Harvesting osage tree

[gorazd]

Does anyone has some experience in harvesting Osage ?

I bought some seeds of osage orange (ebay) last year and harvested them into plants... intend to harvest into bigger trees in nearby forest for bowmaking 
I have them in small pots now ,  they dropped the leaves last winter (I brought the pots in house to avoid freezing)... about 10 inch high plants now.

Problem is they look pretty dried... should I move them in soil in nature already or harvest them some more time in pots ?

[BowEd]

gorazd....In the midwest here where I'm at winters can get to 15 below 0 farhenhite in southern Iowa.Osage grows and voluntarily grows on it's own,but now in northern Iowa where I'm from it's a little colder yet.It can get 30 below their and no osage is growing there at all.Winters and fall are normally close to a little over 5 months long.Not sure if colder is the reason though for sure for it not growing in northern Iowa.I personally think it would.In farther south locations it grows easily on it's own too.Clear to Texas.
I'd do some investigating before transplanting it to be sure.I would say if planted outside on it's own in a sunny area it will do fine.Just look out for any rodents like rabbits wanting to chew on them when they are young.Put a plastic tube around them.
It's a tree that will be the last to shed it's leaves in the fall and the last to grow it's leaves in the spring.Leaves turn yellow in the fall and winter.The denser the wood the longer the leaves stay on in the fall.Pin oak is an exception here though.It's leaves will stay on through out the winter.Turning crimson red in the fall.

[gorazd]

Beadman ... thanks 
Osage is very rare in my country (Slovenia, Europe) ... maybe couple of trees they said on web. But I havent see them yet   

[BowEd]

Do you have areas designated as planting zones there?It goes mostly be temperatures and length of growing seasons.Where I'm at is probably as close to the north as osage does grow naturally.I'm in top edge of zone 5 growing zone.Some more southern trees do not grow here mainly because of how cold it can get.Like say palm trees and many others too.From zone 5 to higher numbers south like 6,7.and 8 and so on osage grows naturally.
It is a tough tree once it's going on it's own.It will grow in the bottoms and on the hill sides here.So I would not over water it yet though.Unless it is very warm out.

[BowEd]

Correct me if I'm wrong but it says Slovenia's normal low temperature is around 5 above to 0/F. or -15 to -12/C.I would say your area could easily grow osage naturally.Like you said it is there but very scattered.
It does'nt grow overly fast but in 10 years a bow can be nutured from it I would say.I would be careful of others trying to harvest it planted in a public setting.Replanting the seed year after year should get you a natural supply over time.Mean time you can prune and straighten it to your liking also.Time consuming project but if done dedicated to year after year of planting it will work,and I'm sure some will grow faster then others too.
Pretty soon you could let them get 15 to 20 feet tall with a trunk 6 to 10 inches thick.
Good inquisitive beneficial post gorazd.

[gorazd]

My father in law owns one forest and I will plant the trees there 

[Pat B]

Put them in the ground as soon as the soil is unfrozen. Give them a month or so to develop new roots before fertilizing but don't let them dry out, in the pots or the ground.

[DC]

Problem is they look pretty dried... should I move them in soil in nature already or harvest them some more time in pots ?

Did you water them over the winter while they were in the house?

[gorazd]

Yes,  I watered them but not very often...
I will move them in the outside soil now. I hope at least  couple of them survive...

[Pat B]

I don't know how cold it gets in Slovenia but for your next batch(?) place the pots with the plants planted in them in the ground before frozen and mulch them well with a good organic mulch. This should protect the roots and the plants.

[Strichev]

Zdravo, nisem vedel, da nas je več! Iz obzira do mednarodne skupnosti... angleščina.

As far as osage is concerned, I can confirm that it does indeed grow in Slovenia, no problem at all. One grows right in front of the Biotechnical faculty. Another one is on Streliška, near OŠ Majde Vrhovnik and one on the crossing of Kersnikova and Dvoržakova.  Every day I walk past the one at BF, looking at it; looking at a tree but seeing a bow Many bows in fact.

Which part of Slovenia are you from?

[DuBois]

Strichev, good to know we are the same everywhere. Can't look at trees the same anymore.

Gorazd, I am in Minnesota and it got to around -22 F this year. I got some osage seeds 3 years ago. Planted them in pots and got a bunch started and then squirrels ate several off at the base. They also dug up my seeds from various pots around the yard. I guess that' ok since I would have had way more than I could have handled.
They are tough trees and some of the little stubs even came back to grow with water and sunlight. I have transplanted them from small to large pots and even with a little root damage they came back strong. I kept them in the unheated garage without much water last winter and they came back fine. Planted them outside this past spring and they seem to be alive (not brittle and dry) but soon will hope to see leaves to know for sure.

I am thinking it may be to do with length of growing season for them not naturally growing here but I am hoping someday to see hedge-apples in Minnesota!

Good luck,
Marco

[gorazd]

Strichev , Hi    , I am from Murska Sobota...  yes I have heard of some trees in Slovenia, but havent seen them myself yet... If all goes well with my plants in some 10 years I can give you some orange stave for couple of bows  ...no problem ! I go quite often in Ljubljana for buisness ...

 Curently only black locust (akacia)  and bamboo are there as wood choice for my bows ...
Yes, the look at trees is a bit different now when you are bower 
As asiatic bows are my present focus I mostly look for sharp bends suitable for turkish siyahs    .  I cut some interesting 50degree and 90degree (for Mughal bow  )  angled branches from different trees (apple-not shure if not too soft, walnut-probably OK, willow - not sure - maybe to soft and splintering...)

DuBois ... thanks !

[DuBois]

Do you have lilac there?

I am currently working on a bow like you mentioned that had natural sharp angles like siyahs from a lilac bush. Very good wood but hard to dry without cracks.

[gorazd]

DuBois... lilac ?, yes, mother in law has one of these ... sounds interesting
But this bush is rather slow grower ... Will check the branches if any thick enough