collecting pine

Will_Heath

First collect it, taking as much of the root ball with original soil as possible. Take a grow box or large training pot and place soil fast draining bonsai soil into the bottom, thread some wires up though the bottom holes, long enough so that they come out of the top of the box or pot.

Gently, using a chop stick, just loosen a little of the soil on the root ball on the edges and bottom. Do not remove any soil or plants from the top of the root ball, these plants have and will help maintain a mirco-enviroment that the pine is used to, you can remove them next year. Now place the whole root ball, soil and all into the pot. Secure the root ball by wrapping the wires across it and twisting firmly with pliers to tighten.

Now fill in around the root ball with fast draining bonsai soil, using a chopstick to make sure the bonsai soil and the original soil meet without gaps or air pockets. Your tree should be planted now at the same depth it was in the ground.

I keep two chop sticks in my collected pines, one in the original soil, the other in the new soil so I can gage moisture content in both.

Now leave it alone. Take some pictures next spring and then you can decide on a direction to take toward stying.

Many bonsaist recommend placing a freshly collected tree in the shade and holding back fertilizer. This may well be good advice, personally I do not follow these guidelines as I feel that withholding life giving sun and food from a stressed tree makes about as much sense as withholding medicine or food from a sick person.

Good luck, nice find,


Will