Anything worth collecting here?

[Attmos]

I've found several potential candidates in my complex and have taken some pictures because I'd like to know, beforehand, if they'd be worth pulling out of the ground. So please take a look and let me know what you think.

This first one is by far the most interesting. Found the original tag for this one saying it's a Blue Girl Holly Tree. One of the branches accidentally rooted itself to the ground, meaning I could just take it and not worry about trying to root cuttings.

Next is a Yew.

Now come a couple ERC... which I know aren't hugely popular, but a couple cool trunks.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Holly: Yes
Yew: Yes (easy to wire movement in)
ERC1: No
ERC2: Yes (nice trunk, be prepared for a tough road ahead species wise)

 

[Attmos]

Holly: Yes
Yew: Yes (easy to wire movement in)
ERC1: No
ERC2: Yes (nice trunk, be prepared for a tough road ahead species wise)

What kind of difficulties should I expect with the ERC?

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Rust, foliage inconsistency, scraggly growth, pad development is tricky,... ive noticed mine occasionally drop fresh growth.. its a tough species so unless the trunk or specimen is exceptional, id look for other cultivars.

 

[rockm]

What kind of difficulties should I expect with the ERC?

crummy hard to design and maintain bonsai. Not worth the trouble certainly not a pretty vanilla looking trunk like this one. A mostly horrible species to work on. Leggy growth. Persistent gawdawful juvenile foliage. Not worth the effort unless the trunk is exceptional and you know how to graft replacement juniper foliage

I really wouldn t bother with the other either. It’s out of season for collecting successfully (and no fall isn’t a great alternative to spring collection)

Hope you have permission to dig all this stuff up. That step one for ANY collector

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

I feel like twenty dollars spent at a local gardening store would yield you better material.
I would not invest time and energy in this. You're 8-10 years away of something worth cutting back.

 

[Attmos]

crummy hard to design and maintain bonsai. Not worth the trouble certainly not a pretty vanilla looking trunk like this one. A mostly horrible species to work on. Leggy growth. Persistent gawdawful juvenile foliage. Not worth the effort unless the trunk is exceptional and you know how to graft replacement juniper foliage

I really wouldn t bother with the other either. It’s out of season for collecting successfully (and no fall isn’t a great alternative to spring collection)

Hope you have permission to dig all this stuff up. That step one for ANY collector

Yeah, I have asked for and received permission to take them. They understand that these are not supposed to be part of the landscaping.

I think I'm gonna take the Holly Tree at least. And yes, lol, I'll wait until next spring to do it. I'm asking now so I can plan.

 

[Attmos]

I feel like twenty dollars spent at a local gardening store would yield you better material.
I would not invest time and energy in this. You're 8-10 years away of something worth cutting back.

Yeah, I've been looking at trees in my local greenhouse... There are some pretty interesting trunks there. Guess I've been procrastinating because so far I've managed to kill most of the trees I've collected.
But yeah, I'm gonna buy one or two sooner than later.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Honestly, if you can get about 8" of soil around that holly youll get most of the roots. Id collect now and keep in a shaded spot since someone might forget they gave you permission.

 

[Attmos]

Honestly, if you can get about 8" of soil around that holly youll get most of the roots. Id collect now and keep in a shaded spot since someone might forget they gave you permission.

LOL, I'm really not concerned about permission. I think I'll wait until early spring. But yeah, I'm gonna take the Holly.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

okie

 

[Attmos]

okie

I understand the concern. I do.

But, I've worked for the community on an official basis. The board knows me.

 

[Attmos]

okie

Do you think Holly would survive collection at this time of year?

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

About junipers, Eastern Red Cedar - Juniperus occidentalis, our native east of the Mississippi juniper is horrible for bonsai, all the reasons RockM mentioned PLUS it is highly prone to the disease cedar-apple rust.

