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The majority of growers do not enjoy large collected trees and are very happy with smaller nursery stock trees. One prime example is Thys - Look at the quality of his trees, none of which are collected specimens; all developed from cuttings, seedlings and nursery stock and are very mature. He has one of the best collections in the club.
"Gung Ho" beginners seem to get this notion in their heads that a collected tree is the be all in Bonsai. In reality few new growers have the knowledge and interest to sustain a collected tree through a long period to maturity. Not to mention the skill, time and tools needed as well as the cost of a pot I know of several growers who have collected trees in their Bonsai youth, superb specimens, and now a lot of these trees are stagnating in a pot at the collectors home.
This is the reason that Oyama adopted the policy that new growers with less than one year's experience - and have not been on a beginners course - are not allowed on a dig to collect trees. (I would like to see it longer) Do not let this deter you from coming along on the dig. It's a fantastic morning out in the fresh country air with people who will show you how to take an Olive out. Just align yourself with a more experienced grower and tag along; give him a hand digging; see what is involved; this is one of the ways to gain experience.
When collecting any tree its important to know what species it is you are digging because this relates to the time of year which will give you the best results. (It's no good digging an Olive at Xmas because it will more than likely die). Then you have to understand what can be done with regard to design. This can only be achieved with experience, reading about and studying Yamadori trees.
As previously mentioned not everyone wants to grow large Bonsai but we all want to grow mature looking Bonsai. It is difficult to find small mature Bonsai. In 18 years of collecting I have not seen many small collected trees and even these require a level of experience in the collector just as is needed for the larger ones. But if you like mature sizeable trees and you have acquired the ability and skill to produce a quality bonsai from this type of stock, then these are the trees to aim for.
Why are collected trees important to the experienced Bonsai grower and why do we place a lot of emphasis on collected trees?
I believe the answer is maturity.
What you essentially get (if you collect good stock) is a mature trunk with good bark quality, movement and taper. Size is not everything. I remember that Ken Doble and myself collected Buddleja from Robertson and we dug a superb small Buddleja which Vicky acquired and had for many years. Many growers prefer small collected specimens as it is quicker to establish a tree you can show because of the proportion of branch to trunk.
Just before we get to the interesting bits, I want to make you aware of the responsibility that comes with collecting trees from the veld.
Have you ever given any thought to the amount of trees that are dug out of nature and are never seen again? Carl and myself often talk and wonder about all the trees dug out, which we never see at shows or meetings. When, and if you do, give some thought to this point, I'm sure you will agree it is a disgrace what previous growers have done.
We have dug at sites where we have collected Maples and Olives and these areas have yielded some beautiful trees, but there was no control on how many trees a person took out and the Maple site is now practically barren of good Bonsai stock. At the Olive site you really have to search to find a good tree. I make this point because I have seen trees dug en masse simply because they. were there, not because there was any quality to them.
Growers dug simply because;-
I offer a few suggestions which you, the members could possibly discuss and influence your committee to adopt if you agree with the ideas. As well as any other ideas that you think are important.
As mentioned, at Oyama today we allow only one tree or clump per dig because hopefully this makes the grower more selective and responsible about what he digs. Usually a grower can only cope with so many trees in a year so this should not be a problem.
Most clubs have a spot where they dig and are guilty or have been guilty of misusing this privilege. I ask all growers to give this some thought and pressurise the clubs to develop some policy around digging grounds.
I would recommend;-
Where: It is important to get permission for whatever you take out. Whether it is at Kirstenbosh or your local friendly farmer or Town Council you need permission or you will get locked up.
Gone are the days when growers could don yellow rain-suits and make like a council worker, drive on the freeway, stop and dig out or pull out trees on the high way - as is what happened in the "good old days". When you do take the trouble to seek permission it is amazing how many authorities will give permission to remove trees, especially if you can point out reasons why the tree is unsuitable for the position it is in. And even more especially if you offer to replace the tree with a more suitable tree.
Farmers are usually positive when asked if trees can be taken from their property. I have used this ploy with success. Look out for housing developments or roadworks or for householders renovating property.
Cultivating friendships with Kirstenbosch staff Garden Services are worthwhile. They do renovations and you could offer to dig the hedge out yourselves.
