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.


I am assuming that you have the permission of the landowner to
dig up trees; "landowner" includes local, state, and federal land
agencies, too. From them, you will need a permit -- which may or
may not be free. Taking trees from land without permission is
stealing. Going on the land without permission is trespass.
Both can result in a fine -- and even jail if you meet a nasty
landowner and a hanging judge. Some trees (species) may not be
collected at all because of various environmental laws.

Now, with my standard warning out of the way, it sounds like you
are a beginner. I would NOT recommend going out to collect a
tree without going with someone else who has a lot of collecting
experience. Collecting a tree is NOT like digging it up and
putting it in a pot -- especially (repeat, Especially) if you are
looking for "something with a nice, thick trunk, and not
something that is a stick in the mud." Those take careful
planning, and often, must be done over a two-year (sometimes
longer) period. If you have never collected a tree before it is
almost a sure thing that the first tree(s) you collect will not
survive, especially if they are large ones.

Like Craig says, you do NOT just plant them in a bonsai pot. The
roots will have been badly damaged, and you will have a lot of
long, painstaking work to get them back in shape. This means a
large growing box -- or even better, re-planting them in the
ground -- for a year or two before even thinking of a pot. Then,
your first pot will likely be several sizes larger than the
"final" bonsai pot.

You will do much better -- and learn in the process -- by
collecting those "sticks in the mud for a few years until you
know how to keep a collected tree alive.

Be CERTAIN to refill the hole when you are done, and again -- GET
PERMISSION.

One also hopes that you have a few years of bonsai experience --
simple keeping-them-alive-in-bonsai-pots-for-several-years
experience -- under your belt. If not, it is 100% certain that
you will not be able to keep your collected trees alive over the
next winter when they will be at their most vulnerable.

Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - The voice of
doom. And experience.

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