Yamadori and trees from the wild.

I am quite new to Bonsai and was reading about Yamadori and how one can save money by digging trees out the ground. I have growing wild at the bottom of my garden a lovely Goosberry bush, it has a good thick trunk which has a nice shape, the branch ramification is good and it must be at least 20 years old. I am excited it could be special, and would like further advice as to type of growing medium, root pruning, and should i plant it in a box for a year or two or plant it straight into a Bonsai pot.

Personally I have never come across a Gooseberry bonsai but I see no reason why you should'nt have a go. Any free draining and open mixture will probably be ok. I would leave it in the ground until Spring time. Dig up as the buds begin to swell and put it in a large pot or box.

I've got a Gooseberry bonsai, shohin informal upright style that I've been developing for about five years. They are remarkably easy in pot culture and I'm surprised we don't see more. Excellent muscular trunks with good bark, small leaves, small flowers and small fruit. They are also really popular at public shows, when an observant viewer realises what fruit they are looking at. The only downside is that you must be absolutely vigilant in the summer, or they can (read will) be defoliated overnight by caterpillars.

My tiny seedling one was uprooted from the garden in spring and planted straight into a shohin pot with a standard free draining mix. One of these days I'll get around to photographing it.

I've transplanted larger gooseberry bushes in the garden, by digging up as large a rootball as possible in spring. I'm pretty sure that the same approach into a training box would work.

I had a small gooseberry for several years. I too wonder why you don't see many of them -- especially up here where they're quite common in the forests.

Mine, which I dug from these mountains originally finally decided it hated the hot Florida summers though. Dunno why I haven't looked for one since I moved up here.

I've been eying the large productive Gooseberry bush at the bottom of my garden regularly. In a few years, when my newly propagated ones are all fruiting, I'll dig it up and bonsai it.

Im annoyed with myself for not having a go now. I know of some 30 year old bushes with amazing nebari and trunks. Have you never had flowers Kev?

Yep, my bonsai one fowers and fruits every year. I have to thin fruits most years.

Gordon Baird wrote:I am quite new to Bonsai and was reading about Yamadori and how one can save money by digging trees out the ground.

Scottish eh?

Hey guys,
I have never thought of this either! But I confess my love for the gooseberry is not bonsai related though.....my passion is gooseberry PIE and cobbler. Growing up my Grandmother had 10-15 of these plants and I could look forward to great pies and preserves.

Each year for my birthday, instead of cake my wife has a gooseberry pie! The best thing is that its so sour, no one else likes it...MINE all MINE!

Will,
If you think of it...pack one up for me!

I forgot.
Kev,
Would you mind posting a photo of your gooseberry bonsai? Would love to see it.

Thanks!

Henrik Stubelius wrote:

Gordon Baird wrote:I... was reading about ...how one can save money by digging trees out the ground.

Scottish eh?

Oi! Watch it, Henrik! Or we'll send round the men with the shades. Nah, on second thoughts that's too expensive. We'll send round Gordon's granny - she'll only cost us the price of a pie and a pint!

Whoah! Steady on Fiona. That's a tad frivolous, don't you think?

And men with shades??? Since when have they needed sunglasses in Scotland!!!

Neil. Why should I send you one when they grow wild in your countryside?

fiona wrote:

Henrik Stubelius wrote:

Gordon Baird wrote:I... was reading about ...how one can save money by digging trees out the ground.

Scottish eh?

Oi! Watch it, Henrik! Or we'll send round the men with the shades. Nah, on second thoughts that's too expensive. We'll send round Gordon's granny - she'll only cost us the price of a pie and a pint!

Oh God... When will I ever learn to keep my mouth shut?
A couple of men with shades I can handle.. but Gordons granny?! Sounds utterly ominous... perhaps I could buy her off with MY granny's rhubarb pie? It's deeeelicious

It's always tempting to want to bonsai an interesting tree one might find growing wild. The first step is to realize that the subject tree probably has a root structure which extends far beyond the base of the tree.
When starting to dig it out, it's best to encircle the trunk with a spade some distance from the base, and leaving the tree without moving it. Just fill in the hole you dug with peat. By next spring, new roots should have sprouted in the trench you made, allowing you to finish digging out the tree. Next, using bonsai soil, place the tree in an over-sized box, taking care to remove as few of the new roots as possible. Leave it alone for a year before placing it in a bonsai pot. While all this is going on, gradually remove the branches you select to take off in order to shape your tree. Some branches should be wired rather be removed, to conform to the ultimate shape you want to create. Treat your tree with the eye of a surgeon, realizing that your surgery temporarily weakens it. Just think that it is like moving a patient from the operating room to the recovery room. When you finally place it in a pot, be sure to wire it in securely, using two wires to hold it in place. Be sure to use chop sticks to fill in all the air pockets with soil and water the planting from the top.
Do not use fertilizer until you see the new growth emerging. And good luck to you!

Henrik Stubelius wrote: A couple of men with shades I can handle.. but Gordons granny?! Sounds utterly ominous... perhaps I could buy her off with MY granny's rhubarb pie? It's deeeelicious

Ha ha ha.

It's OK the crisis is over as she's double booked anyway. She's donned her balaclava disguise and is away down to North Wales with her spade to steal Kev's gooseberry bush.

But I'm guessing she'd be easily bought off as she did leave this message:

"Rhubarb pie? I'll be back"

Hi Folks Thanks for all your replys re. Gooseberrys, it was sent with toung in cheek! However, its good to know the replys were honest and positive. I am a Landscape Gardener and quite fortunate that i can unearth some nice raw material, i also have had reasonable success layering, so if anyone out there would like to know more i will do my best to help. We Scots may be struggling at football at the moment but we have many good trees and Bonsai artists!

addeley"And men with shades??? Since when have they needed sunglasses in Scotland!!![/quote Will. We have the most beautiful country side in the UK, i would not like to swap it with you for all the sunshine and sunglasses that you may enjoy. ps "keep working on your tan!!"

We Scots may be struggling at football at the moment

Correction: Soccer

WE do "football" (which we carry in our arms, and throw -- and only kick with the foot to get rid of it). <---- TOUCHDOWN!

JimLewis wrote: WE do "football" (which we carry in our arms, and throw...

Ahhh. That explains Thierry Henry's tactic on Wednesday night then!

fiona wrote:

JimLewis wrote: WE do "football" (which we carry in our arms, and throw...

Ahhh. That explains Thierry Henry's tactic on Wednesday night then!

JimLewis wrote:

We Scots may be struggling at football at the moment

Correction: Soccer

WE do "football" (which we carry in our arms, and throw -- and only kick with the foot to get rid of it). <---- TOUCHDOWN!

Wrong wrong! You're doing RUGBY! But for some reason you wear helmets and all sorts of protection, perhaps you don't like to get hurt or something

Henrik Stubelius wrote: [Wrong wrong! You're doing RUGBY! But for some reason you wear helmets and all sorts of protection, perhaps you don't like to get hurt or something

Remember this is a game played in the land that gave us Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. Or was it Hardy Drew and the Nancy Boys!

Anyway, Henrik - do you look at all like that other Swedish Henrik, Mr Larsson. Or as we still call him over here in the West of Scotland, God.

Haha=) Yes we're like peas in a pod! No not at all I'm afraid...