Ml_work

I had a chance to get some pines from the woods today. I got a few small ones that had no tap root. I got a few larger ones that did have a tap root, it was too deep for me to dig with what I had. So I had to cut the tap root. I had some root stimulate mixed with water which I put on all of them with dirt in the bottom of a bag. Most of them did not keep the root ball, it is dry here and the dirt just fell off. I plan to put some in the ground and others in pots.

What are the chances of these making it? How could you get the tap root from one it the wild without cutting the tap root?
Did not get to keep the root ball on most, the dirt fell off when digging. Those were just roots. It was too dark to plant or pot when I got home, will work on tomorrow.
Thanks for any advice,
ML

Dav4

The best time collect/transplant/root prune any tree is just as they break dormancy. In your neck of the woods, I would think that would be in late winter, say late February or early March, or perhaps even earlier. When you dig up trees in the heat of the summer, they have no way to deal with the high heat and the increased demands for transpiration as their roots have been compromised, and they usually rapidly succumb. Having said that, some evergreens can be collected or have the roots worked on in mid summer as they are in a heat induced dormancy, so there may be hope. Your best chance for survival is to keep them in almost 100 % shade, mist frequently, and look for signs of growth. As the trees show signs of recovery, you can increase the exposure to sun. Good luck,

Dave

Mojosan

"..I got a few small ones that had no tap root... "


Just how small are they? I assume tiny saplings, from the sounds of it (unless you have huge plastic bags )

I hope you also put some water inside that bag. Dry dirt isn't going to help anything. Those roots must not get dry or they will not make it. Leaving them overnight was not a good idea either.
If you were bringing collected trees home, you should have had containers and soil ready and waiting....

Did you do any research at all before attempting to go to "the woods" and dig trees?

Ml_work

Dave,
Thanks for the info. I can go back in the winter if that is a better time. I got 2 in pots and 1 in the ground yesterday, all in the shade.

Mojosan,

the trees are from 8 inches to 3 feet. the bags are from the store, so they hold a good amount. I did put dirt in the bag with the water and all root are still wet. It was raining here when I got off today so I could not plant them.

Quote:
Did you do any research at all before attempting to go to "the woods" and dig trees?

Sounds like my teacher...........

Yes I feel I did some research for this. I read on this site and many others every night, and read the few books that I have. I post here to get the view and knowledge of others that are much more advanced in this than myself.

Thanks for the Help!
ML

shrimpy

MI Work
If you are wanting to lift any tree whether it is in the garden or in the woods you will have much more success if you wrench it first.

Start by cutting the tap root & 2 sides do not disturb the other 2 sides return in 4 to 5 weeks cut the remaining 2 sides return in another 4 to 5 weeks (the tree will have made fine hair roots)
Lift wrap and tie in a wet sack or cloth NOT plastic.
So long as the roots are kept damp a tree will live like this for 12 months or more.
This should be done when the tree is dormant eg Fall or winter

Shrimpy

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shrimpy

MI work

If you are unable to wrench a tree and the dirt falls off when you dig it up wrap wet spagnum moss or wet straw round the roots then wrap with wet sacking and tie, you can put a bunch of trees in one bundle.

Shrimpy

__________________
If a man is alone working on his Bonsai and he speaks and there is no women to hear him.
is he still wrong ???

Never ever believe anything, Until it has been officially denied:

Mojosan

" Sounds like my teacher...........

Yes I feel I did some research for this. I read on this site and many others every night, and read the few books that I have. "


Sorry if that sounded condescending. In all of your research did you ever read anywhere that collecting pines during the growing season is the exact WORST time to do so?

EVERYTHING in bonsai is about timing. Everything. We must perform certain tasks when it will be the least stressful for the tree. Doing otherwise will be disastrous.

I don't know what kind of pines you have (southern yellow?) but their chances are not so good right now. The advice to keep them in shade (your temps are high now, from what you have said) and well watered is good, and about all you can do at this point. It is important that you do nothing to them for at least a full year. No trimming, no wiring, no repotting. Just leave them alone and let them recover if they can.

And contrary to what Dav4 said above, the best time to collect is BEFORE the trees break dormancy, or after they have gone fully dormant -

Dav4

[quote=Mojosan;3936

And contrary to what Dav4 said above, the best time to collect is BEFORE the trees break dormancy, or after they have gone fully dormant -[/quote]


I disagree. Everything I've read, been told by folks much more experienced then me, and seen first hand is that most trees are best collected just as they are breaking dormancy. By breaking dormancy, I mean that buds are just beginning to swell and roots are beginning to grow. It is at this point that these collected trees have the greatest amount of energy to repair themselves post collection. Granted, there are always exceptions, meaning you can successfully collect trees either before or after they have begun to grow in the spring. Still, I stand by my statement- there is no better time to collect then when your tree is just breaking dormancy.

Dave

Mojosan

And what then about all the successful fall/winter collections? We are talking pines here, not maples.

For pines, highest success will be collection during dormancy, and at the latest during candle extension.

Root growth in spring is minimal. During spring, the energy stored in the roots over the winter is used to push the new buds and fuel foliage growth. Energy is being transferred from the roots to the rest of the tree.
Once that foliage has established, it begins to produce the energy to fuel root growth. In the fall prior to dormancy, there is a surge in root growth. Once dormant that energy has been stored again, ready to push buds in the spring. Harvesting the tree then is the least stressful.

Mattbonsai

Surely this is the point for collecting pines during the breaking of dormancy?

Like you say, the plant stores its starch in its roots to later be used for the spring growth.
If you collect the tree during the dormancy period when the starches are still in the roots you will loose this potential energy because you cannot collect without loosing some roots? Loss of roots = Loss of energy.

If however, you collect During the Breaking of Dormancy, when a majority of these starches have been converted back into glucose and have made their way up to the buds you are not going to loose nearly half as much of the potential energy when you loose some of the roots, unless you loose many buds in the process.

-Matt-

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