Keep an eye out for overgrown Junipers which border on a driveway or footpath. You can offer to take the "unsightly shrub" and replace it with something more suitable. I have used this idea in Pinelands where I have trained in the ground and dug out later. Unfortunately the tree is on the way out as the tree was planted in Pinelands dust and there were no roots so the tree is dead.
When: Time of year is important to success. In the Cape we usually dig Indigenous trees out when the first winter rains arrive and this is usually end of April-May and our annual Olive dig is at this time. Other trees to be collected at that time are Rhus, Diospyros, Coleanema and Buddleja. Be careful with Coleanema as they do not survive very well when lifted from the wild. I can virtually guarantee that a Coleanema lifted outside the correct time will die.
Exotic trees which need to be dug out are best done when they awake from their dormant period and the sap begins to flow. Swamps are dug as early as August, followed by Celtis then Elms and Maples in September.
Then we get into Junipers in early October and finally finish with Figs, which can be collected up to January/Feb. This is not to say that trees cannot be collected at other times but if one attempts this you must be very cautious.
Collecting trees is like going to the ball you must have the correct dress! Know your area and watch the weather reports. This will influence what you wear not only on your feet, but it could make the difference between rain suits and large heavy sweaters or just light long pants shirt and boots.
I would recommend wearing boots as feet can be injured by spades and other digging implements: Long pants, because insects, scorpions, snakes, ticks and flies can make your digging experience unpleasant and you are mainly on your knees: Industrial strength gloves, because from all the scrabbling and digging with your hands you can have very sore fingers at the end of the day. If I remember anything from previous digs its sore fingers from digging.
Another important item and often neglected, is a first aid kit Make sure someone in the group has one and it is available to everyone. This means that it is not locked in a car but under the back wheel of a car and everyone knows which car.
How: Hard work is usually what is required here but I do know of a grower in the area where we dig Olives who literally parked his car, walked into the rocks and plucked a little tree out of a hollow in a rock.
Doesn't happen often!!
Hard ground is usually a problem when digging Olives. Digging in May is a little easier in that the usually rock-hard soil has been wet and softened by the first winter rains and this makes the digging a little easier, but not much.
Knowing the terrain where you are digging is advantageous in that it allows you to determine the tools you take along. Knowing the area also helps, as the nearer you can park your vehicle the less walking you have to do. If you have to trek long distances you not only have to carry your tools with you to the site but you have to carry them back plus the tree you have dug. An idea that is practiced overseas is the hiding of digging implements in the veld at the digging spot so they do not have to be carried backwards and forwards. This would work if you went on an annual dig in Oudtshoorn, or Ladybrand.
Because there is so much to remember it is best to get everything you need for the dig including water and eats the night before so you do not forget anything. This is especially true the farther you have to travel. Remember when you are there you cannot go back for forgotten items so rather take too much rather than too little. Have a list and check off everything before you leave and again before you leave the digging ground.
Remember the gloves, your hands are probably not hardened to manual work such as what you are attempting to do. If the ground is open farmland, what is needed is a sharpened steel spade, sharp axe, long handled pruners, saw, secateurs, string, hessian or plastic sheet, newspaper and most important, water, not only for the tree, but you as well, but the tree is first priority.
Don't leave the sharpening of the implements to the morning of the dig. Prepare the week before. An idea that I have recently started (because loss is a problem), is to put some red or yellow insulation tape on the handle of the implement, this makes seeing the tools in the brush easier. Every year after digging someone has lost a tool
Unfortunately it seems that some of the best Olives we dig are found amongst rock and water. For obvious reasons, birds eat the seed and water is available so they congregate in that area where they nest and deposit seed with their excreta. This adds to the list of tools you need.
To the previous list you can add crow or pry bars, hand-pick (like an axe but with the blade at 90 degrees to the handle), chisels and hammer. As you can see, the weight has increased considerably.
I have seen growers with two metre long crowbars moving boulders to get to roots. It is a very critical decision to take trees out of rocks because very often the dig is aborted when you collapse with exhaustion, or the tree is ruined because the roots are too firmly embedded. I know from experience that not many trees come out of rocks.
