My gathered tree for the year

[fourteener]

A strange configuration. I think the back trunk was the original and the front trunk was a limb that rooted itself and became stronger than the original.

I am testing out my theory with this species. I washed out all of the muck and planted the fresh roots in fresh bonsai soil.

 

[Dan W.]

Very nice! Cedar?

 

[jk_lewis]

That's quite a "gather."

 

[amkhalid]

A strange configuration. I think the back trunk was the original and the front trunk was a limb that rooted itself and became stronger than the original.

I am testing out my theory with this species. I washed out all of the muck and planted the fresh roots in fresh bonsai soil.


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Nice tree! Looks like a superior collecting spot

Washing away the muck is standard practice for newly collected thuja that come out with mucky rootballs - if not essential. Nick Lenz outlines it in his book. If you don't wash it away, you have to be a watering genius to not drown the rootball. It can be tough to convince yourself to take the hose to a newly collected conifer... but thuja are not typical conifers. The best thuja I ever collected came out with a massive root "ecosystem". It was such a good tree that I was afraid to disturb the rootball. My mistake - totally dead now.

Good luck with that new guy.

 

[tmmason10]

Sweet gathering. I'd love to have a nice yamadori like that one day.

 

[fourteener]

Nice tree! Looks like a superior collecting spot

Washing away the muck is standard practice for newly collected thuja that come out with mucky rootballs - if not essential. Nick Lenz outlines it in his book. If you don't wash it away, you have to be a watering genius to not drown the rootball. It can be tough to convince yourself to take the hose to a newly collected conifer... but thuja are not typical conifers. The best thuja I ever collected came out with a massive root "ecosystem". It was such a good tree that I was afraid to disturb the rootball. My mistake - totally dead now.

Good luck with that new guy.

I need to read more!! Is there a Lenz book for Thuja or is it part of a more general book? Part of my rotting issue on my other tree was related to the muck holding too much water next to the trunk. That's fixed now on all my trees.

Since they grow so many roots so fast, have you tried to keep them in smaller pots or repot more often? Under potting my tamaracks has been a way to keep things in check, but I've never done that with these guys.

Any other tips!! I've gathered some great ones but not managed them long term yet. I avoided them at first, but there are so many great ones I decided I should figure them out!

 

[fourteener]

Very nice! Cedar?

Yeah, it's a white cedar. Which ironically isn't really a cedar at all but people call it that and correcting it and explaining it, getting past our wrong identification is more work than it's worth so...yeah...cedar it is!!

 

[fourteener]

That's quite a "gather."

Not sure who gathered who?!?! The seemingly short walk to the truck kept getting longer and longer... I think that's why I'm at a pace for one a year.

 

[fourteener]

Sweet gathering. I'd love to have a nice yamadori like that one day.

I'm looking around for some city-yamadori! There are some sweet mugos around town I'd like to get my hands on.

 

[frozenlarch]

Nice find!
Where do you shop? I'm constantly eying the cliffs up around Beaver Bay.

 

[fourteener]

Nice find!
Where do you shop? I'm constantly eying the cliffs up around Beaver Bay.

I have a number of fishing holes... Some I share... Some I do not

I do have a couple of tamarack places I would freely give out!

 

[amkhalid]

I need to read more!! Is there a Lenz book for Thuja or is it part of a more general book? Part of my rotting issue on my other tree was related to the muck holding too much water next to the trunk. That's fixed now on all my trees.

Since they grow so many roots so fast, have you tried to keep them in smaller pots or repot more often? Under potting my tamaracks has been a way to keep things in check, but I've never done that with these guys.

Any other tips!! I've gathered some great ones but not managed them long term yet. I avoided them at first, but there are so many great ones I decided I should figure them out!

Lenz's book is here. He has detailed chapters on tamarack and thuja, and also significant chapters on other native conifers. Collectively it is the best book on northeast native species for sure. An amazing read! You will refer to it again and again.

Horticulturally thuja are very easy to collect and keep healthy. Its just the really ancient ones that can be a bit tricky to get established.

Here is the rootball of a big one I collected this year. Pure muck. There is no way it can be barerooted all in one go, but I still spent about 30 minutes aerating it with the hose just so I could work in bonsai soil.

Here is another one the year after it was collected, completely barerooted. The dark weak area of the root system on the left is where the muck was left on. It wasn't barerooted right after collection because I collected it in the fall, and the rootball was quite diffuse.

 

[fourteener]

Lenz's book is here. He has detailed chapters on tamarack and thuja, and also significant chapters on other native conifers. Collectively it is the best book on northeast native species for sure. An amazing read! You will refer to it again and again.

Horticulturally thuja are very easy to collect and keep healthy. Its just the really ancient ones that can be a bit tricky to get established.

Here is the rootball of a big one I collected this year. Pure muck. There is no way it can be barerooted all in one go, but I still spent about 30 minutes aerating it with the hose just so I could work in bonsai soil.

Here is another one the year after it was collected, completely barerooted. The dark weak area of the root system on the left is where the muck was left on. It wasn't barerooted right after collection because I collected it in the fall, and the rootball was quite diffuse.

Nice curves on the last picture. Gonna be a great tree. The roots certainly resonate with my experience. Thanks for the link to the book!

 

[fourteener]

Lenz's book is here. He has detailed chapters on tamarack and thuja, and also significant chapters on other native conifers. Collectively it is the best book on northeast native species for sure. An amazing read! You will refer to it again and again.

Ordered the book! Thanks

 

[Emrys]

I'm looking around for some city-yamadori! There are some sweet mugos around town I'd like to get my hands on.

I'm in Brooklyn and have seen so many trees that could be amazing material. The projects in my hood have some very old and neglected privet and hawthorn hedge rows that are gold mines. IMHO at least.

I have a very young and not fully formed idea for a long term project that would involve gaining permission to collect form the NYCHA and then.... Well this is where the details are a bit unformed but the idea is that some sort of invitation would be made through an established and reputable club or bonsai organization to local enthusiast and Bonsai proffesionals to take possession of the material that was collected and have them nurse them back to full vigor and begin to develop them into pieces that would one day be part of a show and eventual collection that is donated to the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. A very subtle and nuanced urban revitalization project that I believe could have a lasting impact on the participants and the eventual audience. Anyway back to your thread Fourteener. You have been busy this year and have some great material to show for it!!!