Quercus Faginea (Portuguese Oak)

[ConorDash]

here's another

and another
IMG_4341 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

personally i wouldnt go with the one sided approach, as you might end up also killing the roots on the side you remove the branch from.

It would be similar to this, Bobby. Only more upright, branching more balanced and over the left side too. THis is a close match for mine, deadwood being a large part of it.

 

[Rob_phillips]

Personally I think you should just enjoy it for what it is and except some of the faults but focus on what's good about the tree and this has many good qualities.
The problem with these sort of websites is most people like to criticize and focus on faults instead of enjoying and focusing on what is good.

 

[ConorDash]

Personally I think you should just enjoy it for what it is and except some of the faults but focus on what's good about the tree and this has many good qualities.
The problem with these sort of websites is most people like to criticize and focus on faults instead of enjoying and focusing on what is good.

I like the reply. I get that. I tend to enjoy what I have and the way things are. But, with this tree I do want to work on it, I've so far not touched it once since purchase. Long leggy growth.
It perhaps will never live out its true potential with me, thats fine, but I would like it to be more what I envision for it

Yes, I think we do focus on faults on this forum. Up to us, the owner of the tree, to balance out where we can.

 

[Rob_phillips]

I like the reply. I get that. I tend to enjoy what I have and the way things are. But, with this tree I do want to work on it, I've so far not touched it once since purchase. Long leggy growth.
It perhaps will never live out its true potential with me, thats fine, but I would like it to be more what I envision for it

Yes, I think we do focus on faults on this forum. Up to us, the owner of the tree, to balance out where we can.

If you really do feel that way about this tree there is one man that can make your vision a reality and one man who can transform it to it's full potential and he is an amazing person too his name is of course harry Harrington and he is very approachable and enjoys what he does.
Reach out to him he can come to you or you can go to him.

 

[BobbyLane]

there's been a few suggestions made now, some different opinions given regarding future design.
ultimately there comes a time when you yourself have to weigh up the the pros and cons and decide whats best to take the tree forwards. you could seek advice from an 'expert' but thats just somebody else putting 'their' own stamp on the material.



you should ask yourself, what could i do to evoke the feeling of a wild old tree, if thats what inspires you. you could look at more trees, its boring i know

you might make the wrong choice and feck it up, or you may do whats best for the material. all part of the curve mate

 

[ConorDash]

So, first work on this since I've had it.
I've not done much! Let down...
I have cut the top of its head off, couldn't even call it a chop. My aim, with Bobby's advice when he saw it, is to incourage some inner growth to cut back to. I think it will be cut back a good many more inches, in the end.
Due to having not pruned it, all its growth is quite leggy and has gotten away from me, so I have cut off a bit of the apex and then haphazardly cut back many long branches, to further encourage backbudding.

DSC_0629 by Conor Dashwood, on Flickr

DSC_0630 by Conor Dashwood, on Flickr

DSC_0631 by Conor Dashwood, on Flickr

As you can see, it now has a very large open hole for the sun to get in and encourage some growth.
Will see how it responds.

Im certainly being slow with this tree. By the size and bark on its stump, its quite old and I've never been comfortable with what major work to do with it.

 

[BobbyLane]

this might be of help to just grasp some basic ideas. i probably wouldnt style an oak this way, but i dont think it would hurt to grasp some basic styling concepts.
but yeh tbh those branches are still very leggy, but im sure there's a few in there that will never be needed and all this does is shade out the keepers n slow development.

would also be a good idea to view the tree at the 'correct' height with a plain background, this helps to really get a grasp of whats going on. its any wonder the tree is getting away from you.
oaks will back bud on old wood. i would be inclined to take those spindly branches right back to encourage back budding.

 

[ConorDash]

this might be of help to just grasp some basic ideas. i probably wouldnt style an oak this way, but i dont think it would hurt to grasp some basic styling concepts.
but yeh tbh those branches are still very leggy, but im sure there's a few in there that will never be needed and all this does is shade out the keepers n slow development.

would also be a good idea to view the tree at the 'correct' height with a plain background, this helps to really get a grasp of whats going on. its any wonder the tree is getting away from you.
oaks will back bud on old wood. i would be inclined to take those spindly branches right back to encourage back budding.

