Watching and Collecting trees

[James H]

So I will admit that the idea of collecting wild stock and developing it into bonsai interests me very much. I am out in the woods as much as I can. So anything that I can use as a reason to get back outside is a great idea to me.
I was wondering how many others here go out and watch trees to see if they are something you want to dig up in later years? I have several that I marked with my GPS and am watching and might try digging them up this spring. I was just wondering if others here do the same.

 

[BrianBay9]

I typically go out to my collecting spots in autumn, before leaf fall but after most of the bugs are gone, to mark trees to collect in early spring (before bud break). I'm getting better at tree ID with no leaves, but the autumn tree hunt gives me an excuse to enjoy a crisp, fall day, and lets me focus only on collecting (not searching) in the spring.

Searching and collecting are the most enjoyable parts of this hobby to me.

Brian

 

[M. Frary]

Looking for trees and asking landowners all the time for permission to dig in the spring is something I do on a weekly basis. Most of these are along fence rows where they have already been cut at least once by the landowners in an effort to get rid of them. Mainly Elms and Hawthorn. As for trees in the forest and swamps where I work I just circle the spot on a map with species name for future reference. These are mainly Tamarack,Spruce and Hornbeam. I try to find trees as close to a road or trail as possible because they will be heavy.

 

[GrimLore]

I have marked trees, cut a root circle in Fall with a spade, then chopped and pulled in Spring. I have also left a few two to three years now doing everything EXCEPT collecting to see what they do. I find it possible when I hit up wood lots on very old farmland. The folks that own those places here are normally very generous giving permission as they no longer work the land themselves. On a couple occasions they have asked what to do with badly overgrown landscape plants and in exchange I research them and tell them when the best time to chop them down to "normal" and it is appreciated.

Grimmy