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Although it can be hard to successfully dig out the trees and transport them home, these are often trees that are old and remarkably beautiful. Do note that it is likely illegal to dig out plants from forests; permission however can be granted by the landowner.
When? For most tree species the best time to dig out Bonsai trees is during the early spring.
How? Step-by-step plan for collecting trees from forests:
1. First step is to carefully dig around the tree with a spade, be careful not to damage its root
system.
2. Carefully lift the tree and put it on some slightly moisturized sheets, now wrap the sheets around
the root system to prevent it from drying out. The tree should be potted as soon as possible once you arrive back home.
3. Collect some of the original ground mixture on the spot, which you will use to prepare a soil
mixture for the tree.
4. Choose a rather large pot with a drainage hole and fill it up to ¼ with a mixture of fine gravel and
akadama (a type of clay you can purchase from a bonsai specialist) in a ratio of ½ to ½.
5. Carefully unwrap the sheets around the root system and place the tree in the pot, now fill the
empty space on the sides using the collected original ground mixture mixed with akadama in a
ration of ½ to ½.
6. Finally, rinse a considerable amount of water over the tree, but be careful not to disturb the soil
surface by using a fine nozzle.
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