The 2024 Yamadori/Collecting Thread

Kanorin

Omono
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Hello my name is Drake, I’m a forester in south Arkansas. I decided to go into bonsai about a year ago and collected my first tree from the woods and after a two weeks I have a good feeling it might survive. How good of material is this tree, any advice is appreciated View attachment 530898View attachment 530899
Shortleaf pine as a species seems to have a lot of potential. I've been growing a handful of them from the Missouri department of conservation and I collected one 2 years ago and another this year. They seem to have the ability to bud back on even fully barked up trunk, which is very useful to us bonsai nuts that try to compress trees down.

The particular tree that you got has some potential, but looks to be somewhere around 10-15 years old. The very sought-after yamadori trees would be much older than that. I'd recommend potting up newly collected trees in pumice next time.
 

SnoderlyD

Seedling
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Shortleaf pine as a species seems to have a lot of potential. I've been growing a handful of them from the Missouri department of conservation and I collected one 2 years ago and another this year. They seem to have the ability to bud back on even fully barked up trunk, which is very useful to us bonsai nuts that try to compress trees down.

The particular tree that you got has some potential, but looks to be somewhere around 10-15 years old. The very sought-after yamadori trees would be much older than that. I'd recommend potting up newly collected trees in pumice next time.
It’s probably best I leave those trees alone for now😂.Because shortleaf is an extremely fast grower in good conditions I was going to squeeze out some diameter growth. I appreciate the advice for when I go to repot it.
 

Kbazz

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I visited my dad this past weekend in the Mojave desert to get this California Juniper from his property. I assume it's a California Juniper based on location and how many are growing on his and his neighbor's properties within the area. The first picture is the one he sent me last year saying if I bring a shovel I can have it.

CA Juniper Yamadori 2023 (1).JPG

This past Saturday, I tried my best to be careful and leave a good root ball but the soil just fell away from the roots, and after fighting the massive tap root, this is what I got.

CA Juniper Yamadori 2023 (2).jpg

Here it is at home after being placed in a pot with pure pumice and a thorough watering. I'm hoping I did the right thing by just foregoing the native soil and going pure pumice. I have been misting the foliage 3 times a day and now just hope for the best
CA Juniper Yamadori 2023 (4).jpg
 

circledisk

Yamadori
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I collected this cedar elm earlier this month and its buds are just starting to swell and break.

View attachment 531034
aha! you have access to them. I've been looking for one too but they don't grow in NC. Any chance you'd sell a collected one to a forum member?
 

Goodbrake

Yamadori
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aha! you have access to them. I've been looking for one too but they don't grow in NC. Any chance you'd sell a collected one to a forum member?
Perhaps in the future. I don't currently have the space to devote to collecting trees I don't plan to keep.
 

Wilson

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Myself and a few other good folks from Canada made our way down to Louisiana for some swamp adventures. We were hosted by Nate Murray of The Boot Bonsai, from Franklinton Louisiana. Amazing trip, inspiring landscapes, and of course AWESOME BALD CYPRESS! Here is one I pulled that was giving me the Guy Guidry's twister vibes when I spotted it.received_770456751192894.jpeg
 

snowman04

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Myself and a few other good folks from Canada made our way down to Louisiana for some swamp adventures. We were hosted by Nate Murray of The Boot Bonsai, from Franklinton Louisiana. Amazing trip, inspiring landscapes, and of course AWESOME BALD CYPRESS! Here is one I pulled that was giving me the Guy Guidry's twister vibes when I spotted it.View attachment 531048
That is one really fine tree!
 

Wilson

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That is one really fine tree!
Nate is really such a great guide, and has truly incredible spots to collect in. I would recommend to anyone interested in bald cypress to support his business, especially the folks like me who don't have bald cypress growing in the environment around them.
 