An interesting story is that last year, whilst walking through the bush to find a second tree (for next year), I heard grunting and clanking amongst some rocks somewhere above me to the left. Upon investigation I found two old men moving huge rocks with a long pry bar. It was a most amusing sight. How I wished for a camera! Here were the two oldest men on the dig trying to get this Olive out of a group of huge rocks. More of a surprise was the fact that the rocks did yield this large Olive to these two pensioners. Ask John how the tree is!!!
What to dig: Okay you have arrived at the digging site and all around you see what appears, on first sight, to be scores of magnificent trees.
Don't get excited and don't dig the first tree you stumble over. As we used to!
We all need to show a more realistic view of what we take out and take a more responsible attitude. Just because we are at a digging site does not mean we have to take a tree out just for the sake of taking a tree.
Firstly find a central point where you can place your tools and then walk around and inspect the area. If there are rocks in the area try to keep clear of them as they can ruin your day. Not only is it difficult to get trees out of rocks but you can fall and injure yourself quite badly if you are walking over rocks with your big bag of tools.
THIS SECTION IS VERY IMPORTANT:
You are going to spend a tremendous amount of energy digging a tree out of the ground and it does not make sense to dig just any tree. Obviously the tree should have all the qualities of a good bonsai. If you do not find one, do not dig just anything for the sake of it; rather leave without one.
Now that's a radical idea!!!!!!!!!
Roots: If possible, select a tree with equally spread roots, spreading around the tree. This may not be possible with an Olive and you may have to make do with good Nebari - (swelling bole flowing into the roots and trunk). Under no circumstances can this point be ignored.
Taper: Trunk tapering from broad at the base into the branch structure. Or the tree can be carved to produce this taper.
Aged mature bark, bark which is not smooth but cracked and with platelets unless the species has naturally smooth bark.
Movement: trunk flow a gradual sinuous flow, unless you want a straight trunk for a formal upright. Alternatively the tree has good features and you can carve movement into the trunk.
Low branches, if possible but for Olives this is not vital.
Too many people collect trees which are deficient in the above qualities which are important in making good Bonsai.
DO NOT DIG MEDIOCRE BONSAI.
The older generation (of which I am one) has been guilty of digging mediocre trees and we should be learning from other's mistakes. If you dig an exciting 8onsai you will look after it, but if you dig a mediocre tree you will not give it so much attention.
Most collected trees need carving. Are you proficient at this? Can you do justice to the tree you are collecting? If you are collecting and do not have experience with carving do not collect a tree that will need carving.
Okay, now you know what to look for;
Take an hour and if you find a good tree mark it with a piece of cloth so that you can spot it from a distance and then walk around and see if there is a better one on offer.
When you get to a point that you think this is "the" tree, the first thing to do is to clear an area around the tree from scrub and grass so you can determine exactly what you have found. Trunks that on first sight looked impressive can have a variety of faults that may make you want to move on to find another tree.
One of S.A's. best growers, Wemer Bub used to say that when you have found a tree, sit in front of the tree and design it in your mind. Select your front, define the trunk angle and mentally put branches into position. If you cannot do this, move on! Find another tree rather than ruin the one in question.
Again remember the qualities we should be looking for in a good Bonsai. One aspect which many growers neglect to recognize is bark. Why dig a tree which has the size of a mature tree but looks young. If the bark is not aged the tree will look like an overgrown schoolboy, so make sure that the bark is aged and leave those immature trees to mature.
(This aspect was highlighted by Marco Invernezzi at the 2002 Convention. He says the Japanese set great store by a tree with mature, aged bark.)
Once you have cleared the area and decided that this tree is the one for you, you can cut away pr shorten all unwanted growth on the tree, only. Leave on as much as possible. The reason we say this is that once the tree is out a better option may be available to the design and if all the branches are gone it could be to late.
There is a product on the market called "Wilt-pruf'. It would be a good idea to buy a bottle and spray the foliage at this point to prevent the tree from losing moisture. One bottle goes a long way and it would be a good idea to buy one and share the cost?
The only limb you do not cut down is the main trunk line, leave that long, the reason will be explained later. If you are tired at this point, you are really going to be exhausted when you start the next phase.
