Want an oak...suggestions?

[JesusFreak]

Should I find a tree and chop it down or start off from with something small. Don’t know much about oaks and I need some advice here. I don’t see many Bonsai either but love they way the look in nature.

 

[Arlithrien]

What kind of oaks? I ripped some live oaks out of the ground and moved them into a bed thinking they were tough as nails but they appeared to die from the shock.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

There are quite a lot of oaks to pick from.
Quercus robur hates root work, so if you take one from a field or woodland, you'd want to get it into a pot first. Let it grow. After a year or so, if it's healthy, start by removing the taproot and sacrifice a lamb to the bonsai gods, hoping it'll live. After that, you can pretty much chop away whenever you like.

 

[JesusFreak]

I’m not sure what oak honestly. Doesn’t really matter I don’t reckon. Just want a nice species to work with

 

[Housguy]

I am fond of cork oaks, they grow great in California and are seen in bonsai a lot. Pretty hardy as well, but it is a Mediterranean tree.

 

[JesusFreak]

Do oak trees bud back ?

 

[Housguy]

Yes, I have cut back some of my oaks pretty aggressively and they all popped out some nice back buds.
Here is one of my cork oaks. Corking is great for making the tree look old.

 

[Forsoothe!]

I think conventional wisdom is that Oaks need the symbiotic microbe colony that they live with transferred with them to the pot, or else. I think that means that the new medium has to support the microbes, too, such that the standard rocky mixes need to be sufficiently ~organic~ for them to be happy. If you collect a tree it could be helpful to also collect some leaves from the site to be crushed and included in the medium, in addition to including more than typical amounts of original soil.

 

[BrianBay9]

My favorites are cork oak (Q suber) and coast live oak (Q agrifolia), but both must be protected from freezing. Both handle removal of a tap root well. Both bud back aggressively. Both are among the fastest growing oaks.

 

[August44]

Take a look at Evergreen Garden Works choices. Brent has some and is very good to work with.

Evergreen Gardenworks

 

[VAFisher]

Talk to @Zach Smith about a prebonsai Water Oak. They would do well in GA. They grow fast and make a nice bonsai fairly quickly. And Zach will already have it established in a pot for you.

 

[Crawforde]

Good advice on the water oak, you might also want to experiment and go out and collect a live oak, water oak, or maybe a post oak or scarlet oak. Try a few. I’ve had mixed success with collecting and potting, but once established in the pot they seem tough and grow quickly.

 

[Potawatomi13]

I think conventional wisdom is that Oaks need the symbiotic microbe colony that they live with transferred with them to the pot, or else. I think that means that the new medium has to support the microbes, too, such that the standard rocky mixes need to be sufficiently ~organic~ for them to be happy. If you collect a tree it could be helpful to also collect some leaves from the site to be crushed and included in the medium, in addition to including more than typical amounts of original soil.

Conventional "wisdom" more like old wives tales. Have never worried about this with any of mine and all do great.

 

[sorce]

Conventional "wisdom" more like old wives tales. Have never worried about this with any of mine and all do great.

What is your degree of not worry?

While I don't think it is necessary to too purposefully include things, I don't think hose washed oaks in sterile soil will have a chance.

Sorce

 

[Potawatomi13]

I don't think hose washed oaks in sterile soil will have a chance.

Not generally great idea for most trees. Any soil left at all symbiotes will again proliferate in soil.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Pines are generally known to need/harbor root symbiotes and these do excellently in pumice substrate and 0% organic. Personal reason to have any organic in deciduous trees is more H2O retention.

 

[Hack Yeah!]

What is your degree of not worry?

While I don't think it is necessary to too purposefully include things, I don't think hose washed oaks in sterile soil will have a chance.

Sorce

I've got 2 oaks I've collected, a water oak and a Georgia oak. Both were bare rooted at collection and placed in bonsai soil. One has survived 2 seasons and the other a full growing season. They are both younger/ smaller in the 2"trunk range. Both are leafing out normally this year

 

[jonathanvperth]

I have bought d

I think conventional wisdom is that Oaks need the symbiotic microbe colony that they live with transferred with them to the pot, or else. I think that means that the new medium has to support the microbes, too, such that the standard rocky mixes need to be sufficiently ~organic~ for them to be happy. If you collect a tree it could be helpful to also collect some leaves from the site to be crushed and included in the medium, in addition to including more than typical amounts of original soil.

I have bought a dozen Portuguese and English oaks bare root. Possibility it’s a different story with collected material

 

[jonathanvperth]

Are

What is your degree of not worry?

While I don't think it is necessary to too purposefully include things, I don't think hose washed oaks in sterile soil will have a chance.

Sorce

Ive personally soaked 4 different species of oaks in water. Potted in my personal bonsai mix and had good results.

 

[penumbra]

Just another case of do what you want to do. One size does not fit all.