Purple Beech Yamadori

[Catclow]

I have had my eye on these for months since they first popped up in a drainage ditch at the edge of the woods near my home. I think they are purple beech, but please advise if I’m wrong. They are my first [actual] attempt at yamadori (though I have dreamed and plotted many others over the last few years). They are young and unremarkable, but I am small and barehanded. They call out to me every time I walk by them, and would eventually have been destroyed by construction. I’m calling this a yamadori practice run. What substrate should I settle them into? I extracted them a little bit ago and am keeping the roots wet until someone responds. Thank you!

 

[Catclow]

I have had my eye on these for months since they first popped up in a drainage ditch at the edge of the woods near my home. I think they are purple beech, but please advise if I’m wrong. They are my first [actual] attempt at yamadori (though I have dreamed and plotted many others over the last few years). They are young and unremarkable, but I am small and barehanded. They call out to me every time I walk by them, and would eventually have been destroyed by construction. I’m calling this a yamadori practice run. What substrate should I settle them into? I extracted them a little bit ago and am keeping the roots wet until someone responds. Thank you!

I’ve decided that they are probably Birch tree babies not Beech

 

[Catclow]

I’ve decided that they are probably Birch tree babies not Beech

Thanks for your help, they are settling in!

 

[Maloghurst]

Yes possibly purple birch.

 

[Maloghurst]

You can pot them in whatever you have right now. Something that drains fairly well would be ideal. Soil is a hot topic but just put it in potting soil if that what you have. This looks like a 3-4 year old seedling rather then yamadori.

 

[Maloghurst]

I use a mix of sifted pumice, lava and turface or soil conditioner. Mostly pumice. But as stated just get it into something because it won’t last long otherwise. A little late in the year to collect but it’s a young one so maybe.

 

[Maloghurst]

Might be an aspen

 

[Catclow]

thank you. I have always thought yamadori is harvesting a tree growing in the wild for the purpose of bonsai. I learned so much by the lack of response to my thread (except you, thanks for responding)

 

[Catclow]

*collecting not harvesting (I grow my food so that just came out)

 

[Maloghurst]

thank you. I have always thought yamadori is harvesting a tree growing in the wild for the purpose of bonsai. I learned so much by the lack of response to my thread (except you, thanks for responding)

This is true but yamadori has age and character and is very difficult or impossible to replicate. A seedling is a seedling wether you grow it at home or dig from the forest. A young tree like this needs to be trained for many years to become a bonsai and the steps you take are the same as young nursery stock or a seedling you grew at home.

Either way it’s fun and informative playing with free trees you find in the wild. If this is aspen though it’s not going to be a great tree for bonsai training.