Woodland Hawthorns

[Woocash]

Yesterday, I cleaned up these three hawthorns which were covered in moss to see what I was playing with. I knew they had potential but since uncovering the roots and trunks underneath they got me down right excited. Now, I don’t have too much experience at collecting yet and I don’t want to rush these so what I am wondering is if it is worth trenching them before collecting in a year or two? The little wood is often boggy in places and sits in an area with quite a high water table so i’m not expecting a particularly deep root system. Does this make any difference to prep? Any advice, whether or not I’ve heard it before would be gratefully received.

As with all three this is a tree that was chopped down likely some 20 or 30 years ago when the copse last had any form of management. The trunk is around 4 inches wide. I see a shohin clump of sorts here.



The second is quite incidental as it is very close to the much larger third. I suspect their roots are either connected or intertwined, but still could be fun


The third is mahoosive! 8” trunk, 15” nebari, 17” to the crown. I have fallen for this tree (and several other large ones) so the size does not really faze me. I just don’t want to kill it. Equally, I am anxious to get it out of the ground in the next year or two to get working on it


Any thoughts anyone?

 

[M. Frary]

Any thoughts anyone?

Lots!
There is potential there.
I have no difficulty collecting Haws.
I chop them to height and dig the same day.
No trenching just collecting.

 

[Woocash]

Lots!
There is potential there.
I have no difficulty collecting Haws.
I chop them to height and dig the same day.
No trenching just collecting.

Ha, thanks Mike. I was hoping someone would say that! Hold my beer......

 

[M. Frary]

Ha, thanks Mike. I was hoping someone would say that! Hold my beer......

I get them home wash the roots off and put them directly in colanders with fresh bonsai soil.
People will tell you colanders arent necessary for decidious trees but they probably arent trying to get collected trees to recover from initial collecting.
A colander let's you start getting root ramification right away.
It cuts out watering questions. With coarse soil you can't overwater a tree.
And since you can water without worry you are replacing old used water with fresh oxygenated water.
Like putting a turbocharger on an internal combustion engine.
The more oxygen you pump through it the more power you get.
I also put my trees out in full sun after collecting. If you live in a place with more direct sunlight you might need to give then some shade.
And I don't know if it helps or not but I wet the trunk every time I water with the thought of keeping the dormant buds moist until they're out and growing.

 

[Woocash]

I get them home wash the roots off and put them directly in colanders with fresh bonsai soil.
People will tell you colanders arent necessary for decidious trees but they probably arent trying to get collected trees to recover from initial collecting.
A colander let's you start getting root ramification right away.
It cuts out watering questions. With coarse soil you can't overwater a tree.
And since you can water without worry you are replacing old used water with fresh oxygenated water.
Like putting a turbocharger on an internal combustion engine.
The more oxygen you pump through it the more power you get.
I also put my trees out in full sun after collecting. If you live in a place with more direct sunlight you might need to give then some shade.
And I don't know if it helps or not but I wet the trunk every time I water with the thought of keeping the dormant buds moist until they're out and growing.

Brilliant! That basically confirms what I was thinking but with a bit more depth. Can you even get colanders that big though? I got some Ercol air pots from Kaizen in the UK for others I have, but they’re probably still too small. I was thinking of making a wooden box with a mesh bottom so water can just drain out. Does that sound ok? Thanks for the watering tips, I did wonder if the trunk benefitted from being drenched as well.

 

[sorce]

That last one is a minorly flawed piece of badassness.

Frary do you chop the big roots to no Feeders?

Woo just be careful with the bark watering the trunk.

Sorce

 

[eryk2kartman]

Trey to use a plastic crate, something like Tesco uses for their delivery, plenty of drainage hols etc, and cheap also
They work well for me.

 

[Woocash]

That last one is a minorly flawed piece of badassness.

Frary do you chop the big roots to no Feeders?

Woo just be careful with the bark watering the trunk.

Sorce

Yea cheers man.

This is the dream

Collected Hawthorn History

A leafless shot, ready for some pruning.

www.bonsainut.com

 

[Woocash]

Trey to use a plastic crate, something like Tesco uses for their delivery, plenty of drainage hols etc, and cheap also
They work well for me.

Funny you say that, i’ve Just been looking on eBay for just the very things. It’s a fine idea.

 

[sorce]

This is the dream

Was the dream.

You've realized it.

Keep it in the real realm.

Sorce

 

[M. Frary]

Frary do you chop the big roots to no Feeders?

No.
I cut every root to the length needed to fit in the colander.
After a year in there there will be feeders farther back on the big ones to cut to.
Also the small ones that were left on at collection are now larger and doing a good jod feeding the tree.
After a few years the huge ones can be cut off entirely.

 

[M. Frary]

. Can you even get colanders that big though?

If not build one.
Most of my colanders are 14 inches in diameter.
Remember the goal is to fit it into a bonsai pot in the future so cutting them back to where they need to be gets done on the first go. At collection.

 

[Woocash]

Was the dream.

You've realized it.

Keep it in the real realm.

Sorce

Ferkin’ ay man. I can see the tree already. Just need to keep it alive and coax the diamond from the rough.

 

[Woocash]

If not build one.
Most of my colanders are 14 inches in diameter.
Remember the goal is to fit it into a bonsai pot in the future so cutting them back to where they need to be gets done on the first go. At collection.

Cool beans. Funny what a stump and a few branches can do for dopamine levels. Can’t wait to get a go at turning them into something beautiful.

 

[sorce]

Ferkin’ ay man. I can see the tree already. Just need to keep it alive and coax the diamond from the rough.

Dig it a few days before a full moon, tie it down good with an area of root you can later cut off, so scarring don't matter, tie that bitch in heavy, and you'll do well.

Sorce