How best to collect self-sown seedlings?

[Japh]

I went around to my parents' place tonight and discovered some amazing goodies waiting for me! Unforunately, it was too dark to take photos, but I'll be posting some as soon as I can.

What I found was a bunch of self-sown seedlings! Approximately 6 cherry-plum tree seedlings about 100mm - 150mm tall, and one liquidambar seedling about 100mm tall. All of them had 2 or 3 sets of leaves.

Also, we discovered, growing behind their shed between the shed and the fence was a second cherry-plum tree that had gone un-noticed until this year when it peeked over the top of the shed! They don't want it, so I get to dig it up! It's considerably taller than me, I'm almost exactly 6 foot tall (how it grew that tall completely unnoticed is a mystery to me).

So anyway, lots of fun to be had! But I've never harvested self-sown seedlings like these, how should I do it? I was thinking just dig out a rootball and plonk it into a small pot to let them grow on a bit. Maybe pot them up a few times over the next few years, til we have a house where I will field-grow them. Sound right?

Also, with the second tree, how best to harvest that? Mum seems to think they grow a long tap root... I was wondering if I should maybe cut the tree off about 750mm from the ground, and then put a shovel down on all 4 sides, then leave it for a month to allow it to grow some feeder roots closer to the trunk. Would that work? I'm really just guessing here, so hoping someone can help me

I'm so excited about getting my hands on all these!!

[Jordy]

I think you've got it pretty well planned

I agree with everything you wrote, from my research, it sounds like its all 'by the book'!

[Bretts]

It seems the young material like newly germinated seedlings can take a joke and it may be possible to even bare root them quickly but a bit of soil like you say is probably safer. Just be quick to get them back in the right conditions. It may be possible to even make a cutting out of each slicing with a sharp knife above any of te roots in the hardening trunk. Species do differ though?

The mature trees have probably leafed out by now and it would be best to leave them for another year. Maybe chop the trunks where you may like but being deciduous I see little reason to spade the roots before collection. There is a very high success rate when collected at the right time.
I would definitely not spade the tree now and collect in a month that is no time for the tree to produce new roots. But hey I have been wrong before
I have found the prunus family to have exceptionally shallow root systems in the wild but that may just be my area.

[Japh]

It seems the young material like newly germinated seedlings can take a joke and it may be possible to even bare root them quickly but a bit of soil like you say is probably safer. Just be quick to get them back in the right conditions. It may be possible to even make a cutting out of each slicing with a sharp knife above any of te roots in the hardening trunk. Species do differ though?

The mature trees have probably leafed out by now and it would be best to leave them for another year. Maybe chop the trunks where you may like but being deciduous I see little reason to spade the roots before collection. There is a very high success rate when collected at the right time.
I would definitely not spade the tree now and collect in a month that is no time for the tree to produce new roots. But hey I have been wrong before
I have found the prunus family to have exceptionally shallow root systems in the wild but that may just be my area.

Thanks, Brett. I got a little confused in there... are you saying I should or shouldn't take some dirt with them, and I should or shouldn't do it now? (waiting a month is fine too, if you would recommend that )

Mum tells me that the little ones like these she's "weeded" before needed a shovel to get them out, as they had a firm grip on the soil and seemed to go a long way down (for such small plants). I guess I'll find out what I'm dealing with when the time comes!

[Bretts]

Depends on thier age if they are last years seedling I whould not do until next year when they are comming out of dormancy. If they have just germinated You should be able to move them into a pot now.
I would try to get them with soil but don't panic if it falls away just get them back in soils as quick as possible without damaging the roots.
If you wait untill next year when they are comming out of dormancy you can be much rougher with them.
I would not disturb the roots of any mature deciduous tree until next spring.

[Greth]

And keep your eyes open when you visit established gardens in the future. There are a zillion hopefuls out there behind peoples' sheds

[Naym]

Japh,

Only one thing to add:

Do not let them dry out.

This is not a problem if they come with soil attached (or if they are say >2 years old), but it's not clear what sort of soil you are digging them out of. If it's likely to fall away then take a spray bottle to keep the roots moist while you transfer them. Also if they do go into a pot after being bare root don't leave them sitting in dry soil too long. I've had the best success when I minimise root damage and keep them moist. They seem to be more vulnerable to drying out if you have to break a tap root to dig them up.

Naym

[Japh]

They're growing in a garden bed under some ferns, so I should be able to just cut the piece of soil they're in out and slip it straight into a little pot.

Not sure what size pot would be best to use though... might need to go and grab some slightly bigger than the ones I have for propagating seeds in, I reckon.

[kcpoole]

They're growing in a garden bed under some ferns, so I should be able to just cut the piece of soil they're in out and slip it straight into a little pot.

Not sure what size pot would be best to use though... might need to go and grab some slightly bigger than the ones I have for propagating seeds in, I reckon.

the Seedlings from this year, if they are 100-150mm tall, just take a Ball of soil out with it big enough to fit in the cupped hand and put in a pot the same size as the ballor a little bigger. Fill the pot with your normal mix and next year at repot time, bare root them, tease them out anp ot up as normal

the big one, Trunk chop where you would like and then collect next year.
If collecting in winter, then bare root them and root prune as they are deciduous trees and can tolerate it. pot up as usual

Ken

[Scott Roxburgh]

Are you sure they are seedlings and not suckers from a mother plant?

if they are suckers i have had great success taking a cutting from them above any 'roots'.

Scott.

[Japh]

the Seedlings from this year, if they are 100-150mm tall, just take a Ball of soil out with it big enough to fit in the cupped hand and put in a pot the same size as the ballor a little bigger. Fill the pot with your normal mix and next year at repot time, bare root them, tease them out anp ot up as normal

the big one, Trunk chop where you would like and then collect next year.
If collecting in winter, then bare root them and root prune as they are deciduous trees and can tolerate it. pot up as usual

Brilliant! Thanks for the tips, Ken Will grab myself some little pots from the free local pot recycling and harvest them this weekend!

Are you sure they are seedlings and not suckers from a mother plant?

if they are suckers i have had great success taking a cutting from them above any 'roots'.

Pretty definitely seedlings. The fruit falls into a nearby garden bed, and often a few seedlings pop up the next year