[Sorjn] We're going to see a bonsai tree soon!
[Chris] What an adventure, Sorjn!
[Bluegrass music]
[Ben] In February, my best friend and I and his son,
walked through the neighbor's field to see if we could find trees to collect for bonsai.
We weren't disappointed.
This is a Virginia pine.
This is white pine.
This is why we dig up trees from a farmer's field.
They just get beat up.
Yeah, cool
[Sorjn calling dogs]
[Ben] No
No.
Though there were plenty to look and choose from, only one caught my attention immediately.
[Ben] That is a contender, dude. That is a contender!
Look at look at this from this side, man.
[Chris] Wow.
That is cool.
[Ben] This is a white pine.
That's quite a white pine though, man. I'll take that home.
I want to mark that one.
It's always good to mark the tree, so you can find them again later.
This also allows you also to bring only the tools you need to do the job.
After clearing rocks and debris, I check the roots of the pine.
Unlike most of the deciduous trees you've seen me dig,
pines require many feeder roots in order to survive.
If the pine's tap root goes deep without many surface roots,
its chances of survival are very low.
Make your first few cuts around the tree.
Take your time getting large stones out. This will reduce the risk of injuring yourself or the tree.
I periodically wiggle the tree.
A strong tap root won't allow this.
If the tree doesn't budge, leave it in the ground.
I've checked the roots enough to know that this does not have a large tap root and should come out easily.
[LOVE IT!]
It's a windy sunny day, I have a long hike down, and a long drive home.
So, I bag up the roots well.
Before you leave, make sure you fill the hole back in. It's just common courtesy.
The next step in the process is to clean the roots.
This is a field grown pine, which means the soil is poor and full of clay.
A pine that's growing in a very small crack of rock will have different requirements.
Another key difference in collecting pines versus deciduous trees is
that pines' roots should not be washed before they're put into a bonsai pot.
Microorganisms like mycorrhizae are vital for the health and survival of pine trees.
You risk washing away these symbiotic components.
So, leave the roots dirty.
There were a good number of roots for this pine,
so, I've cut the ones that were aiming downward and cleaned up the cuts from the shovel.
I'm using a large plastic tub for this tree.
After a few years and the roots have grown, I'll be able to prune them back for something smaller.
The retaining wires holds the tree in place.
Just pull and twist
Add your coarse soil mix and work into the roots with the chopstick.
This soil mixture is 70% inorganic material with 30% pine bark
Work the soil in between all the roots and try to fill as many gaps as you can.
It can be helpful to start at the base of the tree and work your way outward.
A quick shake can also give a little bit of help.
Once the tree has been potted up, soak it in water to ensure that all particles are saturated.
Then set it aside out of wind and direct sun for a few weeks. The soil should remain damp but not wet.
When the candles extend in springtime, you can begin to fertilize.
This white pine has had some incredible growth this spring and summer.
But, it's going to be many years before it will be considered a good bonsai.
I think we're off to a good start.
Thanks for watching.
[Bluegrass music]