mq1742 wrote:kcpoole wrote:
If you read all the posts, you will get that he has been advised ( and rightly so) to do nothing to it for 5 years or so.
Ken
If only those giving advice also practiced what they preach...
Interesting comment
that, and one which I shall gladly reply to as others I am sure will learn from it.
In the Context of the original linked post, I totally agree with the above comment of mine, because the specimen collector by his own admission is a newbie, and has not a clue on how to treat the collected tree, (and one could argue, how to collect it), and then how to treat it now and provide it the best chance of recovery.
I (although still consider myself learning) have been growing and developing Bonsai for nearly 10 years, and have a fair grasp of how to get a collected Juniper to recover well.
The next point to add is that he lives in north Carolina ( USDA Zone 7/8) and is currently late summer there. The tree will not grow any at all this year and probably the next season as well. In that area of the US, he will only get in the next five years, a maximum of about 18 - 24 months good active growing weather.
In Sydney, I get active growth on Junipers for 12 months of every year. What will take him 5 years to do, we can in 2. Where you are in Newcastle, you should get the same or better results.
The last point is that I assume you are referring to this thread,
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=12673 where I collected numerous old Junipers.
I remember a post from Matt questioning whether I should work on some of them earlier this year, but cannot find it now
. My answer then was that as the trees had all powered on very well over the summer and had obviously recovered well. I decided to experiment on some of the lesser ones to see if they could stand some work. One of those experiments did not survive ( the smallest one), but the other 2 have done really well since, and not missed a beat. One has been repotted already and has great roots, and the other one ( my Comp tree here)
viewtopic.php?f=148&t=14753&p=152353 , will be repotted soon to see what lies under the soil.
The larger and more spectacular specimens, are still in there respective recovery pots, and will be for at least another year or 2.
So yes M,
I do practice what I preach.
but I am prepared to push the boundaries a little when I am confident
of a positive result, and not before.
Ken
Mine pump out growth all winter.
