SW Missouri

[BILBO76]

I Have 280 acres of in sw missouri. What kind of trees would be good to collect?

 

[rockm]

I Have 280 acres of in sw missouri. What kind of trees would be good to collect?

All depends on what you have on your property. The way to look for bonsai is to go out and look for TRUNKS of trees, not necessarily species. You're looking for 2" up to 12" diameter trunks (measured at ground level) that show good surface roots and hopefully some "movement" (As is not straight) in the first two feet of the trunk up from the ground. The rest of the tree above the 2'-3' height is mostly a sacrifice (for deciduous trees) as it will be removed.

Find a few of those kinds of trees THEN work on their ID BEFORE YOU COLLECT THEM. Some species are better in bonsai culture than others. Species with close internodes (spaces between leaves on stems), as well as naturally smaller leaves will help narrow the field of candidates.

I assume you've never collected trees before for bonsai. Some advice--If you find trees that are suitable and determine their species, collect the less interesting same species NEXT to the one you want and see if you can get it out alive and keep it that way for two years. The learning curve on digging collected trees out is short. The learning curve on digging them out and keeping them alive is very long. You will most likely kill your first collected trees. Better those initial dead ones aren't the best ones on your property. Once you dig that spectacular tree candidate out and you kill it, it will take decades, or perhaps centuries, before you get a similar one.

The best kinds of trees to collect are the ones that live after collection.

BTW, in my experience in a similar climate is that deciduous trees aren't really dug up. Shovels are limited in their use for collecting trees. A pruning saw (preferably a battery operated reciprocating saw) and a hand trowel are the most effective tools in your toolkit for collecting deciduous species.

If you're digging up seedlings, none of this applies and you're mostly wasting your time collecting . Seedlings are easy to get and survive because you get most of their roots. Collecting from the wild is about finding substantial trees that show their age in a wild untamed way that nursery grown plants can't.

 

[hemmy]

I Have 280 acres of in sw missouri. What kind of trees would be good to collect?

Flat pasture or hilly woodland? Lakeside?

I’ve seen some great Ashe Juniper overhanging the limestone cliffs of Beaver Lake and north into the Missouri side of Table Rock. Although, I’d never collect the ones visible from the lake (assuming landowner permission).

If it’s pasture, check along the fence rows for Osage Orange.

You also several native species of white and black oaks.

Let me know if you need help running a shovel! Lol.

 

[Srt8madness]

Find a local bonsai enthusiast and make their year, they'll help you out of sheer gratitude.

 

[BILBO76]

Its hilly woodland with about 80 acres being pasture. there is a 2 acre pond and a spring fed creek. I know there are alot of osage orange

 

[BrianBay9]

A quick look of natives in your area shows a number of good candidates. Any oak, hackberry, hornbeam, hawthorn, linden, elms.....Best to look at the edges - forest edge, pasture edge, stream or pond bank. Look for stuff chewed by livestock at the pasture edge or fence rows.