Some collected Hackberrys

I wont be doing anything with these till next year just thought I'd share them. Know the maple was collected last year and is ready for some work it's Acer Rubrum I've had really good results reducing there leaves plus i'm zone 10 and and I dont have alot of maple options. So i'm looking for some ideas on dealing with this unique trunk and maybe some ideas for the Hackberrys for next year






Thanks!!!

The third pic of the leaning trunks looks to be really good. I envy your Hacks- even if they are the southern type I can't grow. I have heard good things about them. I sure wish I could find an area where hardy Northern Hackberry grow. The range shows them up in MN and the Dakotas but I can never find them growing anywhere. Not a one, except urban planted ones. I lust for cow-chomped hack--or even finding wild hack, let alone ones with nice trunks like yours. Ayway the trunks you have look like like quality stock to me. Good luck refining them and keep us informed on their development and idiosycrasies.

Really! no one has anything for me. Thanks Crust

If I were you, I will shorten the branches especially the straight ones to just a few inches and remove any excess branches that will not be used. Try to picture how you want the tree to progress and anticipate where new growth will be. As-is, the new growths will be too far up, you will most likely end up removing most of them later...unless that is really your intent. If you find it hard to cut now...imagine how much more difficult it will be when there are lots of branches and leaves there.

Being a newbie myself, the hardest thing I have to learn is how to be ruthless and chop what is not needed. I used to save a nice curved branch even if it is way out and (I know) will not help the tree design. The usual excuse I have is not having a design goal yet and maybe I can use the branch later...big mistake and usually sets me back. I am learning slowly past that.

I've allready reduced the Hackberrys from the pics,that was right after collection and I didn't want to make any branch decisions with poor light. what i'm really after is some design ideas on the maple in the last 2 pics all the low branches on the base are coming off they where just there to aid the health of the tree since it was collected last season theres alot coming off, it will be getting topped again too. I didn't know I came off as a newbie just wanted a couple ideas or if it would look better without the dueling trunks

I agree with Poink88 that you will need to cut them back further. The front tree on the left of your 1st picture looks like it was cut back about right.

In the 2nd picture I would remove the spindly back trunk, cut the center trunk back to one of the 2 heavy pieces and only leave it to above the first node, and then cut the left trunk back to match.

Reducing both trunks in the 3rd picture by about 1/2 looks like a very good option to me, particularly since I can see a parent/child design using the matched curves.

I would probably turn the tree in the 4th picture on its right hand side and ground layer it to create a raft/clump. I would still shorten them a bit.

In the 5th picture I would cut back to the spindly little branch about 1/2 way up the thick lower trunk and bend it back to the left before it thickens. Make the cut so it slopes to the back. I would leave the low thin stuff to fatten the trunk for a bit, but it would be cut off as well.

You have some interesting stock and with your long growing season it should develop fairly rapidly. the main thing is to get rid of long straight pieces, particularly after curves, to get some movement into the trunks. You can then start to develop branches in a few years to get some cool bonsai.

I hope this helps.

the hackberry pics where right after collection I didn't have any time to shape them or reduce them I mainly just got them all potted up I had a chance to work on them today im pretty busy with work and my first new son anyway this is the one from the second pic I thought maybe 2 trunks but after stepping back and looking at my own picture if I remove the shorter trunk and put some paste on it since they tend to die back and rot out, it will have very beautiful taper

Thanks Marty it's always good to get outside opinions from people that aren't so close to the project do you really think halfing both trunks in the third one is the way to go i'll put a couple pics of that one up tomorrow with something next to it so you get better scale

When you collected these did you find them as individual trees or suckers from a bigger tree?

When working with newly collected stuff, I usually make an initial cop a bit higher than planned and wait for strong buds to pop. Select a strong bud and rechop later in the year just above the strong bud.

reg-i wrote:the hackberry pics where right after collection I didn't have any time to shape them or reduce them I mainly just got them all potted up I had a chance to work on them today im pretty busy with work and my first new son anyway this is the one from the second pic I thought maybe 2 trunks but after stepping back and looking at my own picture if I remove the shorter trunk and put some paste on it since they tend to die back and rot out, it will have very beautiful taper

I'd remove the front/shorter trunk. I will also shorten the current leader down a branch or two...or remove entirely. Also remove the small branch going to the left leaving the short middle branch as the new leader.

reg-i wrote:I didn't know I came off as a newbie just wanted a couple ideas or if it would look better without the dueling trunks

Sorry for assuming wrongly.

Marty Weiser wrote:In the 5th picture I would cut back to the spindly little branch about 1/2 way up the thick lower trunk and bend it back to the left before it thickens. Make the cut so it slopes to the back. I would leave the low thin stuff to fatten the trunk for a bit, but it would be cut off as well.

