Cajunrider
Imperial Masterpiece
In the past I tried to talk my lady boss into a RV with no success. Nowadays I have no space to keep the trailer.
The big tree, little car struggle.
- Thread starter ironliver316
- Start date
BillsBayou
Chumono
Big tree, little car stories have plagued me since the early 90s. I have just as many too-many-trees-little-car stories. Here's my latest. Convinced my wife that a 14-hour drive to Fort Meyers, Florida was a vacation. We went to Wigert's, Top Tropicals (highly recommend), and a random garden center. Most of the trees and nearly all the pots were strawman purchases for the local club and friends. Luckily, Florida doesn't care if you're smuggling trees OUT of the state.
This was the SUV on the 14-hour drive back home. Bottom boxes are 6 boxes of pots. There are 6 fruit boxes, stacked two high, filled with plants behind the plants you see here.
Trees filled the SUV all the way forward.
This was the SUV on the 14-hour drive back home. Bottom boxes are 6 boxes of pots. There are 6 fruit boxes, stacked two high, filled with plants behind the plants you see here.
Trees filled the SUV all the way forward.
Cajunrider
Imperial Masterpiece
Your power of persuasion far exceeds mine.
sevan
Mame
I had that issue a couple weeks ago. I found a bald cypress and clearance acer rubrum that I wanted to take home, both in 15 gallon pots. The acer I could have chopped at the store, but I wanted to keep the full height of the BC.
They are a little big for the planters at the moment, but I will reduce the roots a bit in the spring to fit. I wanted something that looked a little nicer than a nursery pot because they will be in my front yard for the next several years.
They are a little big for the planters at the moment, but I will reduce the roots a bit in the spring to fit. I wanted something that looked a little nicer than a nursery pot because they will be in my front yard for the next several years.
BrianBay9
Masterpiece
Get a pickup truck. Problem solved...or just reduce the trunk the parking lot of the nursery. Lots of fun, and the nursery staff might be shocked "you voided your warranty" or, they may not be "we've seen that before, want some help?" (if that's the response, return to the nursery as often as possible--they "get" bonsai...Even if you have a pickup truck and you have big "finished" trees, you have to get creative to transport them. I have to drive a very large oak bonsai twice a year to/from a bonsai nursery 70 miles from me for winter storage. Driving 75 mph on the Interstate would break/severely damage a tree that is exposed to the wind...The top of the tree is 6-8 inches taller than the cab of the truck. A bed topper is not tall enough, so I had to build a large plywood box to protect it--box breaks down easily for flat storage. Adapt, overcome...
Saw a guy this weekend with live shrubs in the back of his open pick up, driving 80 mph on I - 5 in California. 2 pm. 110 F. Those plants didn't stand a chance.
BobbyLane
Imperial Masterpiece
How about the big tree, little scooter struggle?! This was a few years ago when I was picking up trees on my trusty Vespa
its less of a struggle now ive upgraded to a BMW coupe, they still need to be reduced at the nursery though and I was driving a mini before that!
its less of a struggle now ive upgraded to a BMW coupe, they still need to be reduced at the nursery though and I was driving a mini before that!
Srt8madness
Omono
Did those leaves stay on for the ride or was that your quick way for fall defoliation?How about the big tree, little scooter struggle?! This was a few years ago when I was picking up trees on my trusty Vespa
its less of a struggle now ive upgraded to a BMW coupe, they still need to be reduced at the nursery though and I was driving a mini before that!View attachment 450649
Passers-by probably wondered why you were hauling a dead tree
Mike Westervelt
Chumono
Nice find, All of my vehicles have a folding saw and garbage bags as standard equipment.
19Mateo83
Masterpiece
Same here. I keep a shovel and little pick in the tree kit also.
BobbyLane
Imperial Masterpiece
keep us updated on the hornbeam, maybe it deserves its own thread.
waydeo
Mame
I might need to make a tree collecting bag of tools to keep in the mini van for these situiations.
LMAO. I show these threads to my wife so she doesn't go through life thinking I'm the only insane person out there. I will be sure to take pics next time I do the same. I've brought home 10ft gingkos and other trees with the back of my SUV open and the trees hanging out of it.
