collecting hawthorns

Hi. This weekend I am hoping to collect a big hawthorn. I have been collecting hawthorns for a few years now but I have never collected something this big and I will need to cut the roots back hard. Does anyone have any experiences with big hawthorn collecting?

Mr Tony Tickle is probably your man for this task. If you take some time to look back through the topics, you will come across a couple he has put on concerning this subject.

Do you have any pics of the monster hawthorn as it is just now? If not, remember to take some as you lift it and keep us posted.

Good luck!

ok thank you fiona

Harry. Try to collect as much root as possible. Do not cut back the roots to fit the container. Build a larger box for it or put it in the ground until you have. How big is it anyway?

Hi Harry,

Because I have my new Large greenhouse and large heating bed I am collecting the largest Hawthorn I have ever collected this weekend, Matt and Harleyrider have kindly offered to help carry off the hill. I am filming (in HD of course) the whole operation. This tree as been prepared starting over 8 years ago... this is a LONG TERM project... but a truly amazing tree. Wish me luck... and keep watching this forum for when I post.

BTW, when potted this tree will be a Four Man tree.

cheers tony ok will look forward to seeing in the forum

Keep a close eye on their hernia scars as well, Harry, and use it as a warning of the need for caution!

I did indeed collect the biggest Hawthorn in my yamadori life this weekend. I do not post images of recently collected trees (Bad Karma) but here is a glimpse of Steve (Harleyrider) and me carrying the tree from the old quarry. Once I am happy that that the tree is well established I will post the whole story... for now this is all.

Ah. A question long asked is now answered: I now know what happened to Benny from "Crossroads"


And...

Tony, as well as seeing your monster (perhaps I'll rephrase that), we want to see what Sir Steve Harleyrider is carrying in his other hand.

In case anyone hasn't worked it out, I was too wimpy to carry Tony's tree (I'm also not that daft!! ) so I was working the camera!!

However, I did do my fair share to get it out of the ground (there is camera evidence somewhere!) - a truly special moment for a truly special tree, it was an honour and a pleasure to help Tony realise a dream after many years of patient preparation.


Harry - did you manage to collect your monster too? Any sneak previews?

Matt

@ Fiona. Following Tony and Lee's mantra of 'Never post your trees until you know they're alive', I'll refrain from showing you the curly beast I had in my hand (Go on then, I know you're dying to say something).

What I will say, though, is that I was carrying a Blackthorn I found after lifting Lee's huuuge Blackthorn. Lee 'Mr Blackthorn' Kennedy himself described my tree thusly: 'As good a tree as you'll ever collect'.

Ignoring the ambiguity within the statement, I choose to see it as a compliment.

Actually, we all walked off the hill carrying trees full of promise. I just hope they all fulfill it.

Not exactly 'Never post your trees until you know they're alive' this is a continuation of carrying the tree off the hill, In my garden, comparing to previous Hawthorns collected.



Here are the abundance of roots, at the front is the big root that I severed 8 years ago, at the base the 'tap' root has been cut and cleaned up... Matt thinks*





Here is the box 18" x 28" internal dimensions




*OK so Tony says the future is Shohin even he will never get this into a Shohin pot