Digging Piñon Pine

[Hartinez]

Follow up on all of my piñon collections. 3 of the 9 I dug did not survive winter, with one in an unsure yet status. The ones that have made it and are thriving are pushing candles and look great. REALLY nice trees survived, so that's nice. And I do feel like the ones that survived were all collected from roughly the same area and soil type.

after autopsy of all the trees that died, its clear that all though I kept a significant ball of dirt around the base, there was a clear absence of small roots. Just a few large roots. They were mostly growing in brown dirt with little to no breakdown of needles and healthy soil.

The ones that are alive were growing in almost a peat style dirt with shallow roots with no big tap roots.

 

[Colorado]

Nice report Danny! Glad to hear that some nice ones made it!

For what it’s worth, the one we collected several years ago that is now in my garden was also growing in needle duff and had an extremely shallow root system.

 

[Desert O'Piñon]

They were mostly growing in brown dirt with little to no breakdown of needles and healthy soil.

The ones that are alive were growing in almost a peat style dirt with shallow roots with no big tap roots.

Agree with @Colorado . This is a very good and helpful report. If I make it to the mountain forest next winter, it helps to know what kind of growing conditions to look for.

 

[Hartinez]

the survivors

4 wonderfully sized and aged specimen. Great looking trees.

And 1 little guy that could either make a good shohin or a great accent for a big juniper

 

[Hartinez]

 

[clem]

your topics/posts/projets/yamadori are very interesting thanks for sharing

The old dead wood on the 7th pic is very beautiful and decorative

 

[Kyleboldy2003]

the survivors

4 wonderfully sized and aged specimen. Great looking trees.

And 1 little guy that could either make a good shohin or a great accent for a big juniper

I want to go collecting with you lol, very nice trees and congrats on the success

 

[Hartinez]

Collected 3 more Piñon yesterday. Specifically from the area where survival is most successful. What I noticed is the distinct lack of large taproots on these on those collected before. Many roots closer to the surface. The soil is rocky but makes that distinct noise that breaking up a packed ball of potting soil makes. And it’s much darker than the dirt many other piñon grow in out here. Not sure it’s the duff breaking down or the volcanic presence creating the perfect conditions or some combo of both.

I’m most excited about the smallest of the 3. By far the best small piñon I’ve found.

 

[Kyleboldy2003]

Collected 3 more Piñon yesterday. Specifically from the area where survival is most successful. What I noticed is the distinct lack of large taproots on these on those collected before. Many roots closer to the surface. The soil is rocky but makes that distinct noise that breaking up a packed ball of potting soil makes. And it’s much darker than the dirt many other piñon grow in out here. Not sure it’s the duff breaking down or the volcanic presence creating the perfect conditions or some combo of both.

I’m most excited about the smallest of the 3. By far the best small piñon I’ve found.

Man those are some real nice trees. I’m going to try collect some in Nevada. Will use your suggestions maybe get a few. Hard to collect trees in the desert

 

[Desert O'Piñon]

Your method should work with any of the Piñon species, right? I know there are at least 3 distinct species that grow in overlapping areas. It seems like it would work the same for any of them, where soil/substrate are the first and primary considerations.

 

[Hartinez]

Your method should work with any of the Piñon species, right? I know there are at least 3 distinct species that grow in overlapping areas. It seems like it would work the same for any of them, where soil/substrate are the first and primary considerations.

I suppose. Can’t say for sure, or even the variety I’m digging. It’s a matter of big tap root or no if you ask me

 

[Hartinez]

Hiked around again a few days ago. Went to the ridge just north of my normal area and boy am I glad I did. I was short on time but it was like gnarly tree heaven. I was in such awe of the area that I did not get much video or great photos. When I head back up I will get lots though!

 

[Hartinez]

The one video I got

 

[Desert O'Piñon]

Man, that's a potential gold mine! Nice discovery! I should really plan a trip up there for the winter. My son has been wanting to go back to the BioPark. Maybe we'll go if my wife can travel. I'll take a few day trips to the Guadalupe Mountains to tag some trees for possible collection, just in case we don't make it to the middle of the state.

 

[August44]

The one video I got

those

My goodness those are nice trees Danny. Your collecting technique of a smaller root ball, keeping native soils and cutting back branches when collecting is something else. I have always thought that would be sure death to a pine. Do you think that would work for other pines like Lodge Pole or Pondy's. I have a smaller LP that I tagged last fall that is in an area that is full of rocks, big and small. I know when I go to collect it soon all of the soil will fall off as I dig it and that usually means failure. Any suggestions?

 

[ShadyStump]

I love finding places like that!

There's a place near here that's similar. Atop a sandstone mesa where the winds deposit sand, the trees grow shallow and rough. If it was possible to get a truck with and engine hoist up there (it's not, by any stretch of the imagination) you could theoretically pull a 6' tree right out of the ground.

 

[ponderingsage]

Hiked around again a few days ago. Went to the ridge just north of my normal area and boy am I glad I did. I was short on time but it was like gnarly tree heaven. I was in such awe of the area that I did not get much video or great photos. When I head back up I will get lots though!

The good ones are always over that next ridge!
I love it when there is a nice pocket of trees… weather its the strata or soil or exposure… it’s cool how they hang out together.