Well, that's the plan anyway.
My craiglist boxwood
- Thread starter Alain
- Start date
Well, that's the plan anyway.
Wilson
Masterpiece
Awesome score! Vraiment beau!
Lobaeux
Shohin
Hahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!! I just liked reading the story, don't have much to add.
Nice trees though!
Nice trees though!
Ok I'm done 
Finally it may have been good that the other stinky goat was in the yard digging on Monday, I really don't know if I would have had the time to pot safely 8 trees as it was my original plan (2 x 4 trees, as many as our Chevie Sonic trunk can handle at a time).
So I've been very gentle on my 2 first trees (the one above and one I'll post later on because I don't have the photos here) however I went berserk on the 2 other ones
I hope they'll make it 
Ok then, this would be tree #2 even if it doesn't fit anymore with the numbers I put originally, this one is the one I started to clean the roots in the original post, now I really clean the roots
And I kinda of prune it a little...
Before (the day of the collection, the roots aren't that clean yet)
And now:
It buds back they say....
Finally it may have been good that the other stinky goat was in the yard digging on Monday, I really don't know if I would have had the time to pot safely 8 trees as it was my original plan (2 x 4 trees, as many as our Chevie Sonic trunk can handle at a time).
So I've been very gentle on my 2 first trees (the one above and one I'll post later on because I don't have the photos here) however I went berserk on the 2 other ones
I hope they'll make it Ok then, this would be tree #2 even if it doesn't fit anymore with the numbers I put originally, this one is the one I started to clean the roots in the original post, now I really clean the roots
And I kinda of prune it a little...
Before (the day of the collection, the roots aren't that clean yet)
And now:
It buds back they say....
And the last one, (well the last one before the next one when I'll be home and will be able to post the pictures).
Clean roots, the tree can stand alone, almost stand alone, just a little balance problem, nothing a bypass pruner can't fix
And then the tree potted before I went berserk:
And after...
I pruned hard those two because there were some problems with them (straight long branches with no taper whatsoever, crossed branches, a big mark on one of the roots of this one, you could see the black mark on the picture above) so I thought 'What the heck; let's get some fun' but for several reasons I really would like to wait for the 2 other ones that I barely prune for the moment.
Do you guys think that it could be a problem for the trees if there are too much branches compare to the size of the root balls?
Because if not and they could wait at least before next year to be prune like above I'd prefer.
Clean roots, the tree can stand alone, almost stand alone, just a little balance problem, nothing a bypass pruner can't fix
And then the tree potted before I went berserk:
And after...
I pruned hard those two because there were some problems with them (straight long branches with no taper whatsoever, crossed branches, a big mark on one of the roots of this one, you could see the black mark on the picture above) so I thought 'What the heck; let's get some fun' but for several reasons I really would like to wait for the 2 other ones that I barely prune for the moment.
Do you guys think that it could be a problem for the trees if there are too much branches compare to the size of the root balls?
Because if not and they could wait at least before next year to be prune like above I'd prefer.
I think you balanced the root ball and the green on the branches well. If everything goes good it will have enough room for new roots for next season. If this had been done in spring... Adding your thread to watched I keep my fingers crossed. I found similar boxwoods for 10€ here in arboretum and going to take one in the spring.
And now the last one, this one I picked it cause of the nebari:
Here are the roots after cleaning:
And the tree itself:
This is the one I am more concern about.
If possible I'd like to keep it that way the time I find some access to more specific tools (branch splitter and cutter in particular, I'd like to try to make it nice since the start if possible, not using my regular garden tools on this one).
Do you think it's fine or the branches/foliage have to be reduce to balance the roots?
Anyway it was a lot of fun but as I said I don't know if I would have had time to work on more so may be the stupid biatch and her old fart were of some use after all...
Here are the roots after cleaning:
And the tree itself:
This is the one I am more concern about.
If possible I'd like to keep it that way the time I find some access to more specific tools (branch splitter and cutter in particular, I'd like to try to make it nice since the start if possible, not using my regular garden tools on this one).
Do you think it's fine or the branches/foliage have to be reduce to balance the roots?
Anyway it was a lot of fun but as I said I don't know if I would have had time to work on more so may be the stupid biatch and her old fart were of some use after all...
CWTurner
Omono
Nice bit of collecting there Alain.
Yes, I think this last one needs to be reduced, or nature will do it for you and may not retain the branches that you desire. I would just cut the top half off and care for the tree until next year. See what that brings, health-wise.
CW
Yes, I think this last one needs to be reduced, or nature will do it for you and may not retain the branches that you desire. I would just cut the top half off and care for the tree until next year. See what that brings, health-wise.
CW
Thanks!
Yep you confirmed my thought. I'll just prune the top branches of this one, were the main 'pads' are, that should do the trick and preserve the part that I want actually get rid - but nicely and with air-layers - for next year.
M. Frary
Bonsai Godzilla
Were they collecting for bonsai also?
I don't know. The tree they had already dig out was kind of prepared for bonsai though (the roots were pruned as if it was supposed to be potted and not just transplant).
michaelj
Chumono
That's some pretty aggressive root pruning for August. I've done root work on boxwoods in the middle of summer, mostly without trouble, but never that aggressively except in late winter and early spring. Boxwoods are hardy, though. Have you done root work like this in mid-summer on boxwoods before and had success?
No but, you know, you don't pick the timing when the tree you collect is in someone else yard...
michaelj
Chumono
That's certainly true. I got a chance to collect about 20 or 30 a couple of years ago, and it was in 90+ degree temps in probably early September. I tried to pot them with as much root as possible, and only did the hard root pruning the following spring, though. That said, there were a couple that had little root ball (I got them after the owner had ripped them out of the ground with a truck and a heavy duty chain) and they made it. Not only that, but there were two that sat out, roots exposed, for a week before I got there, and one of those two even made it.
That's really a very re-insuring story
I hope they'll make it (anyway not much else to do from now on).
The good thing is that weather sucks big time in IL BUT we have nice falls generally and also this year is the year of El Nino and La Nina and that had given us a very hot summer which is supposed to be followed by a warm winter that might just be the year to collect trees mid-August
Dorky_gearhead
Shohin
Damn 10 quid? Sounds like a smoking deal!
Dorky_gearhead
Shohin
This thread is getting me antsy on collecting a 30+ year old boxwood from my landlords back yard. Maybe next month it will have cooled down enough. I might just wait till spring time to collect it due to me not being prepared lol.
With that said what would be an ideal tempature range for boxwood collection?
With that said what would be an ideal tempature range for boxwood collection?
Indeed, the arboretum is a part of Technical University and they do these things more for education and training than for a profit. Half to 1/5 prices comparing to garden centres...
https://www.tuzvo.sk/en/
May be you should all move to Slovakia!
I have no idea when is the right timing to collect boxwood, spring however sounds optimal. Not much a question of absolute T per se, after all these trees will be living in the area since ever so they'll be use to whatever the local weather has to offer but more a question for them of having plenty of time to recover before the bad days arrived, even if in CA I guess your 'bad days' aren't even close to our IL 'can't complain' days.
So if you have the possibility to discuss with the owner of the tree/yard the best is to set up the timing before like that it also give you time to plan in advance and get ready for the big day: soil mix done, pot ready and perfectly sized for the tree to come, time reserved for all the stuff to do and so on
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