Is there a science to the dig?

[The Specimen]

To all the collection or would be enthusiasts

Sure at some stage you may have came across a tree / stump in the wild that would make a fine specimen for bonsai

The question is "How can I safely dig this tree / stump to ensure it's health and survival"

It may be quite large or there may be other challenges..

Is there a science to this and can I ask people to share their tips and techniques

And how they transport it back safely considering the drive home may take few hours

[Handy Mick]

Mate, no one can answer this question without details on the type of tree/plant,, size, pictures or photos etc
mick

[Paulneill]

Try and get as many roots as possable. remove a fare amount of top growth to compensate for the loss of roots.
. Early spring is the best time to collect most trees When they show signs of growth. leave some old soil in the root ball if possible . Get diatomite for potting mix.trim and tidy any broken smashed roots and seal all large cuts with cut paste . leave it for a least one year to recover before touching it again. or assesing its strength.

[The Specimen]

Thanks Paul.. that was very useful

There is one camelia tree that seemed almost dead so we chopped it back to a stump about 2 months ago

There are no signs of new growth though when I went to scratch one part of the stump.. some parts were dead and another showed little green

Previous attempt to dig the stump showed more big roots than the small fibrous ones

Question is if a stump has mainly large roots.. would it stand survival?

Also would axing the roots for the lift cause more damage?

Cheers

[Gerard]

I always start further away from the trunk than what I plan to keep. The main concern is damaging fine roots close to the trunk, if you start further out you can tease roots free of the soil and cut them. When you start closer to the trunk you risk breaking fine roots as soon as you hit a thicker one, knocking thicker roots as you try to get under the rootball will also break fine ones so they should be cut several times as you move closer to the trunk.
Dig a big hole
Cut the roots
Clear the hole
Tease the roots
Cut the roots
Clear the hole
Until you have a small enough rootball to lift, keep as much soil as possible.

With conifers I like to dig in autumn (personal preferance) and keep the original soil for the first year.
Deciduous in spring and bare rooting is OK

[shibui]

Different species respond differently to root pruning. Some have difficulty forming new roots and some do it very easily. I'd put the Camellia in the easy to dig group along with maples and ficus. They can have roots cut back to almost nothing and still survive and grow. Location, soil type and climate will also affect the way an individual tree responds to collection and the techniques that should be used.


The real question is whether a stump with large roots will ever make a good bonsai so is it worth expending the energy on digging and reestablishing the tree.
In my experience more than half of the trees that looked good in the field turn out not to be so good afterwards.

Also if the tree is in poor health -

There are no signs of new growth though when I went to scratch one part of the stump.. some parts were dead and another showed little green

- it will have a much poorer chance of surviving a transplant.

[The Specimen]

Gerard and Shibui thanks for the wisdom..

I really appreciate people's help on the forum as i have never really joined any and the info is invaluable

Many thanks

[Paulneill]

here is a very helpful bit of info you wont forget. when a tree is dormant in winter most of its energy is stored in its roots and releases this energy in early spring back into the branches. so try not to remove a trees energy by removing large branches / trunk chop or root pruning at the wrong time . this is why re-potting is done early spring that first week of growth the roots are empty of energy so it does not hurt to prune roots hard. same with branches in the winter or late winter for trees with leaves. hope this helps.
also keep your newly collected tree away from too much sun and wind. for a few months then slowly bring back the sun.
keep the roots damp or even submerged in water after colection . wet news paper, cloths, spagnum moss.
spagmun moss can be used to promote root growth .
also fish sea weed emulsion (seasol) is used to promote root growth and reduce shock for transplanted trees.

[Pup]

G,day Paul I note that your Bonsai experience is 1 year, yet you say to leave collected trees for that long, before you work on them. Is this from reading or doing, there is a big difference. I have dug trees in November of one year and in January of the following year started to work on them.

I have dug them in the middle of Summer, and the middle of Winter with no ill affects.
Information being passed on that has not been proven by the person passing it, is hearsay and as they say in the court room inadmissible. Fact is what counts.

The species is very important, in knowing how to collect them, and when. Some times it is do it now or tomorrow it wont be there, as in the Bottlebrush in the National collection. Which was in full flower at the time.

So what we need to know is what species how big and, what type of soil it is growing in, to give a more precise answer to the question.
Cheers from an old man, that does have a life, other than Bonsai.

[The Specimen]

Guys thank you once again and one day when I have collected "The Specimen" all your inputs and advise would have played an integral part so I won't forget.

I just came back from a casual wonder at a plantation and have noted some varieties that I'd love to one day collect. It was a great experience.

Of particular interest is a wattle tree or so that is what I think it is.. has a magnificent bloom of yellow fluffy looking flowers and I think would be an absolute beaut to have as a bonsai.. only problem was these trees were way too big to hard yakka and foraging around I did not find a smaller specimen to take back.

Does anyone have or see this particular specie??

[rowan]

Considering the huge number of acacia (wattle) species, you have to be a bit more precise Most of them have yellow fluffy flowers - You do have permission to take natives from that area I'm sure
I wish you luck with your wattle.

[shibui]

To Paulneill - Not sure where you gathered your information from but, as I've said before in another thread and as Pup points out above, experience shows that the 'truths' you have posted are only partly true. Reality is very different and fortunately allows us much more leeway in timing of pruning and transplanting.

[Asus101]

Military grade C4. Takes a few goes to get the right amount, but keep at it.

[Paulneill]

I collected a large cotoneaster in the middle of autum since then it has budded out everywhere and shot out branches ten inches long . So it looks like it's doing ok . The problem I have now is that I didn't cut it back as much as I should have and I also did not cut the tap root clean . It's all shattered form were I stabed it with a shovel . There are 2 very large roots comming from farther up the trunk that I will eventually remove. I want to lift it in spring and flat cut the base hoping the 2 large roots will support the tree. Until I get new roots from my flat cut . What do u guys reckon is this do able

[soda]

I had some fabulous advice in my Flexuosa collection posting from Ash Pup and others. Well worth a read as I think that the majority of 'dig' factors suggested this tree should have gone to God. Their aftercare advice have it doing well 8 or so months later.

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