In this video I return to The Hill, my favourite place for collecting old yamadori Crataegus monogyna/Common Hawthorn.
With the help of cameraman Paul Ladbrooke, I show more of the conditions on the Hill as we travel up on our collecting trip.
The video then shows the tools I use for collecting, and most importantly, the best methods for collecting wild deciduous trees.
Learning how to dig up a wild tree, ensures that you damage as little of the rootball as possible, and can collect quickly and cleanly.
The hand-chainsaw that I use in the video for cutting thick roots, particularly those growing underneath the trunk, can be found from many sources online and are surprisingly cheap. Well worth investing in!
PLEASE ALWAYS REMEMBER TO GET PERMISSION BEFORE COLLECTING WILD TREES. AND BE RESPONSIBLE.
Do not try to take trees from the wild unless you have good knowledge of bonsai horticulture, are using modern inorganic soils and know exactly what you are doing. Getting these trees to survive is not easy and removal from their natural environment is irresponsible if you are not able to revive them successfully.
For more information on bonsai, please see my website bonsai4me.com
Also see my books Bonsai Inspirations 1+2 at bonsai4me.com/shop