Luke Tulkas wrote:

snip

If those books _recommended_ fall collecting, dump them.


Whoa! Another one of bonsai myths kicking in again!

The reality is this: time is crucial. If you can save a few months of it by
collecting in the fall, do it without hesitation. Wait, however, until the
leaves fall off. Notice that I didn't say until the tree goes dormant.
Because even until long after there's nothing happening above ground (not to
the naked eye, that is), roots still grow until temperatures drop well below
freezing. Also, roots begin to grow well before things start happening above
ground in the spring. A few caveats are in order, however: don't stick the
collected tree into a shallow pot right away, plant it into a training
container (that isn't really a problem, since the tree isn't showable for at
least one year after collecting) and shelter from drying winds. All the
collecting guidelines still apply, of course: try to grab as much of the
rootball as possible, not disturbing it too much in the process, use free
draining soil mix, don't forget to water during the winter, etc. Your maple
will do fine.

I wouldn't recommend putting a tree collected in the fall into any kind of pot.
Dig a hole, put it in, mulch it well with leaves, wood chips, etc. and let it sit
for the winter. Don't bare-root it, but collect as much of the root ball as
possible and don't disturb the rootball. Stick it in the ground and look at it in
spring. This is what I do and I have had a high degree of success wintering trees
I've collected in the fall.

Craig Cowing
NY
Zone 5b/6a Sunset 37

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