substratum
Shohin
We are going to be clearing some overgrown hedges on my property in the next week or two, and I believe some of the plants might be worth salvaging for future bonsai. Much of the hedge is in Formosa Azalea, which is a big leaf/large bloom variety, but some of the azaleas are smaller leaf/small-med bloom variety. It’s the latter of the azaleas I’m thinking might be good. There are also:
*Forsythia
*American Beauty Berry (3-3.5” trunks)
*Wisteria
*Scuppernong Grape (1/2’ fruit, 2” leaf, wild)
*Silverthorne
*Privet
All of the planted specimens are in the 25-year old range, planted by the previous home homeowner.
There are also two plants commonly known here in the deep south as a “Banana Bush” or “Banana Shrub,” which has a waxy green leaf, and the small yellowish bloom with a faint banana scent. The Banana Bush seems to be prone to white scale type ailments, but they are also indestructible. Growing up, it’d be the kind of plant that I'd find on old homesteads or in a grandmother’s yard. These two plants are likely planted by the original homeowner, in the 45-year old range, and have very complex trunks from being cut down to the ground repeatedly over the decades.
As a next phase of yard redevelopment (next winter), I’ll likely be taking out a row of 15-year old Nellie Stevens Holly, some Variegated Ligustrum, scads of Indian Hawthorne, a few Loropetalum that are currently about 18’ tall (I thought they were a “bush” plant when I installed them, LOL). There will be some massive Pittosporum coming out, but I can’t imagine them as bonsai. All of this is stuff I planted, as the house landscaping when I bought the place.
Here’s where I need advice. I don’t have time to set up with grown trays, or do any complex soil mixtures before this first phase begins (I could easily do a nursery mix). I have acreage, so there’s plenty of room and naturally shaded areas that I can use to put 20-30 plants to recover and grow. Given these circumstances, and the fact that I can do little more than pot these plants up, what advice would you offer. In essence, knowing that all I can do is dig up and pot these plants, what approach should I take to digging, potting size/depth, pruning, etc. Colanders… would that be a step worth taking given the situation, or is that for a specific purpose and mix? Any specific advice regarding the species mentioned in the first two paragraphs, would be most welcome. Honestly, any words of wisdom about things you think I may encounter, or in making the collecting go better, is welcome.
Once these hedges are removed, before we take next steps in planting, I’ll do some intensive chemical defoliating, because there are years of layering root systems, and lots of hateful/thorny vines that need to die.
*Forsythia
*American Beauty Berry (3-3.5” trunks)
*Wisteria
*Scuppernong Grape (1/2’ fruit, 2” leaf, wild)
*Silverthorne
*Privet
All of the planted specimens are in the 25-year old range, planted by the previous home homeowner.
There are also two plants commonly known here in the deep south as a “Banana Bush” or “Banana Shrub,” which has a waxy green leaf, and the small yellowish bloom with a faint banana scent. The Banana Bush seems to be prone to white scale type ailments, but they are also indestructible. Growing up, it’d be the kind of plant that I'd find on old homesteads or in a grandmother’s yard. These two plants are likely planted by the original homeowner, in the 45-year old range, and have very complex trunks from being cut down to the ground repeatedly over the decades.
As a next phase of yard redevelopment (next winter), I’ll likely be taking out a row of 15-year old Nellie Stevens Holly, some Variegated Ligustrum, scads of Indian Hawthorne, a few Loropetalum that are currently about 18’ tall (I thought they were a “bush” plant when I installed them, LOL). There will be some massive Pittosporum coming out, but I can’t imagine them as bonsai. All of this is stuff I planted, as the house landscaping when I bought the place.
Here’s where I need advice. I don’t have time to set up with grown trays, or do any complex soil mixtures before this first phase begins (I could easily do a nursery mix). I have acreage, so there’s plenty of room and naturally shaded areas that I can use to put 20-30 plants to recover and grow. Given these circumstances, and the fact that I can do little more than pot these plants up, what advice would you offer. In essence, knowing that all I can do is dig up and pot these plants, what approach should I take to digging, potting size/depth, pruning, etc. Colanders… would that be a step worth taking given the situation, or is that for a specific purpose and mix? Any specific advice regarding the species mentioned in the first two paragraphs, would be most welcome. Honestly, any words of wisdom about things you think I may encounter, or in making the collecting go better, is welcome.
Once these hedges are removed, before we take next steps in planting, I’ll do some intensive chemical defoliating, because there are years of layering root systems, and lots of hateful/thorny vines that need to die.
