Juniper collection. Is it even worth the time?

[Likebull1]

There is a pizza place down the street that's having the landscaping removed from the back to expand parking.
They will be removing the trees within the next couple weeks.
I was looking through what they have and I saw this juniper. I was wondering if it was even worth my time collecting it. I really like the trunk and there is a great amount of foliage down low.
But are the odds of survival even worth me building a large enough grow box and the cost of a large amount of bonsai soil?

 

[cmu268]

I haven't done any collecting of material myself - but from what I've read about it, on BNut and elsewhere, I don't think this time of year is good at all for collecting. The chance of survival might be really slim and I don't think would be worth the effort

 

[Attmos]

Do you have to move it straight into a box? Can you sink it into the ground?

I don't know if that would help in any way but I thought I'd ask.

 

[Likebull1]

Do you have to move it straight into a box? Can you sink it into the ground?

I don't know if that would help in any way but I thought I'd ask.

Yea I have to move it straight into a box. I don't have anywhere to put it outside and I'd have to ruin a spot on my lawn for a tree that'll have a low survival rate

 

[Hartinez]

a couple thoughts.

If there is plenty of foliage in the bottom 1/4 of the tree, it could be worth the attempt to collect it. If your a scrappy person that likes the hard work that may or may not bare fruit, you should just go for it for the practice at the very least. I collect juniper and other species this time of year all the time with great success. You'll def want to make sure you have all the necessary tools and post dig after items for maximum success.

second. I'm Not certain it's even a juniper. The foliage almost looks more like hinoki cypress. Which would complicate the collect. Hinoki may not want to be messed with right now. Juniper on the other hand, can be collected right now.

 

[Paradox]

I dont think that is a juniper, can you get a close up of the foliage?
This might be an arborvitae

 

[BrightsideB]

I think the clump on the left is better if I had to choose. Looks easier to collect too.

Does look more like arborvitae ‘smaragd’ or a hinoki.

 

[Likebull1]

a couple thoughts.

If there is plenty of foliage in the bottom 1/4 of the tree, it could be worth the attempt to collect it. If your a scrappy person that likes the hard work that may or may not bare fruit, you should just go for it for the practice at the very least. I collect juniper and other species this time of year all the time with great success. You'll def want to make sure you have all the necessary tools and post dig after items for maximum success.

second. I'm Not certain it's even a juniper. The foliage almost looks more like hinoki cypress. Which would complicate the collect. Hinoki may not want to be messed with right now. Juniper on the other hand, can be collected right now.

Scrappy would be the best way to describe me haha. If you zoom in on the first picture I have with the trunk you can see bits of the foliage on the top left and top right

 

[Hartinez]

Scrappy would be the best way to describe me haha. If you zoom in on the first picture I have with the trunk you can see bits of the foliage on the top left and top right

That pic with foliage, the thicker branching and its wiggle and the bark are what lead me to believe its not juniper.

my guess is some type of hinoki cypress, but @Paradox could also be right that its arborvitae (thuja)

 

[Attmos]

Yea I have to move it straight into a box. I don't have anywhere to put it outside and I'd have to ruin a spot on my lawn for a tree that'll have a low survival rate

I'm in the same position, I don't even have a lawn. lol
Anything and everything I do, and will be doing, is all in a 10x15 condo "patio" that is shaded by this gigantic Swamp White Oak just outside the fence.

I suppose I should sew a few acorns at some point...

 

[Likebull1]

That pic with foliage, the thicker branching and its wiggle and the bark are what lead me to believe its not juniper.

my guess is some type of hinoki cypress, but @Paradox could also be right that its arborvitae (thuja)

I'll take some better pictures tomorrow evening so we can find out exactly what it is

 

[leatherback]

thuja was my thought too. And indeed, the other one on the left might be more interesting. Grab both.

Key: Keep the foliage humid for weeks after collecting (protect from sun and wind).

 

[potatofarmer]

are you sure it's hinoki cypress?

it kind of looks like one of those crappy cedar hedge trees people sell for 5 dollars. but i'm not an expert. if it's hinoki cypress i'm guessing this tree could be very valuable.

 

[snowman04]

In the venerable wisdom of Jim Brown, so what's you gonna do?

 

[clem]

it could become a good tree but the foliage is not thin and ramified (dense) enough for Bonsai aesthétics requirement.. So be prepared to graft Itoigawa on it, if you want to have a good quality tree (trunk & foliage).. IMO

For me, the question is : do you have a crush for it ? Do you feel that this tree should definitly go into your garden ? If the answer is yes, collect it.

 

[rockm]

Collecting this is going to be quite an operation. Larger trees are always a ton more work to collect than you think up front. It's an arborvitae (thuja, Eastern White Cedar).

 

[Deleted member 47471]

There is a pizza place down the street that's having the landscaping removed from the back to expand parking.
They will be removing the trees within the next couple weeks.
I was looking through what they have and I saw this juniper. I was wondering if it was even worth my time collecting it. I really like the trunk and there is a great amount of foliage down low.
But are the odds of survival even worth me building a large enough grow box and the cost of a large amount of bonsai soil?

Looks like Arborvitae Emerald Green to me

 

[Deleted member 47471]

Collecting this is going to be quite an operation. Larger trees are always a ton more work to collect than you think up front. It's an arborvitae (thuja, Eastern White Cedar).

I think you're right on both points, good call

 

[MaciekA]

It's a thuja occidentalis. Vigorous, disease-resistant, there are examples (in the wild) in the eastern US and Canada older than either country, happy to be wired, happy to be pinched, closes wounds very fast, and you get a genetic selected for landscape durability. There is a lot to love if you are able to extract a good trunk base.

 

[potatofarmer]

wow so i was right? a cedar hedge tree. yea. that's a hard pass from me. waste of time collecting that.