Manzanita Thread

[Potawatomi13]

If you have ANY native soil with it there will be the proper kind with the plant already. Don't waste money buying something that may be completely different.

 

[oddirt]

Agreed. Also, since most species are ranked as rare or endangered (and therefore illegal to collect), I’m guessing the ones people will be working with are nursery-raised where the naturally-occurring symbiotic fungi may not be present. I’m definitely not confident enough in ID’ing many species to differentiate between the endangered and the non-listed species, especially since the genus exhibits the good ol’ hybrid swarm phenomenon.

 

[rollwithak]

Brian, I live in Northern Ca. Manzanita is everywhere I look. (Don't ask me for specific names because I don't know...yet) I plan on trying some air layers this year.
Also, while reading through this thread the idea occurred to me that a multi-year project of collecting a mature specimen might be an answer. So, I'm going to try that too.

Will post updates.

I could be waaaaaay off, but manzanita doesn’t seem like a plant that you can air-layer. As mentioned before, this is an extremely finicky and hardwood specimen. I could be wrong though. I’d recommend finding local nursery

 

[rollwithak]

Good luck on getting one of these old-timers out of the ground. I know of no one who has successfully done it, I hope you succeed.

I hope you leave.... the plants that is.

 

[Vance Wood]

I hope you leave.... the plants that is.

Could you explain the previous remark before I start asking what I did to provoke your ire at me?????

 

[Shima]

Brian, I live in Northern Ca. Manzanita is everywhere I look. (Don't ask me for specific names because I don't know...yet) I plan on trying some air layers this year.
Also, while reading through this thread the idea occurred to me that a multi-year project of collecting a mature specimen might be an answer. So, I'm going to try that too.

Will post updates.

Was In Sonoma County for 25 years and yes, they're everywhere. Air layer is one thing but ground-layering would more stable and could be maintained for as long as it takes for roots to become established.

 

[rollwithak]

Could you explain the previous remark before I start asking what I did to provoke your ire at me?????

Ha ha, I might have pushed the wrong button!!! I didn't mean ill-will by it at all, I was just commenting that I hope he left the tree in the ground!

 

[Hartinez]

Hey all. Love manzanita. Seen plenty in the wilds here in NM but have never had a collecting opportunity, and I don’t know that I ever will. However one local nursery has a rather large selection of nursery material in 5 and 1 gallon containers. I’m going to buy a couple, not necessarily to style specifically as a traditional bonsai but as a specimen plant instead. The variety I found to be best was “panchitos”

 

[PiñonJ]

Hey all. Love manzanita. Seen plenty in the wilds here in NM but have never had a collecting opportunity, and I don’t know that I ever will. However one local nursery has a rather large selection of nursery material in 5 and 1 gallon containers. I’m going to buy a couple, not necessarily to style specifically as a traditional bonsai but as a specimen plant instead. The variety I found to be best was “panchitos”

Which nursery?

 

[Hartinez]

Which nursery?

Plant world here in Abq.

 

[Hartinez]

Which nursery?

Have you been to plant world? It’s a whole sale nursery. You’ve got to pay a yearly due of $25, but the prices are pretty darn good.

 

[PiñonJ]

Have you been to plant world? It’s a whole sale nursery. You’ve got to pay a yearly due of $25, but the prices are pretty darn good.

I definitely need to check it out. I think my company has a discount arrangement with them (I know we used to).

 

[Hartinez]

I definitely need to check it out. I think my company has a discount arrangement with them (I know we used to).

A lot of there stuff is pretty typical “nursery trade” stuff. But there are some obscure species as well. The manzanitas in particular. They’ve got a few hinoki cypress. Lots of mugo cultivars and other conifers. Not the greatest resource but a good one none the less.

 

[Hartinez]

I definitely need to check it out. I think my company has a discount arrangement with them (I know we used to).

If you go at any point, let me know and ill roll by and snag up a manzanita and introduce myself!

 

[rollwithak]

 

[Cruiser]

Nursery stock Arctostaphylos coloradoensis (panchito manzanita). A natural hybrid of Kinnickinnick and green-leaf manzanita.

It was half price due to the black spots on the leaves and because the nursery had lost half of them due to over watering during the summer.
About 1/2-2/3 of the foliage appears to be in good shape so I think it will be ok. The soil appears dense with chunks of bark in it. I wonder if that will need to change…

I’ve dug through the conversations regarding manzanita to garner information.
I wanted to confirm my understanding of this genus and their care… please correct me if I’m wrong with these anecdotes and please feel free to add to this list…

-Manzanita are very sensitive to root disturbance. Their roots are fine and tear easily.
-Collected trees have a high failure rate. Likely due to not collecting enough fine feeder roots, which can extend far from the trunk.
-They require a quick draining substrate to prevent root rot. Inorganic is the way to go.
-They prefer acidic conditions.
-Do not fertilize as often as with other species.
-Don’t get water or mud on the leaves.
-Don’t water or apply very little water in the summer
-The wood is hard and forms jins naturally.
-They don’t back bud very well. Never cut a branch so that no leaves remain (if you want to keep it).

What other key information am I missing?

Should I carefully put this tree into a better substrate or wait until next spring? I read that the longer a manzanita remains in crappy soil the lower the chances of survival will be if it’s transplanted later. I have pumice and lava rock on standby….

 

[rollwithak]

If u

Nursery stock Arctostaphylos coloradoensis (panchito manzanita). A natural hybrid of Kinnickinnick and green-leaf manzanita.

It was half price due to the black spots on the leaves and because the nursery had lost half of them due to over watering during the summer.
About 1/2-2/3 of the foliage appears to be in good shape so I think it will be ok. The soil appears dense with chunks of bark in it. I wonder if that will need to change…

I’ve dug through the conversations regarding manzanita to garner information.
I wanted to confirm my understanding of this genus and their care… please correct me if I’m wrong with these anecdotes and please feel free to add to this list…

-Manzanita are very sensitive to root disturbance. Their roots are fine and tear easily.
-Collected trees have a high failure rate. Likely due to not collecting enough fine feeder roots, which can extend far from the trunk.
-They require a quick draining substrate to prevent root rot. Inorganic is the way to go.
-They prefer acidic conditions.
-Do not fertilize as often as with other species.
-Don’t get water or mud on the leaves.
-Don’t water or apply very little water in the summer
-The wood is hard and forms jins naturally.
-They don’t back bud very well. Never cut a branch so that no leaves remain (if you want to keep it).

What other key information am I missing?

Should I carefully put this tree into a better substrate or wait until next spring? I read that the longer a manzanita remains in crappy soil the lower the chances of survival will be if it’s transplanted later. I have pumice and lava rock on standby….

If you mess with the roots, good luck !

 

[Cruiser]

If u

If you mess with the roots, good luck !

Thanks. It will have to be done eventually. Hopefully I can learn more by then. Reading through another thread it seems like it can be done, albeit carefully. Apparently Arcto had some success with it.

 

[PiñonJ]

Thanks. It will have to be done eventually. Hopefully I can learn more by then. Reading through another thread it seems like it can be done, albeit carefully. Apparently Arcto had some success with it.

The roots are fine and you have to take care with them, but a Manzanita in a nursery container has a ton of roots and you can reduce them just like any other tree.

 

[Cruiser]

The roots are fine and you have to take care with them, but a Manzanita in a nursery container has a ton of roots and you can reduce them just like any other tree.

Good point about nursery stock having more roots. I assumed all manzanitas were equally sensitive to root disturbance.

Do you know if certain parts of the root mass are more sensitive than others? For example, when repotting, is it better to just chop the bottom straight off or take some off the sides?