Goodbrake

Yamadori
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I also collected a Texas persimmon with decent movement. Unfortunately it didn't come out with many fine roots, and it had to be cut back to the trunk since it was too leggy to transport otherwise. It's currently in a pond basket filled with coarse pumice in a plastic bag to keep it humid and to encourage it to root and bud. Not positioned well for photos and I don't want to disturb it further. Perhaps @NaoTK could offer some persimmon aftercare advice to help improve survival chances.

IMG20240203123338.jpg
 

sevan

Mame
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Here’s one I have been checking out in my yard the last few weeks. I think it might be a slippery elm. I don't really need any more projects, but it looks interesting.

1000002419.jpg

I'm not positive, but I think this is a picture I took of the leaves of this tree last spring with some kind of leaf gall. I wasn't paying attention to the tree at the time, I was just trying to find out what was happening with the leaves and if it was a concern for the rest of the plants in the area. So this picture might be from another tree in the same location.

1000000518.jpg
 

IllinoisSam

Sapling
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This thread is for sharing information on planning, collecting, care for after collection of trees collected from January 1 through December 31, 2024.
Have fun digging everyone.
Tomorrow we will be collecting two large old junipers, with permission, from an old cemetery in southern Illinois. We have been fertilizing and cutting the roots since last fall. They are about 25" high and 40" wide, with gnarly trunks

Should we keep them with original soil in the pot?
Or
Should we bare root and pot in pumice?
Should we cut roots back now or wait a year or two?
Should we daily mist?
Or
Should we bag them
We really don't want to kill them.
 

Scriv

Yamadori
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Tomorrow we will be collecting two large old junipers, with permission, from an old cemetery in southern Illinois. We have been fertilizing and cutting the roots since last fall. They are about 25" high and 40" wide, with gnarly trunks

Should we keep them with original soil in the pot?
Or
Should we bare root and pot in pumice?
Should we cut roots back now or wait a year or two?
Should we daily mist?
Or
Should we bag them
We really don't want to kill them.
This was posted by @PaulH awhile back. Very similar aftercare regimen to what Tom Vuong and Randy Knight recommend as well. Might not need to mist as much with higher relative humidity.

1. Don't obsess over getting a lot of roots. Feeder roots are good but thicker structure roots can go.
2. Wash field soil off the roots with a hose nozzle and remove any dead roots
3. Pot in the smallest pet or box in which it will fit. If the container is too big it will retain moisture and rot the roots.
4. Plant in 100% pumice sifted to larger than 1/4" size. Absolutely no organic or fine soil.
5. Keep the tree in a cool greenhouse or equivalent with filtered sun.
6. Mist the foliage a minimum of every 4 hours. If you can't manage it yourself set up a timed misting system.
7. Cover the soil surface with something to keep misting water out. You want the soil (pumice) slightly moist but never wet.
8. When new growth begins gradually move the tree to full sun. New growth means actual elongating shoots.

I've tried other methods and killed a lot of junipers before learning this.
Good luck. I hope this one survives but I think the odds are against it unless you start over with it.
 

IllinoisSam

Sapling
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Any pictures?

This was posted by @PaulH awhile back. Very similar aftercare regimen to what Tom Vuong and Randy Knight recommend as well. Might not need to mist as much with higher relative humidity.

1. Don't obsess over getting a lot of roots. Feeder roots are good but thicker structure roots can go.
2. Wash field soil off the roots with a hose nozzle and remove any dead roots
3. Pot in the smallest pet or box in which it will fit. If the container is too big it will retain moisture and rot the roots.
4. Plant in 100% pumice sifted to larger than 1/4" size. Absolutely no organic or fine soil.
5. Keep the tree in a cool greenhouse or equivalent with filtered sun.
6. Mist the foliage a minimum of every 4 hours. If you can't manage it yourself set up a timed misting system.
7. Cover the soil surface with something to keep misting water out. You want the soil (pumice) slightly moist but never wet.
8. When new growth begins gradually move the tree to full sun. New growth means actual elongating shoots.

I've tried other methods and killed a lot of junipers before learning this.
Good luck. I hope this one survives but I think the odds are against it unless you start over with it.
 
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