But the BEST alternate is relatively cheap - go out and buy young Shimpaku Junipers, especially 'Itoigawa' and 'Kishu' cultivars. "Regular Shimpaku" is excellent also. They are all very disease resistant, and EXCELLENT in grow traits for bonsai. These 3 varieties are not too hard to find, gallon container starts can be had for less than $50 usually around $35.

The disease resistance of Shimpaku and its varieties is excellent, and they are much easier to work with than any of the North American native junipers. Yes, garden centers might have blue rug type junipers in the $5 discount bin at end of season, but while acceptable, they are not as easy to work with as the 3 Shimpaku varieties I listed.

 

[rockm]

LOL, I'm really not concerned about permission. I think I'll wait until early spring. But yeah, I'm gonna take the Holly.

I have worked on our board in our community as well. I’d guess excavating these won’t take much time. I’ve asked permission to dig these junipers which require major digging in a parking island in front of someone’s house. Can’t imagine the shit show if I dig them without asking. There’s a water line sewer and electrical lines in that area.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Do you think Holly would survive collection at this time of year?

Success of doing anything depends on aftercare. And of skill of execution. I've been doing bonsai since 1970's, with formal teachers since 1992. I know I got the skills. I would leave it until spring if there was no issue with it still being there in spring.

If you are itching for something to do, start shopping end of season discount sales at local landscape nurseries and big box nursery departments. Look for the $5 mugos, or shimpaku. Or other close outs. There is always fall scouting along rail road right of ways for spring digs. Bring colored tape to mark your selections.

Get ready for autumn pruning for deciduous, (normally less than 20% of tree) and autumn wiring. You are coming into the busy autumn season.

There are lots of things to do while waiting for your holly to be ready to dig up in spring. Your bonsai collection is the right size when you have enough trees that you are always a little behind on getting things done for your trees. So go out and get more trees. This time of year, no digging, buy from discount areas of nurseries. Repot next spring.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

About junipers, Eastern Red Cedar - Juniperus occidentalis, our native east of the Mississippi juniper is horrible for bonsai

I normally bow to your knowledge... but that's western juniper. Our eastern juniper is Juniperus virginiana. It is the tallest juniper east of the Mississippi, growing to 65' in rare cases. I have one that is 60'+ in my yard.

I literally have hundreds of these in my landscape - from seedling all the way up to large tree. They are the strongest growing thing in my property, and will grow in full sun to almost complete shade. I have not had any health issues with rust - but perhaps I am just lucky or isolated. Despite all of these praises, I can't really recommend them for bonsai in the same way that I don't recommend California juniper for bonsai - sparse scale foliage. Amazing at a distance... but hard to work with close up.

If some intrepid nurseryman ever comes up with a dwarf... I'll be first in line.



Whoever came up with the name "red cedar" needs to be slapped. There is nothing "red" about the tree, and in fact, most of the time (with mature trees) has a steel blue tint due to massive amounts of juniper berries.


This is how much growth you get from seedling in five years. Five years ago this was all grass and I saw this seedling popping up so I put down bark to protect it.

 

[Attmos]

I have worked on our board in our community as well. I’d guess excavating these won’t take much time. I’ve asked permission to dig these junipers which require major digging in a parking island in front of someone’s house. Can’t imagine the shit show if I dig them without asking. There’s a water line sewer and electrical lines in that area.


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Right. That would definitely require some thought by the community. These I'm talking about are just seedlings spread around by the squirrels that will just be replaced next season whether anyone likes it or not.
But, having said that, I understand the importance to the community and hobby 'at large', to do it correctly and with full permission. I don't want to make it a problem for others to collect trees.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

@Bonsai Nut - I had a major brain fart. You are correct. I pulled the wrong name out of my butt. I was thinking about virginiana but wrote otherwise.

Nevermind

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

@Bonsai Nut isn't the “red” in ERC a reference to the wood color?
I agree on the naming…we should start a campaign to rename these trash trees.