1. Know the plant material you intend to collect. (Make sure its not protected, prohibited, or harmful to you the collector. i.e.; poison ivy )
2. Get the proper permission to collect the intended material. ( Is it located on public, or private land? Will you need a permit to collect?)
3. Have the proper tools and supplies available before you dig up anything! (Make a list of what you'll need, it will save you the heartache later!)
4. Have a "POST COLLECTING" plan ready when you get the tree's) home. (Will you be potting them up or planting them in the ground?)
Knowing
how to collect is as important as knowing what you're collecting. There are
certain times throughout the year that are better then others to collect, Spring
is better then Fall, which is better then Summer, which is better then
Winter. But you can get a head start for the following years collecting by
spade cutting the root ball of a tree, and in tender or difficult trees you
could postpone the collection of that tree over a few years, provided you have
the time and patience. I use as a rule of thumb, digging a root ball 1/3
of the trees height and for the depth of the hole, and the same width of the drip line
across. Depending on
the size of the taproot you encounter you may have to dig and remove the
soil around the tree and notch the taproot to apply a makeshift air-layer in
ground, and back fill the hole with a sand laden soil mixture. And come back the
next year or the following to retrieve the tree.
