone who does want it.
Different trees have very different needs at collection.@M. Frary Digging out of the ground to learn how to keep a tree alive after you have dug a tree out of the ground. I've learnt it's one thing to dig a tree up that has been put in the ground to let it thicken and quite another to dig a tree up that is for all intents and purposes, wild. And practice on the top half. Get two birds stoned at once.
This tree is still alive? You are doing well. I have known many that have tried to collect Jacks and failed miserably time after time. The one you gave me summer before last is doing well. I am still trying to figure the tree out before I go so far as to repot the tree.Look at it this way.
Mr. Beto collects this successfully.
It sits there this year trying to recuperate.
If you're doing things right it should sit there another year.
We're 2 years in now and it's still junk.
After that time he goes in the third year and half bareroots it.
Done for that year.
Fourth year comes around. Half bareroot the other side.
Four years down.
During this whole time Mr.Beto is learning things.
Wiring. Styling. What makes a good tree.
Fifth year he goes in to work on it and discovers it's actually a piece of crap and he's just wasted 4 years on nothing.
Then there's the whole "I dug it up to practice on"
He goes at it hard and kills it because in the back of his mind it's only practice material.
What did he learn?
Not a damn thing.
If it's a good piece with potential he won't look at it with the attitude that's it's only practice who cares if it dies.
Good stock to begin with makes him better at bonsai faster than working on pieces of crap.
This is the first Jack pine I ever tried to collect. Never tried those trees before.
I went right for a good one.
Not a practice tree.
This will be it's third year after collection.
All I've done to it in that time was to lop the top off and gently shake some sand off of the roots. Tossed in bonsai soil to fill the voids.
It will be time this year to try to replace more sand and cut some shoots back to induce back budding.
Maybe some wire.
That's three years work.
Next year some more root work.
Then sits another year.
Now. If It was a turd I wouldn't probably have taken my time because its just practice. Right? It would probably be dead by now.
Instead the tree and I are growing and learning all at the same time.
By the time it's presentable I will know everything there is to know about it.
I would be pissed at myself if I had just wasted 10 years on junk just to practice on.
This is what it looks likeView attachment 143474 today. Pretty much the same as at time of collection.
If you're going to collect trees,start with good ones.
It's why we collect trees. We want something good for our efforts.
And kicking!This tree is still alive?
Its good advice if you are ready for i
I look forward to seeing it if you bring it this summer. I know a lot of people that have failed with Jack Pine and I hope to work with you to crack this nut.And kicking!
Growing candles as we speak.
I'll bring it with me.I look forward to seeing it if you bring it this summer. I know a lot of people that have failed with Jack Pine and I hope to work with you to crack this nut.
Mike, I don't know jack about Jack Pine (sorry, couldn't resist the pun), but if you've had that a couple years and there's no sign of backbudding, then it looks like grafting may be necessary.Look at it this way.
Mr. Beto collects this successfully.
It sits there this year trying to recuperate.
If you're doing things right it should sit there another year.
We're 2 years in now and it's still junk.
After that time he goes in the third year and half bareroots it.
Done for that year.
Fourth year comes around. Half bareroot the other side.
Four years down.
During this whole time Mr.Beto is learning things.
Wiring. Styling. What makes a good tree.
Fifth year he goes in to work on it and discovers it's actually a piece of crap and he's just wasted 4 years on nothing.
Then there's the whole "I dug it up to practice on"
He goes at it hard and kills it because in the back of his mind it's only practice material.
What did he learn?
Not a damn thing.
If it's a good piece with potential he won't look at it with the attitude that's it's only practice who cares if it dies.
Good stock to begin with makes him better at bonsai faster than working on pieces of crap.
This is the first Jack pine I ever tried to collect. Never tried those trees before.
I went right for a good one.
Not a practice tree.
This will be it's third year after collection.
All I've done to it in that time was to lop the top off and gently shake some sand off of the roots. Tossed in bonsai soil to fill the voids.
It will be time this year to try to replace more sand and cut some shoots back to induce back budding.
Maybe some wire.
That's three years work.
Next year some more root work.
Then sits another year.
Now. If It was a turd I wouldn't probably have taken my time because its just practice. Right? It would probably be dead by now.
Instead the tree and I are growing and learning all at the same time.
By the time it's presentable I will know everything there is to know about it.
I would be pissed at myself if I had just wasted 10 years on junk just to practice on.
This is what it looks likeView attachment 143474 today. Pretty much the same as at time of collection.
If you're going to collect trees,start with good ones.
It's why we collect trees. We want something good for our efforts.