With your shovel or your trenching tool you start digging at least 1 metre from the trunk. You dig and trench, the sand runs back into the trench and it seems as if you never get any deeper. You saw roots and chop, pull rocks out, your fingers get cut and become sore, but you must dig to at least 30-40 cm deep before you start to undercut the root ball. This is where it gets really hard, lying on your side, angling that trenching tool under the roots and clawing the rocks and sand out - all the time working under the root ball.
OOPS!! Now you hit a major root or tap root and it's 150mm thick. Oh for a power saw or a chainsaw. But there's no electricity here, so you lie on your side, sweating and swearing, chopping and sawing, wondering if its worth it.
This is where that long trunk you left comes into play. It gives you more leverage to get that tree onto its side, rather like the cowboys wrestling bulls onto their side. By pulling on the trunk you get an idea of where the roots are holding the tree to the earth, you will see stress points where the roots move the gravel and its here you must dig more and cut. Eventually, like a rotten old tooth, the earth will give up the prize you have been struggling to loosen.
Think you have finished? Think again.
Now the long trunk can be cut back to a suitable point. All major roots should be cut back; as much soil as possible should be removed without losing too much hair root.
THIS IS WHERE LOTS OF GROWERS LOSE THE TREE.
All the books and magazines tell us what to do at this point but because Olives and Maples are reasonably easy to transplant, we think we can drag the tree across the bush (causing root damage), throw the tree in the boot, socialize for a few hours and then transport the tree home and we expect the tree to carry on living.
What we should do is, at the dig site, carefully pack the roots with wet newspaper and wrap in hessian or plastic. This will keep the roots damp and protected. Now you must carry your tree back to your transport and again wet the hessian. Place the tree in shade if you are not leaving immediately. This will prevent transpiration. There is a direct correlation as to how well you conserve the rootball and how quickly the tree recovers - if it recovers.
If you are far from home and likely to take a day or two to get home then the tree needs to be placed in water to soak - in a bath of water with an aspirin (not disprin) in it. Then the root ball needs to be wrapped in plastic with wet rags or newspaper in contact with the roots. The cuts also need to be sealed.
We're not finished yet.
Next comes goodwill. Go back to the digging site and fill the hole you have made by scraping the soil back into the hole and then throwing the cut branches over the area so that animals or people do not fall in the hole.
If you have the time and energy, it is a good idea to have a walk around to find other quality trees that you would like to take out possibly next year. Mark them, make a drawing of where they are and possibly do some pruning so that next year the tree will have put some growth on in the areas you want. If you have the energy you can also root prune as much as you can, so that taking out next year will be easy.
If you can work a year ahead it makes such a difference. The tree you take out will have more adventitious roots and therefore a greater chance of survival.
Once home you can put the tree into a container with water in it and one aspirin.
Even better than aspirin is Willow water.
Take Willow branches, cut a week before the dig and soaked in water in a large container. Put the tree directly into the willow water and allow to soak for at least three days before potting. It is a good idea to use sand or soil from the area in your potting mix.
The very old growers used to recommend marking South and planting the tree in the same alignment, which increases its chances of survival. I heard this theory mentioned on the radio the other week so there must be something in it!!
Mer three or four days you can plant your tree in a very open mix. If the tree is an Olive, I recommend putting the tree in pure coarse river sand.
Then you pray.
The tree can take 3 weeks to show fresh green growth but it can also take up to three years to respond. If you follow the willow water or aspirin route, you will normally get growth within a month. Do not make the mistake of working on the tree too early but wait for a year at least (two is better), so that the tree gets time to build up rootage and therefore vigour. If you work on the tree too early it will grow for a while but will probably just limp along for a few years before dying.
Questions Please......
I hope this article will give you a different perspective to collected trees so that you can give them the respect they deserve.
The excitement and knowledge gained by practicing the art of Bonsai can be more beneficial than the final result.
It's more important to understand the trees individuality and to enhance its features, than to follow rules.
There is also beauty in imperfection.
A summary of the requirements needed to dig Yamadori:-
| Gloves Spade Axe Crowbar Pruners Hand-pick Pick-axe Hessian |
Saw Chisel Hammer String Bags Secateurs Spray bottle Extra water |
Don't forget your sunhat and sunscreen.
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