M. Frary
Bonsai Godzilla
As soon as it thaws enough to get a shovel in the ground.
What happens when I get home with a stump.
- Thread starter M. Frary
- Start date
Anthony
Imperial Masterpiece
Waltron,
next time shape your root cuts to angle downwards . like so /
Good Day
Anthony
next time shape your root cuts to angle downwards . like so /
Good Day
Anthony
Waltron
Chumono
copy, I'll do the same.
let me ask you this, have you tried any buckthorn? how about aspen?. I've been prepping an old oak tree for 2 years now.. which oaks, if any, have you tried to collect? im thinking white oak is the only one that may have potential for bonsai. The one I have my eye on is def not a white oak. what is your method for collecting oak?
let me ask you this, have you tried any buckthorn? how about aspen?. I've been prepping an old oak tree for 2 years now.. which oaks, if any, have you tried to collect? im thinking white oak is the only one that may have potential for bonsai. The one I have my eye on is def not a white oak. what is your method for collecting oak?
choppychoppy
Chumono
got any 'stumps' that have actually turned into a nice looking tree? lots of 'before' pics but no afters?
JoeR
Masterpiece
So if I plan on collecting some AH, you suggest that I collect them asap? Why do you think you should collect them early?
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
Copy that. Looks pretty drastic!
Teach me something.
Tieball
Masterpiece
You may find this is all the trees want to do....regardless of the time. I've collected early winter, late winter, late autumn, mid winter and early spring. Same results. The trees live fine....just that lack of bud development anywhere on the trunks. The trees seem to prefer low growth....mostly, most often, off the nearby roots around the trunk....when dug up. Around me the trees grow tall and skinny with branching spread out way at the top only.....shallow roots that spread well in all directions. Very wet soil conditions in the collecting area of a woods out back.
Two trees out of many collected developed branches. However, I harvested this tree shown in the photo very young...about seedling size. It had some low branches in the beginning....like 1/16" type short branches. I protected and kept all of those on the trunk. I've grown it since in a wooden box. It is about 8-10 years old now. Collected out back initially with about a 1" trunk. The trunk is about 2 3/4" diameter now. When trimmed, the branches will put out several new buds, however, the tree has never put out buds anywhere else on the trunk....just on the branches. If I cut a branch off....which I have done.....it's gone forever it seems. I have thread grafted to this tree....the trick has been finding a strong sap vein and letting it go for two growing seasons. A 100% success rate....but I've only grafted 2 branches.
The photo here is the tree in the wooden box. Very healthy. I root prune every 3-4 years....and back in the box it goes. The tree likes it there I guess. I remove all leaves at least once a year. New buds develop and leaves that return don't seem to reduce much. The photo was taken a few weeks after regrowth of the leaves.
A second tree collected, and planted in a growing ground area, has had similar bud on the branches growth. What I've seen is the boxed tree grows much better than the ground tree. Can't figure that one out.
Both of the trees put out those root base shoots which I just remove as they appear.
klosi
Shohin
How are your hornbeams doing?
peterbone
Mame
Why leave such a long trunk with no taper? Chop it much lower and you're more likely to get back budding where you want it, plus better taper in the future. I would personally avoid collecting trees that don't already have low branches though.
M. Frary
Bonsai Godzilla
I collected it tall because they die back from a cut.
I collect all decidious stumps with no low branches. By the time the tree grows a new leader those branches would be too fat.
And if you are collecting decidious trees you will be hard pressed to find them with low branches. Those get grown or are grafted on later.
peterbone
Mame
If you keep the existing branches pruned back then they won't thicken.
Here are a couple of Hornbeams (European) I collected last spring. Both have plenty of low branches. There are many similar that I will collect next spring. If you look in the right places and spend a lot of time looking then you can find stunted trees with low branches that are a lot closer to being a bonsai and have a lot of natural character. Many of Walter Pall's collection come from similar collected trees (although higher quality). I think that these had been continuously grazed on by deer.
https://goo.gl/3ANGm7
https://goo.gl/uVaU62
Here are a couple of Hornbeams (European) I collected last spring. Both have plenty of low branches. There are many similar that I will collect next spring. If you look in the right places and spend a lot of time looking then you can find stunted trees with low branches that are a lot closer to being a bonsai and have a lot of natural character. Many of Walter Pall's collection come from similar collected trees (although higher quality). I think that these had been continuously grazed on by deer.
https://goo.gl/3ANGm7
https://goo.gl/uVaU62
Last edited:
mattspinniken
Omono
I think it can be done both ways with success. Just maybe a longer approach with a stump. For me I would rather spend more time looking for something that is already on its way. The looking for trees part is maybe the most fun part of the hobby for me though and I don't want to end up with a thousand trees in my backyard so I'm extra picky.
Peter both really nice trees that you collected!
Peter both really nice trees that you collected!
jriddell88
Omono
I second this
Waltron
Chumono
good looking tree there. its tuff to find good hornbeam trunks to collect that already have low branches, i was really hoping to get some back budding on the trunks of the ones I plan to collect.
peterbone
Mame
Thanks. Yes, the searching process is the most satisfying part of the hobby for me too, which is why I prefer to spend a long time looking and choose only the best. The point of collecting wild material for me is to incorporate much of the existing wild characteristics of the tree into the final design. If you collect a stump then you end up with a tree that is 90% man made.
Waltron
Chumono
haha peter bone makes it look easy, because it is when you dig up trees that are ready for the bonsai pot straight from the ground! im envious, not hating peter.
SimonDuval
Yamadori
Peterbone, being a shade loving tree, American hornbeam just doesn't grow like that. It will have low branches for the first 5 years of its life, but the trunk will have no character. If you're looking for a trunk that has character, then it will not have low branches. It's a trade-off, certainly harder to make a good bonsai out of a straight trunk like this but numerous examples exist. And what's wrong with a tree that's 90% man made? Japanese have been field growing man made pines for hundred of years and I think they are still very nice bonsais!
M. Frary
Bonsai Godzilla
So yours are what? 88% man made because they already have branches?
GGB
Masterpiece
This makes me want to try my first deciduous tree. If only I could ID them
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