BillsBayou
Chumono
Somewhere down the road, you'll go into a garden center, buy a 10-foot tree, and go out to the parking lot where you will cut off the top 8-feet of the tree. Smile at other customers as you leave.
Other "Insane Acts of Bonsai" include buying the ugliest tree on the property and extolling its virtues while you're in the checkout line. "LOOK AT IT!" you'll say to your spouse, "It has got to be the best looking elm I've ever found here." Then give it a good shake while leaves fall from the many dead portions of the tree. Look at other customers in line and give them a smirk and a conspiratorial wink. "They only want $60 for it!"
Maybe you get caught rummaging through the nursery's waste/compost/burn heap. "How much do you want for this?" you call out. The employees give you a look that makes you think they're about to call the police. "Sir, please get down from there. I'm pretty sure that tree is dead. It's not even in a pot!" But you know better. While the bark happens to be coming off in your hands, you see one weak pale green leaf on the lowest branch. "Well? How much?" When they say "You can have it if you just get out of there," you start to wonder if you keep digging, will they let you have more? Maybe you'll see something else as you're climbing out of the brambles. Something easy to grab as if it were already on your radar.
Then as you're leaving/being escorted out, you spot a few elm seedlings growing next to the fence. "Can I borrow a shovel? How much do you want for those seedlings if I dig them myself?"
You chuckle as they literally push you out into the parking lot. "HA!" you think to yourself, "They didn't notice me taking those crape myrtle twigs." After all, if you make their products look better by removing live, broken twigs from their trees, it can't be stealing. Right?
Somewhere down the road, you'll be just like me.
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ironliver316
Seedling
I might just do that. After some more researching. This is one of the few trees I have that I'm not willing to "learn" on. I'm still quite new at this and some things about timing still confuse me. Like what time of year to do major branch removal on a tree like this. And whether I should even do that while it's still in the nursery container, or wait til repotting season and get it in a box or training pot first. I did slip pot it into a bigger container though. I lost 2 pot bound trees last year waiting for February to come around.
BobbyLane
Imperial Masterpiece
Taxus today, 
Paradox
Marine Bonsologist
This has the potential to be a nice tree so it is wise to be careful. Slip potting is fine to do now. The only other thing I would caution you with is to make sure you give it good protection during the winter. Don't just leave it out in the yard. You want to keep below 40 degrees and out of the wind. Try not to let it freeze though. So if we get those prolonged cold snaps below 30 degrees, I'd move it into a garage temporarily if you can
BobbyLane
Imperial Masterpiece
Just saw this. I have tons of threads on nursery hornbeams, theyre as tough as nails, you dont need to baby them like others trees, maples or conifers for example.
I do branch removal any time of the year, i usually buy after leaf drop and reduce on the spot, top n bottom. but i dont bare root them.
Shogun610
Masterpiece
You blokes and your taxus.. ugh I wish there was sick nursery stock my way.
ironliver316
Seedling
I have a 12x10 greenhouse I bought last year, that I put up when it starts to hit freezing. I have a heater and thermostat in there keeping it at around 35. I stuffed all but the conifers in there last year just to be safe. I might have to be more selective this year as the collection has grown by about 20 trees. lol
I'll check those threads out this weekend. Thanks!
BillsBayou
Chumono
If you have trees that are hardy to your USDA 7a zone, they might do best by having a good freeze. Look into how to best make your trees winter hardy. It may involve placing them down on the ground and using pine straw, or some other mulching material. Then mulch to the height of the first branch.
I had a toyo nishiki quince which was beautiful when I bought it in north Mississippi. It came to New Orleans to languish and nearly die. A couple winters later, we had a series of days of low thirties, upper twenties. That spring, the tree flowered like crazy. Someone from Shreveport said they would take care of it so I gave it to them. Some trees do best when they freeze, I guess.
Who made your greenhouse? I had a Harbor Freight (Horror Fright) greenhouse. It imploded in 30mph winds with every nut, bolt, and clamp in place.
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