Youngling
Yamadori
Thank you! I don't know why but these very small trees awaken a different feeling, almost like seeing a puppy or kitten.
Just cant leave them alone and end up giving them more attention and care than the overgrown ones that actually need it.
Wulfskaar
Omono
Do these ideas apply to Coast Live Oaks?
Youngling
Yamadori
Sorry i have no experience with Coast Live Oak, perhaps @Bonsai Nut can help.
Bonsai Nut
Nuttier than your average Nut
Coast live oak, though a broad-leaf evergreen like cork oak, is not nearly as strong or as fast-growing. I would hesitate before I tried a defoliation on any of the California live oak species (coast, valley, etc). Someone else may have done it, but I have not.
BrianBay9
Masterpiece
I defoliate collected coast live oak immediately after collection, and get a strong response. After that I take a more traditional approach - harden off new growth, cut back to a couple of leaves, repeat. They will give you three flushes of growth in California, but I leave the last flush alone until spring.
Valley oak are deciduous so they defoliate themselves. I treat those like most deciduous trees - prune in early winter after leave drop. They back bud readily and can give two or three rounds of new growth per year.
Bonsai Nut
Nuttier than your average Nut
My memory is getting the best of me. I own a few valley oaks. I own a few blue oaks. I own a few coast live oaks. I thought there was such a thing as valley live oak... but apparently there is not
I looked up west coast live oaks and all I see is coast, canyon, interior... but no valley Since I moved here to NC I've been giving valley oaks to people as gifts
Youngling
Yamadori
The response to the pruning:
