I have collected 10 beech trees from a local farm (with permission) that range from 5.5 inches to 4
can you give me any help on how I should place them as this is my first atempt with a forest style
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Bonsaimatt
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If you just collected them, I'd wait until at least 1yr after to plant with other trees. One, so you'd know which trees are going to make it; two, because the roots will grow like mad and get all tangled up...your next repotting may do un-wanted damage to the new roots if ya got to untangle them, this also depends on how far apart the trees are (ask yourself if the new roots will grow into the others due to placement) but this problem isn't to much of a show stopper; three, they might grow different than what you think, the placement of new branches n' such may be in un-wanted places (throwing your design off wack)...requireing a repot to change, and if there's no reason to repot why give the tree extra stress? Plan now, act later. Don't forget, use an odd number of trees in your planting to give a more natural look (unless you got like 24+ trees, then it don't matter) so I'd use 9 beeches, the other one (number 10) I'd pot up by itself, of course that 1 stand alone tree should be stand alone worthy. A good plus of forest plantings is being able to use plant stock that doesn't look good by itself with others to create an "overall" look. Read up on forest plantings in bonsai books, almost every bonsai book has something about forests in it. GL
Matt makes some excellent points:tarian wrote:thanks
the only reason I picked them was because they wer alreadya wild forest with no les that 1 cm between the 10
I will read up and one more thing
should I use a slab or a pot
(if a pot any recumendations)
This requires pictures as well as details:
When was this collected? What potting medium is it in? What will it go in? Does the top need refinement? [Beech Ramify very slowly] or branchwork?
Does it have a nice mass of feeder roots? Are you sure it is even still alive?
Being as it's a Beech that almost certainly has some development to go, It will need a few years in a training pot to develop a decent root system.
How big is this forest?...Sounds huge 10 x 4" to 5.5" trunks... You had to collect a massive amount of roots with this? Correct? If not I can hardly imagine it will survive.
Nowhere near ready for a pot, this needs a training box.
Did you give any thought to if you could keep it alive? Or does survivability take a back seat to some other more important issue.the only reason I picked them was because they wer alreadya wild forest with no les that 1 cm between the 10
If you cannot keep it alive there is no sense taking it home.
These two statements seem to contradict each other:
the only reason I picked them was because they wer alreadya wild forest with no les that 1 cm between the 10
They are already altogether and look like a forest [As per the first statement.]can you give me any help on how I should place them as this is my first atempt with a forest style
OR: They are not together and you want help arranging them.
Please clear that up.
ynot
Last edited by ynot on Fri Mar 09, 2007 6:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
sorry for my spelling and what not
my tree's are alive and are in buckets full of the soil from where I collected my tree's they are 5.5"tall not wide and I know they will survive because I collected theyr roots and feeder roots corectly I know they will survive as the other tree (beech) I collected from there is in full heath but needs a pot
my tree's are alive and are in buckets full of the soil from where I collected my tree's they are 5.5"tall not wide and I know they will survive because I collected theyr roots and feeder roots corectly I know they will survive as the other tree (beech) I collected from there is in full heath but needs a pot
tarian wrote:sorry for my spelling and what not
my tree's are alive and are in buckets full of the soil from where I collected my tree's they are 5.5"tall not wide and I know they will survive because I collected theyr roots and feeder roots corectly I know they will survive as the other tree (beech) I collected from there is in full heath but needs a pot
Ok,
My misunderstanding on the dimensions [Or what they apply to rather] we are talking about.
Good to hear about the feeders and all, How long ago where these collected?
ynot
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Gnome
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Tarian,
Glad to hear that you asked permission when collecting these. Ynot has asked some of the same questions that I would have. You say the trees are in pots. Are they individual or perhaps in smaller groups. I might be inclined to pot them individually (or as they may be in groups without disturbing them too much). I have tried beeches and have found them slow to become established once moved, I think this is because the ones I dug did not have a lot of feeder roots, I hope yours are better. But then again mine are a different species.
By leaving them separate for now you will be able to develop them a bit, see how many actually survive and, perhaps most importantly, give yourself some time to decide on a pot and arrangement. Don't forget, this is a long term project so there is no need to rush into anything.
Norm
Glad to hear that you asked permission when collecting these. Ynot has asked some of the same questions that I would have. You say the trees are in pots. Are they individual or perhaps in smaller groups. I might be inclined to pot them individually (or as they may be in groups without disturbing them too much). I have tried beeches and have found them slow to become established once moved, I think this is because the ones I dug did not have a lot of feeder roots, I hope yours are better. But then again mine are a different species.
By leaving them separate for now you will be able to develop them a bit, see how many actually survive and, perhaps most importantly, give yourself some time to decide on a pot and arrangement. Don't forget, this is a long term project so there is no need to rush into anything.
Norm
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Bonsaimatt
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After reading more about what you got, I'd plant them by themselves. And grow on for aboot a 1-2 yrs. You MUST give each tree time to adjust to container growing. It came from the woods, so it had things that your bonsai pot won't, unless you recreate them. For example, how was the lighting where you found em'? Was it shady? was it full sun, but only at noon, and other trees blocked the light the rest of the day? Was there a stream nearby providing water, or Humidity? That stuff and relize that "the woods'" climate is much different than "the city's" It may not get past 80 degress F in the woods, while your city house backyard gets 120F, see what I mean. You have to take all that (and more, just ask yourself questions) into considration just for placement of the trees in your backyard.
I agree with ynot and gnome, you don't need a "Bonsai Pot" just yet. Keep in mind, however, that I do use "bonsai Pots" from time to time because I have no plastic pots at the time. But I'd rather use big plastic pots instead of "Bonsai Pots" for the first year.
I agree with ynot and gnome, you don't need a "Bonsai Pot" just yet. Keep in mind, however, that I do use "bonsai Pots" from time to time because I have no plastic pots at the time. But I'd rather use big plastic pots instead of "Bonsai Pots" for the first year.
Tarian,
Where are the pictures?
BTW- Your links in this thread: https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4096 do not work yet either.
Actually, While were on about unfinished business... You never mentioned your Chinese Elm again....? https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4068 What happened to it?
...
ynot
Where are the pictures?
BTW- Your links in this thread: https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4096 do not work yet either.
Actually, While were on about unfinished business... You never mentioned your Chinese Elm again....? https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4068 What happened to it?
...ynot
Tarian,tarian wrote:if you could be very helpful and show me some pics ofyourforist plantings or just use paint to show some placements I would be very greatful
tarian
How about a suitable picture to work with?
If those are the material your talking about I feel they need a lot of development [Even in individual pots this will take awhile as Beech are slow growing.] before they will be a suitable group.
IE: IMO the leaf size is going to be all out of scale.
What does that soil consist of? It looks overly organic to my eye.
I do have a group in progress shown in the gallery.
ynot
Last edited by ynot on Fri Mar 23, 2007 2:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.