Free Willow Oak

[Joelshack2362]

Got lucky with another free Craigslist find. Listed as a Willow Oak not sure if this is one or not. But I like the front aged bark. I will let this recover and hopefully get to work on it this fall and spring.

 

[Joelshack2362]

Size comparison

 

[RODERLO]

Cool! Not sure either about the species.

What are your plans to compact this tree in the future?

 

[rockm]

Willow oak can make very good bonsai. This one looks like a candidate, but any candidate for bonsai has to have decent ground level root spread (or the start of it). Oak bonsai depend greatly on it, as solid roots spreading at ground level gives a feeling of age to the tree. You should scrape away the top inch or two of soil to see what the tree has. And what's with the rocks?

 

[Joelshack2362]

Cool! Not sure either about the species.

What are your plans to compact this tree in the future?

My future plans would be to reduce it to the height of the water bottle. Thinking another broomstick. But I think for now will just do as much research into what designs work best for this species.

 

[Joelshack2362]

Willow oak can make very good bonsai. This one looks like a candidate, but any candidate for bonsai has to have decent ground level root spread (or the start of it). Oak bonsai depend greatly on it, as solid roots spreading at ground level gives a feeling of age to the tree. You should scrape away the top inch or two of soil to see what the tree has. And what's with the rocks?

Thanks I do hope for the best for this one. I didn't look to much I was trying not to do alot and just get it back into a growout pot. But I will definitely scrape back some of the dirt and see if there is any root spread. The rocks are for erosion control.

 

[penumbra]

These make great bonsai. I suggest you just work on getting it as healthy as you can for now .... let it grow. You can explore the possibility of nebari and such late next winter, but it wouldn't hurt to just let it gain vigor for a few years.
I bought a very nice shaped one off a seller on Facebook late winter and it never leafed out. I think I am up to about a half dozen FB tree purchases that were dead when they were shipped or so weak that they didn't leaf out.

 

[Joelshack2362]

These make great bonsai. I suggest you just work on getting it as healthy as you can for now .... let it grow. You can explore the possibility of nebari and such late next winter, but it wouldn't hurt to just let it gain vigor for a few years.
I bought a very nice shaped one off a seller on Facebook late winter and it never leafed out. I think I am up to about a half dozen FB tree purchases that were dead when they were shipped or so weak that they didn't leaf out.

Yes I will let it get healthy and recover well. This isn't the best time to be moving things around. Thanks for the information.

 

[penumbra]

Yes I will let it get healthy and recover well. This isn't the best time to be moving things around. Thanks for the information.

Well my only useful information is to be careful on Facebook. One tree I bought last year was a $1000 Ponderosa pine that never had new growth and died. Others simply never leafed out. A vitex I bought this past winter was about ready for the trash but leafed out last week and looks great. I have about 15 vitex they leafed out months ago that are from my area.

 

[Joelshack2362]

Well my only useful information is to be careful on Facebook. One tree I bought last year was a $1000 Ponderosa pine that never had new growth and died. Others simply never leafed out. A vitex I bought this past winter was about ready for the trash but leafed out last week and looks great. I have about 15 vitex they leafed out months ago that are from my area.

Sorry about those lost trees from Facebook. The free ones from craigslist is a great learning experience so no big problem if this one does die.