Mike wrote in message ...
Hi All,

I have the opportunity to go out of the city into the western
Pennsylvania or the pocono's as they call it. I wanted to look for a
good bonsai tree to fit the nice Bonsai pot I have. I am going to be
looking for something with a nice, thick trunk, and not something that
is a stick in the mud Anyone have any suggestions on what makes a
good bonsai tree out here in PA? Any pictures of what grows around here
on the web? Also any techniques on how to do this? For example root
pruning and such....

I was told just to grab a shovel, dig the plant up, put it in a wet
sack, get it home, root prune it and put it in a pot. A root pruning
guide would be great.

I was told to grab the John Naka's book because it was like the bonsai's
bible but due to financial difficulties i wont be able to purchase it
for at least another month. So can anyone give me some directions on how
to root prune, hopefully with pictures.

Thanks

Mike.

Whew! Mike ... simmer down a bit! The one thing that's exactly right
about your post is the timing. This is a good time to collect from
the wild. Unfortunately, your timetable is rushed to say the least! I
was talking to someone in my area with 40 years of experience and he
said in regards to collecting from the wild:
1. Your tree must include at least 25% total mass in roots with as
large a ball of dirt around the tree as possible. He trims the tree
back first, then starts digging.
2. You'll be doing root pruning just getting it out of the ground.
3. Put this collected tree into a grow box or large nursery container.
4. Put the tree in a shady spot until you're sure it has survived the
move (many don't)
5. Leave it in a grow box or large nursery container for at least 3
years, so the root system can fully recover before doing any root
pruning.
Good species that beginners can try include Hornbeam, elm, beech, and
wild holly.
Bring with you a good shovel, loppers, saw, maybe a hatchet.
Another good lesson he taught us is this:
The most important part of bonsai is learning how to keep a tree
healthy in a container! If you can't do this, all the styling
techniques are useless !
Best of luck !