Collected Juniper questions

MattPenton

Hi all:

I am in a quandry. A friend of mine is Landscaping their yard and needed to remove 4 junipers, each about 25 years old. I went over on saturday and dug up the two "garden junipers". These both were ground creepers. While I know this is not the best time to be collecting, I also am in Souther California and understand that we get away with a lot more than most other areas. (we never freeze and will be expecting the "summer" weather untill about September or October)

Each came out with relative ease and had a lot of roots left. They almost fill the 5 gallon nursery cans that I put them in.

My question is this:

I potted these junipers with soil from the collected area. The soil is basically mud now and I am worried that the trees will not survive in this state.

What do I do?... do I repot them with a coarse mix yet? or should I wait and roll the dice?

Also, What can I do to help these trees along and increase my chances of success?

Thanks for any and all help,

Matt

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MattPenton

The first two pic's are the "garden juniper" and the third pic is the "verigated juniper"
Thanks,

Matt

Attached Images

	Garden Juniper 2 May 24, 2006.jpg (70.1 KB, 97 views)
	Garden Juniper May 24, 2006.jpg (53.9 KB, 80 views)
	Verigated juniper may24,2006.jpg (60.8 KB, 68 views)

David Yedwab

the mud looks bad. Don't know your climate all that well but junipers can be repotted later than most other conifers as they grow all season long. I'd suggest getting them out of the mud ASAP into a well draining mix, at least for 1/2 of the rootbase -- maybe consider removing all of the soil in about 1/3 of the circumference now and the balance next year. I wouldn't bare root the whole thing, however. Just one thought, maybe others will have better ideas.

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David Yedwab

MattPenton

Thanks David. I am rather new to this and though that is my inclination, I don't want to kill these trees.


Anyone from Southern California have an oppinion about this?
Do I have some leeway??
Please help,

Matt

Sterling

There is a very large bonsai center in lakewood. I would reccomend going there and talking with the owner about these plants. I have learned a few things that I would reccomend from reading on this forum. Collected material is very sensitive and one of the most important considerations in how likely collected material is to survive is the amount of new roots that grow. While the dirt would be fine if these plants were in the ground it does not drain right for plants in a pot. You need to get a well draining soil. Do not bare root these plants because that will shock them to death. Keep the original dirt around the rootball but get well draining soil into the pot around the rootball. Tie the plant in so it is secure enough to allow the tiniest of baby feeder roots can grow undisturbed. Do not fertilize these plants because that will burn the new roots and keep them in a area where they are out of the sun. Only let them have 2 or 3 hours of morning sulight. Anymore and you risk burning a plant that is lacking in baby roots to absorb water with. I know that Orange is near to the ocean so the temperatures are more mild than other parts of Southern California. BE CAREFUL. Summer is rapidly approaching and special care needs to be taken for our plants to survive the long hot summers here. That's all.

Vance Wood

Local advise would probably be good, but local mud or Michigan mud are both mud and not particularly good for growing bonsai. The trees look a little haggard as they are and I would consider them iffy at best, so--- I would wash all the old soil off with a garden hose and replace it all with a good bonsai mix. I think if you do not do this now the trees are doomed.

Once you do this you have to understand that as tough as Junipers are once the roots are drastically disturbed it takes three complete seasons for the tree to regenerate the root system enough to tolerate being worked on seriously. In short once you do this leave the tree alone for three years.

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The only finished bonsai is a dead one; me 1992 MABA Des Moines Iowa

MattPenton

Sterling:

These were my thoughts exactly. I will try to get out to the nursery this weekend and see what they recomend. My biggest problem is that I live in a very small appartment and do not have the room to mix a good bonsai soil! Do you know if they have a premade "soil" at the nursery that I could buy?
Thanks for your help,

Matt

Vance:

I am rather new to Bonsai and have been able to keep everything alive so far... This is my first collected plant and it came out of the ground with a lot of roots. They almost fill the 5 gallon pot now.

If I do wash all of the soil off of the roots (I will talk to some local experts before I do this!) is there any particular after care that I should plan on to increase my chances of success?

Thanks for your help,

Matt

Vance Wood

Don"t mess with it afterword. Keep in a location where it gets morning sun but keep it partially shaded in the afternoon. However if I read your response accurately you may be keeping these trees indoors? If this is true and you have access to other bonsai growers you should see if one of them could tend them for a while. Keeping them indoors is the sure kiss of death.

__________________
The only finished bonsai is a dead one; me 1992 MABA Des Moines Iowa