This is what I would do.

Rob Kempinski wrote:When you collected these did you find them as individual trees or suckers from a bigger tree?

When working with newly collected stuff, I usually make an initial cop a bit higher than planned and wait for strong buds to pop. Select a strong bud and rechop later in the year just above the strong bud.

Thanks for the tip!

some where suckers and some where alone there from a heavily wooded road in the middle of nowhere, where one of those big mowers they put on there side hits them once or twice a year thats where the interesting material is but theres a ton back farther that are undisturbed in wetter soil by some water.

There's alot of really nice raft material!

reg-i wrote:... I may go back today with a fishing pole and a bucket and pretend im fishing I couldn't even get to the majority of them cause it got dark

There's alot of really nice raft material!

reg-i,

Much as I love this hobby, I only collect where I have a permit or legally allowed to.

I won't try to justify it but a healthy forest needs thinning like a controlled burn there's a lot of dead shorter ones where the sun light got blocked out. I Will delete the last post in case it offends anyone

reg-i wrote:... I may go back today with a fishing pole and a bucket and pretend im fishing I couldn't even get to the majority of them cause it got dark

There's alot of really nice raft material!

I was gonna lambast you about posting messages without the assistance of periods, Capitals at the beginning of sentences, and with only the most vestigial of grammatical structure, etc. -- all of which make it hard to understand (and hence, help) you, but instead I think I'll suggest to you that if you are digging without permission of the landowner, you are stealing.

Even in Texas, I think you need the landowner's permission to take plants off his/her/its property.

JimLewis wrote: Even in Texas, I think you need the landowner's permission to take plants off his/her/its property.

Oh yeah..otherwise you run the risk of getting shot and they (land owner) have the legal right to do so too. It is covered by TX castle doctrine.

Poink88 wrote:

JimLewis wrote: Even in Texas, I think you need the landowner's permission to take plants off his/her/its property.

Oh yeah..otherwise you run the risk of getting shot and they (land owner) have the legal right to do so too. It is covered by TX castle doctrine.

LOL. I wouldn't dig a weed in TX without permission. I think it's safe to assume all Texans are locked, loaded and pissed off. I lived in Houston for a year and I was constantly told that "Ain't no one prouder than a Texas born Texan".

Thanks Jim and Poink88....your comments made me laugh today.
~Sam~

reg-i wrote:the hackberry pics where right after collection I didn't have any time to shape them or reduce them I mainly just got them all potted up I had a chance to work on them today im pretty busy with work and my first new son anyway this is the one from the second pic I thought maybe 2 trunks but after stepping back and looking at my own picture if I remove the shorter trunk and put some paste on it since they tend to die back and rot out, it will have very beautiful taper

I think this is looking really good. How do hackberries hold up to wood carving? If it were mine I think I would carve that straight trunk and incorporate it into the design.

Have a great week Reggie!!!
~Sam~

i Think yOu gU'ys arE A,bunch of hAters!! i senD theSe froM MY fhone sumeTimes IM so SOrry il'L jusSt Shot MyselF ANd Get it Over with Right after I takE the TreES bACK TO cOUNTY PROPERTY unCle sAm Has Big gun's and i'll try not to share on here anymore

reg-i wrote:i Think yOu gU'ys arE A,bunch of hAters!! i senD theSe froM MY fhone sumeTimes IM so SOrry il'L jusSt Shot MyselF ANd Get it Over with Right after I takE the TreES bACK TO cOUNTY PROPERTY unCle sAm Has Big gun's and i'll try not to share on here anymore

We are not. Just trying to point out that taking something from someone w/o permission is not right and can be dealt with harshly by some. Good luck to you and I hope you know that your new son will be looking up to you to teach him proper values.

The reason I suggested cutting both trunks by about 1/2 in the 3rd picture was to develop some taper and some branching. I thought the lower 1/2 of each was interesting and then they became boring. However, perhaps they are the right height for now based upon Rob's comments and you can reduce them once you start to get growth. We always have to remember that when we cut off the roots we need top growth to get the roots to grow and vice-versa. With collecting you have generally cut both.

While I disagree with the taking of plants without permission, I don't think even Texas law allows a landowner to shoot someone for that. My understanding is that "Castle doctrine" (usually) applies to the home itself. However, I wouldn't want to become part of the court case that clarifies the issue!

coh wrote:While I disagree with the taking of plants without permission, I don't think even Texas law allows a landowner to shoot someone for that. My understanding is that "Castle doctrine" (usually) applies to the home itself. However, I wouldn't want to become part of the court case that clarifies the issue!

Chris,
Read this... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Horn_shooting_controversy

Man involved is not even the one being burglarized.