Well here is my first yamadori. I saw this and could not pass it up. My new house is in the forest here in Belgium. Saw this baby on a walk with the dogs (thanks coronavirus). I am guessing it is a European beech or European hornbeam. I am thinking about leaving it in this pot until I get vigorous growth then putting it in a bonsai pot. Anyone else have yamadori experience? I am all ears !
3 Likes
This is beech for certain (you can tell by the buds, they are more elongated than hornbeam). It could become a very shapely, elegant bonsai in time.
It will grow, but won’t necessarily thrive, in the soil you have it in. If you’ve got access to a free draining, agregate medium (pumice would be ideal) that would help with recovery.
If you want it to thicken, let it recover then plant it in a big container or in the ground, if you are happy with the slender trunk, move it to a bonsai container in a year or twos time once it’s regained vigour.
2 Likes
Agreed. Get it into pumice if you can or something that free draining. I lost my first Yamadori because I didn’t know this. It was a sad day. 
1 Like
Thanks for the tip, I have some akadama, i can’t get pumice shipped here for a while(thanks coronavirus). But I have some akadama hopefully it will be enough lol
1 Like
Would you guys suggest straight in the ground? Or free draining soil until new growth
1 Like
If you have enough akadama go with that for now. Let it recover for a year and then you can put it into pumice. I wouldn’t put it into the ground.
What you’ve got it in is not impossible btw. Just be SUPER careful with watering. I have some yamadori in soil similar to that. Collected 5 trees and didn’t have pumice. So far only one has died, but another is kinda iffy. I hardly ever water them. Maybe once a week, but I’ve gone longer and they’re in grow bags instead of a “solid” walled container. I put just enough soil in the container to cover the roots. I wanted as minimal of a barrier between the roots and open air as possible.
Is that a magnolia tree in that blue container?
3 Likes
I have collected a few beech this sort of size and most have gone into straight organic compost and 1 has gone into the ground.
All have done just fine in ordinary soil. Just make sure you don’t water it too much. As Silva suggests put it in the ground if you want to thicken the trunk, it will thicken up much quicker this way. It is also much more difficult to water it too much when it is in the ground. It will also gain vigor and health much quicker.
If you leave it in the container I would leave it for a couple of years as find beech sulk a little when you mess with their roots.
For the best results in a container I personally find I get best results for growth, health and vigor for collected deciduous trees in containers is with around 70% diatomaceous earth (Cat litter) and 30% pine bark. This all depends on climate, environment etc but I am guessing that the climate in the NW of England is fairly similar to Belgium…
2 Likes
Thanks for the feedback! I think I might just plant it in the ground then for a year or so. It was literally like 20 meters from my backyard so I’m sure the soil is similar. I don’t know if I should leave it in the container or if I should just plant it like it is. I’m sure it is fine there is a nice rootball and I tried to leave the original soil in the rootball.
2 Likes
I have a normal size magnolia tree in my yard right now with a bunch of baby shoots popping out from the ground. But, the small tree in the bonsai pot is an azalea.
2 Likes
Very cool! 
one thing to consider going forward…It looks as though you have a beautiful and virtually scar-less trunk, I feel you would do well to try and keep it that way, especially being deciduous.