Manzanita Thread
- Thread starter Arcto
- Start date
Another adjusting well. I've resisted the temptation to poke around where the trunk goes back to ground to look for roots there.
This one had some branches die after collection. The decline stopped. Now it's still pouting. The root ball came out intact ok. I think I must of cut a major root(s) too close to the tree. That's all for now.To not answer your question Lance, the large old ones I'm don't feel ready to tackle yet. You probably noticed my collection method is different than what Greg writes of and Atrox has demonstrated. Not that my method is better. I'm just going with what I'm finding available here. My success hinges on a good intact rootball and avoiding cutting major roots too much. I haven't even worked on getting them into bonsai pots yet. Probably take a number of years. Andrew Smith talked about finding 1 collectable RMJ in 1000. Maybe one in 5000 for manzanita? 10000? Next year I plan to collect a little larger material. And even larger the year after that if I'm successful.
justBonsai
Omono
I like the one in the last picture you posted. I would love to dig one of these, but I have no idea where in Southern California to go. Removing a large tree from the high mountains is illegal and probably difficult to get a permit for, not to mention difficult to take out especially at the higher elevations. If they had "manzanita digs" here in SoCal I'd love to participate. In your experience do manzanitas readily back bud? If you were to cut back significantly would you get budding or risk dieback?
I'm not familiar with California regulations. I do know that several species are listed as threatened or endangered. In other words, don't mess with them..ever. You can check your local national forest office or BLM about a personal use collection permit. The species allowed varies from forest to forest. Example, I couldn't collect subalpine fir in deschutes NF. But the official in the issuing office told me to contact the williamette NF about collecting them there. I don't know if you will find a group manzanita dig because of their difficult reputation. You might check your local club(s) and see if an individual is open to the idea.
My experience with the species I've played with is that they will back bud only where existing live leaves are. Chop below that and you have a future Jin to make. Since the green leaf species here is a Basel sprouter, I may push a couple of non essential branches back and see what happens.
My experience with the species I've played with is that they will back bud only where existing live leaves are. Chop below that and you have a future Jin to make. Since the green leaf species here is a Basel sprouter, I may push a couple of non essential branches back and see what happens.
Geo
Chumono
Don't worry Vance. I know you don't anyway.I view all your posts with care and am rather impressed.Unlike some other "Imperial Masterpieces".
Here is another goof around planting. A. columbiana, hairy manzanita.
What's wrong here? I mean, other that I'm dumb enough to post my failures on the internet. This planting was left in a green house for a couple of months. A lot of things around it were watered frequently. The two plants on each end had their foliage watered frequently. The middle one escaped that and is healthy and growing. The one on the left is long gone. The one on the right has declined noticeably and probably won't recover. I have observed this both with bonsai trained and landscape manzanita here. Greg B. mentions this in an interview article. Frequent watering of the foliage seems to lead to decline. When I have wet the leaves on a plant on a warm sunny day, the plant has died within a week. Of more interest, rainfall here during the growing season does not seem to harm the plants. Surrounding temperature? Mineral or chemicals in tap water? I don't know. Atrox mentioned having his plants on a sprinkler system. Perhaps he and others could comment on this.
What's wrong here? I mean, other that I'm dumb enough to post my failures on the internet. This planting was left in a green house for a couple of months. A lot of things around it were watered frequently. The two plants on each end had their foliage watered frequently. The middle one escaped that and is healthy and growing. The one on the left is long gone. The one on the right has declined noticeably and probably won't recover. I have observed this both with bonsai trained and landscape manzanita here. Greg B. mentions this in an interview article. Frequent watering of the foliage seems to lead to decline. When I have wet the leaves on a plant on a warm sunny day, the plant has died within a week. Of more interest, rainfall here during the growing season does not seem to harm the plants. Surrounding temperature? Mineral or chemicals in tap water? I don't know. Atrox mentioned having his plants on a sprinkler system. Perhaps he and others could comment on this.
