Before I start, just let me say that one of these is a landscape shrub in MY
yard and the other is in the cow pasture of a relative.

Both plants are Junipers (one is a yellow-gold variety) the other is growing
wild out in a field and I have no idea as to the variety. It has
needle-like foliage much like a procumbens, but larger. I would like to
actually collect them both next spring. I'm not so worried about the
landscape one as the one growing wild in the cow pasture. That one is
probably at LEAST 30 years old if not significantly older. There is a lot
of dead wood on it and it is growing quite closely to another, much larger
plant of the same type. The larger one is way too big for me to even try to
collect. My question is: given that I want to collect them in the spring,
when should I dig a ring around them to encourage fine root growth prior to
collecting them? I probably should have done that this past spring; but I
didn't. For reasons I don't really have time to go into, I need to collect
them next spring as opposed to waiting until later. Should I wait until
early autumn or is it ok to dig the ring now if I leave them where they are
until spring? So far our summer has been milder than I can ever remember
with lots of rain. Of course that could change dramatically quite quickly!

Jeff Isom
Cleveland, OH / Sunset Zone 39

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Landscape junipers are not so difficult to collect. However, the wild one you
dscribe is Juniperus communis. European bonsai artists have successfully
collected the European form. You can see wild juniper bonsai in the European
books. However, the American form, although very interesting in appearance,
does not take well to bonsai culture. Those who have tried it had it die on
them. I can report that young specimens make very good foundation shrubs, if
you don't mind the prickles. There are other American junipers from out West
which make excellent bonsai, but you have to either go there & collect them, or
pay a pretty penny.
Iris,
Central NY, Zone 5a, Sunset Zone 40
"If we see light at the end of the tunnel, It's the light of the oncoming
train."
Robert Lowell (1917-1977)

Iris Cohen wrote:

Landscape junipers are not so difficult to collect. However, the wild one you
dscribe is Juniperus communis. European bonsai artists have successfully
collected the European form. You can see wild juniper bonsai in the European
books. However, the American form, although very interesting in appearance,
does not take well to bonsai culture. Those who have tried it had it die on
them. I can report that young specimens make very good foundation shrubs, if
you don't mind the prickles. There are other American junipers from out West
which make excellent bonsai, but you have to either go there & collect them, or
pay a pretty penny.
Iris,
Central NY, Zone 5a, Sunset Zone 40

I have a Juniperus communis that seems to be the exception. I collected it in
Maine last spring. I did it gradually, first root pruning it in the ground in the
fall, letting it sit there for the winter, and collecting it in the spring. It is
now in it's second year in a wooden box. The trunk is a little over an inch at the
base. There was some dieback, but instead of cutting the plant back I let it
decide what needed to go. Last year it held it's own, but this year it is
absolutely lush.

I don't think I would attempt to collect a juniper of this species much larger than
this one, though, because they spread in a hurry and will not have foliage for
several feet.

Craig Cowing
NY
Zone 5b/6a Sunset 37

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++++Sponsored, in part, by Mike Page ++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

Iris Cohen wrote:

Landscape junipers are not so difficult to collect. However, the wild one you
dscribe is Juniperus communis. European bonsai artists have successfully
collected the European form. You can see wild juniper bonsai in the European
books. However, the American form, although very interesting in appearance,
does not take well to bonsai culture. Those who have tried it had it die on
them. I can report that young specimens make very good foundation shrubs, if
you don't mind the prickles. There are other American junipers from out West
which make excellent bonsai, but you have to either go there & collect them, or
pay a pretty penny.
Iris,
Central NY, Zone 5a, Sunset Zone 40

I have a Juniperus communis that seems to be the exception. I collected it in
Maine last spring. I did it gradually, first root pruning it in the ground in the
fall, letting it sit there for the winter, and collecting it in the spring. It is
now in it's second year in a wooden box. The trunk is a little over an inch at the
base. There was some dieback, but instead of cutting the plant back I let it
decide what needed to go. Last year it held it's own, but this year it is
absolutely lush.

I don't think I would attempt to collect a juniper of this species much larger than
this one, though, because they spread in a hurry and will not have foliage for
several feet.

Craig Cowing
NY
Zone 5b/6a Sunset 37

************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by Mike Page ++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++