Yamadori in the Upper Peninsula

[WinstonWolfe]

Got out to the woods this past weekend to grab a few new trees. Grow boxes are each 24x12.
Eastern White Cedar is mostly clay around the root ball. I didn't want to disturb it too much. Does anyone know if these require the same mycorrhizal fungi relationship the way conifers do?
Balsam is gonna either be a twin trunk or if I jin one, it could be a slant/windswept.
Spruce (not sure which species - maybe Norway?) has more movement below moss, I just wanted to dress it up for photos. right now, trunk is about an inch thick at base

Oh, and I can't figure out how to rotate pictures apparently. On my computer, they are all vertical, but when I post, they are horizontal. IDK

 

[WinstonWolfe]

@mattspinniken you seem to be the expert in cedar collecting in MI. What would you recommend I doo with a tightly compacted clay ball around the roots.
Assuming it lives, can I wash and remove over the next couple repottings?

 

[vancehanna]

Having collected quite a bit while living in the mitten, I'd yes, wash of the tight clay and carefully keep as much of what's left of the roots as possible. Be certain to use a sharp shear and just cut the dead ends of roots. A little rooting hormone powder and voila into the basic coarse bonsai soil mix. Wire in place and protect from heavy winter winds (desiccation is what actually causses most of the loss in zone 5-6 areas.