Atrox
Mame
At home (Tucson) I have everything on a battery controlled gravity feed tank, with the supplied drippers, 1 or 2 depending on the size of the plant. When I am away it is kept full by a battery controlled timer on the house water thru a charcoal filter. At the cabin everything is on the well with a battery controlled timer thru a charcoal filter, with 1/8" open end tubing. In summer we get regular rains also so I try to have well! draining soil in grow boxes with 1/4 screen bottoms. For the Manzanita I have collected in the top soil that have come out like a brownie from a pan I have started something new (to me). With easy access, I box right at the collection site in a box a bit larger than the block of soil. When I get them back to the cabin I wash a good bit of the soil on the outside edges down and out right in the box. This gives me a start at removing some the relatively heavy native soil without further disturbance to the roots. Then I fill the space with my pumas other stuff mix. Of course this all hinges on the fact that I can drive nearly right to the patch I have been collecting from and I build my own boxes. A note on my boxes, I use cedar fence boards, nearly clear and relatively cheep. For up at the cabin, I make up sides and ends of different lengths and bottom slats to match. drill all the pilot holes and install the inside corner reinforcing cleats. When I need a new box I mix and match to get the size I need and zip it together.
Vance Wood
Lord Mugo
Great explanation of the process. How about posting some pictures of your boxes. Your Manzanittas come from Arizona? The ones I grew up drooling about were North of San Rafael in the hills around Marinwood Hills.
Atrox
Mame
This patch is in the Gila National Forest in NM, at 6,000+ elevation.
Our cabin is in an island of private ground surrounded by public ground. I grew up in southern CA chasing snakes and lizard thru patches of Manzanita in the Santa Monica mountains. I used to make boxes out of anything that was laying around but the fence slats are cheep and I can knock out the parts for these quick.
iant
Chumono
Here are my little ones. I've killed one or two so far. Mainly in the same way I kill any other container tree.... too much heat on the wrong side of my yard, or other standard horticultural mishaps. Bare rooting these don't seem to be any more of a problem than any other plant. Obviously these aren't taken out of the Sierras with many feet of descending roots...! From Las Pilitas. Nice play to order from...
iant
Chumono
And Louis Edmonds....
Next I think I'd like to get A. mariposa:
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/57--arctostaphylos-mariposa
I'm also looking at Mama Bear.... they say it "sprouts back after damage" which would be a huge plus.
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/737--arctostaphylos-mama-bear-manzanita
Ian
Next I think I'd like to get A. mariposa:
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/57--arctostaphylos-mariposa
I'm also looking at Mama Bear.... they say it "sprouts back after damage" which would be a huge plus.
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/737--arctostaphylos-mama-bear-manzanita
Ian
Vance Wood
Lord Mugo
It's nice to see these being utilized. I have just come to understand, rightly or wrongly, that Manzanita has been declared an endangered species. If this is true we can say by-by to collecting the Nitas that I have been looking at.
Nice job iant. What is the largest container size you have successfully barefooted? Vance, I mentioned a couple of times that some species of manzanita are endangered. The Presidio Manzanita in San Francisco is well documented. Also the Catalina Manzanita on the Santa Cruz Island. There maybe others I'm not aware of. I didn't mean to imply that the entire genus is threatened.
Vance Wood
Lord Mugo
Thank You for clearing that up, most appreciated.
my nellie
Masterpiece
Hello!
If Manzanita is Arbutus unedo, then I know that the two Croatian artists, Marija Hajdić and Andrija Zokić, who can collect old, gnarly Arbutus, keep them alive and healthy and style them into beautiful bonsai.
http://www.animabonsai.com/?p=2846
If Manzanita is Arbutus unedo, then I know that the two Croatian artists, Marija Hajdić and Andrija Zokić, who can collect old, gnarly Arbutus, keep them alive and healthy and style them into beautiful bonsai.
http://www.animabonsai.com/?p=2846
