AusBonsai

This was to be collected 2 years ago unfortunately on that day the Plantation Corp had sent the spray gang in to eradicate roadside debris .The tree was pink and i was p#*!!:d .I decided to go for a cruise through the tracks to see the clear felling operations going on and blow me down this was still alive and thriving .It was growing in a cascade fashion over the roadside batter . It had endured plenty of traffic in the early days being on a deer run or wallaby track , hence the natural shari around the base and up the trunk .Since the new road was put in the wildlife was unable to navigate the steep terrace , hence the very good condition of the new growth .Length of the tree was around 2m with a base of around 150 x 200mm and a 100mm trunk . .I have applied wire tornaque's to the upper portions of the tree and removed the apexes then sealed with red clay to prevent bleeding out .Will it survive ? not the first time i have killed a tree .Cheers Alpineart

Don't worry too much. I dig these all the time and they are really tough. It could die but you always take that chance with yamadori but there is a much better chance that it will survive. I recommend that you cut off a small branch and let it bleed. I always do this so I can check it's health as it recovers. Bleeding is a good sign that its roots are working and it is well.

Hi Rowan , my strike rate with these pines is very ordinary .Its shedding a few tears from the candle pinching which with any pine is normal , they bleed even if they are going to die . If the roots aren't working there's not much i can do about that , all possible care was taken now its up to Mother nature .I sure if it can survive a weed spray i should be a winner .

I collected some Black pines that were sprayed 12 months ago very sick trees , however the root mass is very healthyI have no doubt they will survive .Many would ask why collect these sick looking trees .Well they have character ,i have seen many a good pine sprayed over the last couple of decades so if these are successful then collecting sprayed pines is possible .I like a challenge and another test to learn from .Cheers Alpine

I am wondering why your success rate is low, maybe you look after them too well. Around here they grow in sand so when they are dug it falls off and they are bare rootedwith few roots. I just sit them in a pot with some sand from around them (for the micchoriza) then wait three months till they are shooting then repot them in better soil to finish recovering. They get no special treatment.
I have a success rate of around 90% in the cooler months and around 70% in the middle of summer. I always let them bleed to see that they are working. They are really tough and I love working with them. I hope your success rate improves and you get along better with them with more experience.

Hi Rowen, my success rate with these is around 5% other pines 95% .Maybe i should try sand with them , everything up this way is growing in red clay so i basically bare root them and add Mychro' from the original collection site to a mix .Best i get a bit tough with them , i'm not particularly keen on them but there are some very nice looking larger Bonsai Monty's around .Thanks for the tips. Cheers Alpine

Don't bare root them, leave the root ball intact. Expose the ends of the roots put the rootball in a pot and back fill. Let it rest for a year or two then bare root half the root ball and repot, a year later dothe other half. We have had95% from trees dig out of heavy clay and treated this way.

Hi Jarrod , rootball who said anything about a rootball .Most tree's i dig don't have rootballs, they may have some feeder roots but thats about it, most don't even have feeders but the tap and stay roots .When you strip the clay away there's very little left , the feeder roots are well below my digging depth .Many years ago i found if i left the clay on they would basically rot .I dig up Black , Red , White , Yellow and numerous other Pines the same way with good success but the Monty is my least collected and less sucessfull .

I know the most written about methods for collecting , but i don't go by the book .If i was to take 4 hours to dig ,collect and pot up a tree i wouldn't bother unless it was an extraodinary specimen. I have used the root cutting method over a period of years and it to is hit and miss .I wasted a lot of time in the early days and with little success . .A pick and pruning saw for removal ,but it is pointless bringing home 10-20kgms of clay hoping there is a rootball in there .Cheers Alpine

Sorry, could you explain the reference to "sprayed"... as in with poison?

Hi Mitchell , yes mate sprayed with poison , usually with a red dye in it to show the guys were they are in the field and to let the bosses know if the fella's are doing the job .It might kill the majority of the trees but some will survive and they usually have die back which produces nice jin material .If it has an interesting trunk or movement and i feel it may recover then i will certainly dig it .

The cedars i dug from the service station several days ago "Cast iron Atlas cedar " were sprayed numerous times with roundup .I have actually seen the owner spray them and he admitted spraying them without success.I don't know what type of spray the contracters use but it kills Blackberries .Cheers Alpine

Well 14 months down the track and its still alive .This has been basically trimmed after collection then a minor trim some time ago .With all the new growth extended i think its time for some wire and shaping .The tree is around 900 x900 x900 . With a base of 200mm and a trunk just over 100mm this is going to be a long week sorting the branches out and shaping . I will probably spend this coming week working this tree over , as for re-potting well it way to big to lift in my condition .The trunk has old bark and a very natural old shari which will be carved to the max including the original upper trunk .This only has 2 branches off the main trunk to work with so i will see what can be done .

Cheers Alpineart

Hey man, thats a nice tree to work on. Time to chop into it and wire it.

Hmmm, i missed this one Alpine. Very nice material to work on. Maybe we can organize a, Material to be worked on, Swap one day. I have stonker ELMS!!!

Hi Brian , this is going to take some time , old hopalong has to go back and forth chasing the tools and materials .On crutches its a frustrating exercise, and carrying things is no easy task . Probably another 3-4 weeks before i can walk , that's if they don't have to redo the botched job already done .

Cheers Alpine .

Hi Bodhi , mate i find it very difficult to sell material let alone swap it .I kinda get attached to it .The wife is always on my case every time something changes in the yard ,she will asks where the new tree is .I collect trunks with character and they are all unique as well as species that are not too common .I have plenty of huge elm trunks , i collected about 40 plus a few years ago , still working some , other are back in the ground .Karen says to sell them , i say its the only one i have got with a trunk like that .I've been put on notice as of the other day because she has been spending her spare time moving and transplanting tree's because i cant do it .My hobby my bloody responsibility , i got the message .Cheers Alpine

alpine take your time with branch selection with this one. i can see a great tree there with some nice deadwood and jins. if you aint 100% sure on direction , take it to bodhis or mine as im closer