Shibui collected trees 2020

shibui · Post by **shibui** » July 30th, 2020, 6:39 pm

Like Watto I enjoy finding wild trees and trying to convert them into good bonsai.
As noted elsewhere many collected trees look good in the field but become progressively less attractive after digging.
We will see if any of these end up as reasonable trees. Some were purposely selected because they are still quite small with the aim of growing smaller shohin.
I have also been collecting ash. These all came from a patch of seedlings on the side of a road near here.

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Many are not much yet but I figure they have saved me a couple of years growing the trunks to this size.

shibui · Post by **shibui** » July 30th, 2020, 6:44 pm

The next stop was plums. The big trouble with feral plums is that they generally grow very tall and very straight with almost no taper. I checked some of these a couple of weeks ago and decided a couple had enough taper or trunk movement to be worth trying.

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At the moment they are all just heeled into the grow beds waiting for some time and space to pot up.

robb63 · Post by **robb63** » July 30th, 2020, 7:20 pm

Hi Neil
I'm surprised you find the time and energy to dig trees from anywhere other than the nursery.
The side of the road definitely does not sound like an easy dig
Now I could be mistaken but it seems to me the head gardener may be softening
and giving you way too much time off work.
well done.

shibui · Post by **shibui** » July 30th, 2020, 7:38 pm

Shhh. I was out on a job

These were all quite easy to dig. Good soil and no rocks. All small enough to be able to cut the roots with the spade and/or long handle pruners and only a few paces from the car each time. I have certainly dug harder trees in harder places.

nozila · Post by **nozila** » July 30th, 2020, 7:55 pm

shibui wrote:The next stop was plums. The big trouble with feral plums is that they generally grow very tall and very straight with almost no taper. I checked some of these a couple of weeks ago and decided a couple had enough taper or trunk movement to be worth trying.
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At the moment they are all just heeled into the grow beds waiting for some time and space to pot up.

Epic digs, love it!! Btw if by chance you decide they don’t meet your standards, happy to buy them off you.

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shibui · Post by **shibui** » August 13th, 2020, 7:34 pm

Regwac has decreed that domestic digs can be included in the collected threads - Thanks mate

Today I tackled a stump I have been avoiding for some time.

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This is a Chinese elm that got away. Originally a sucker that grew from the roots left after digging the field grown trees one year. I let it grow for a couple of years then decided it was too ugly and tried to poison it - twice. I managed to make it sick for a while but it came back stronger than ever last summer. It has to go one way or another so today is the day.

Doesn't look too big among the weeds but appearances can be deceiving.

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Nearly an hour later and it is out.

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The hole is 1m wide and 40cm deep.

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Some perspective.

After some deliberation I decided it is still pretty ugly but maybe someone will learn to love it just because it is big.
I could not see any point in the 3 long branches and the roots are way too deep so out with the chainsaw.

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It now has some pretty big cuts but there are some roots so maybe it will survive the operation. Did not have a pot big enough or a place to put it so it went back into the grow bed to see if it survives.

Just through the fence was another escaped root sucker that had to go.

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Only needed the axe for one root this time.

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Will it be any use to anyone? I've planted it next to the previous one to see what happens.

nozila · Post by **nozila** » August 13th, 2020, 10:10 pm

If only that could be sent to SA.

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Watto · Post by **Watto** » August 14th, 2020, 6:35 am

I'm impressed. When you have to get the chainsaw out that gets a couple of extra marks in my book.
The digging of that elm may just inspire me to tackle one I have had my eye on.

shibui · Post by **shibui** » August 14th, 2020, 10:27 pm

More garden collections:
A few years ago seedlings started to germinate under the weeping cherries. I potted a few but left some to grow on in the garden. Now the head gardener has noticed so they have to go.

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I must admit that this one was starting to impede progress along the nearby path so it really was time to dig. Trunk is about 4 or 5 cm diameter now.

Most, but not all, have the weeping habit of the parent. A couple of the ones in pots flowered at just a year old - single white flowers like the parent.
Maybe the weeping habit will be useful? Maybe some will make reasonable bonsai? How does one grow and style a weeping cherry?

Watto · Post by **Watto** » August 15th, 2020, 6:57 am

I don't know the answer to your question Shibui but I will be watching that cherry with interest if you wouldn't mind posting some progression photos.

shibui · Post by **shibui** » August 16th, 2020, 7:25 pm

I will try to remember to show some of those cherries as they grow and develop.

I collected this one a few weeks ago. Another garden collection but not my garden this time.
This Crepe myrtle was in the wrong place in the garden. Far too big for the confined area so I had to remove it. Not being one to waste an opportunity the stump has ended up in a pot at my place.

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You can probably tell it is pretty big. About bench height and the pot is 30cm diameter.

KIRKY · Post by **KIRKY** » August 16th, 2020, 8:11 pm

That’s huge, great score. Lovely marks on the bark

Cheers
Kirky

shibui · Post by **shibui** » August 28th, 2020, 10:28 pm

OK. One more collection for me for now.

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This is a feral that grew in the front garden. It's in the dry native section so has probably never had any more than natural rainfall so pretty hardy. The head gardener says she has put up with it for too long so it must go - one way or another.

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If anyone can ID the species or genus that will be a bonus.

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After pruning the longer branches for better access I begin by digging around 20cm from the trunk.

This one is not particularly valuable so I was a but rough with it. Cut the thicker lateral roots with pruning loppers then used the trunks as a lever to break the vertical roots. 2 side trunks just snapped off with very little effort

but eventually I managed to get it out.

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The hole

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the tree

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And final pruning
I don't have space to pot this one up so it has been planted in the grow bed for this season.

juan73870 · Post by **juan73870** » August 29th, 2020, 12:30 pm

Fantastic shape! I'm stumped as to what it is too, though.....

TimS · Post by **TimS** » August 29th, 2020, 12:34 pm

Looks vaguely along the lines of blueberry ash but i'm just clutching at what comes to mind first. Nice base on it regardless

AusBonsai