Good video. I can see the styling in that tree is exactly what he had put in place in this oak.
Remember my oak was Graham’s and it had a load of wiring on it. But I agree with you, it’s not the style I’d like. Branches were all angled down like pine not like an oak, up, winding and wild.

I think the only thing stopping me from reducing back ALL branches on it (deciding at later date how far down to chop trunk), is thinking the growth nearer bottom is helping to thicken that trunk... the trunk thickness is by far my biggest concern for a convincing Bonsai in future.

 

[Paolo]

Good video. I can see the styling in that tree is exactly what he had put in place in this oak.
Remember my oak was Graham’s and it had a load of wiring on it. But I agree with you, it’s not the style I’d like. Branches were all angled down like pine not like an oak, up, winding and wild.

I think the only thing stopping me from reducing back ALL branches on it (deciding at later date how far down to chop trunk), is thinking the growth nearer bottom is helping to thicken that trunk... the trunk thickness is by far my biggest concern for a convincing Bonsai in future.

Hi Connor
I bought mine about a year ago. I noticed this season that the growth pattern is similar to my Olives.. more than my native trees..
It responded well to a late spring tidy and recent further light trim with lots of new growth..
It was wired in similar style when I purchased which I've removed and will think about next season or so. Just letting it be healthy and untidy for now..
Good luck with yours.. They have lovely bark and tiny leaves.. Here's mine. A long way to go but I like the journey.. Sorry about picture quality it was a quick snap on t he mobile..
I'll watch the progress with interest..

Best of luck..
Paolo

 

[Potawatomi13]

They have lovely bark and tiny leaves.

For sure!

 

[ConorDash]

Hi Connor
I bought mine about a year ago. I noticed this season that the growth pattern is similar to my Olives.. more than my native trees..
It responded well to a late spring tidy and recent further light trim with lots of new growth..
It was wired in similar style when I purchased which I've removed and will think about next season or so. Just letting it be healthy and untidy for now..
Good luck with yours.. They have lovely bark and tiny leaves.. Here's mine. A long way to go but I like the journey.. Sorry about picture quality it was a quick snap on t he mobile..
I'll watch the progress with interest..

Best of luck..
PaoloView attachment 252361

Thanks.
I’m currently just being slow with it. For some reason I don’t have confidence in it’s vigour and strength currently. I need to see it. Hopefully from this somewhat minor pruning I have done.

Potentially, if I get the response I want, I’ll do the heavy pruning this season to setup for next season. 6-8 weeks before leaf fall is my deadline.

 

[Paolo]

Thanks.
I’m currently just being slow with it. For some reason I don’t have confidence in it’s vigour and strength currently. I need to see it. Hopefully from this somewhat minor pruning I have done.

Potentially, if I get the response I want, I’ll do the heavy pruning this season to setup for next season. 6-8 weeks before leaf fall is my deadline.

Look forward to watching how you get on.. Patience and health are the key I think.
Take care..
P

 

[ConorDash]

I gave this guy the big cut back.

I left the lowest branch mostly unpruned, in the hopes it will put on more growth and thickness. Everything else got the full on pruning treatment.
Most are still too long even, I have cut back to there, in order to encourage back budding to cut back to next time.

Im also getting prouder of my wiring jobs.

DSC_0710 by Conor Dashwood, on Flickr
DSC_0711 by Conor Dashwood, on Flickr
DSC_0712 by Conor Dashwood, on Flickr
DSC_0713 by Conor Dashwood, on Flickr

I pruned back the top, chopping off the leader and cutting branches back. Its encouraged backbudding quite well, look lovely and pink.

DSC_0704 by Conor Dashwood, on Flickr
DSC_0705 by Conor Dashwood, on Flickr

 

[ConorDash]

Back budded and grew well. I cut it back again even more a few weeks after the last update. Thats started popping now too but I fear its too late in the season and that growth may be wasted.
Pics aren't great, I'll take a few better ones tomorrow.

11/08:
DSC_0725 by Conor Dashwood, on Flickr
DSC_0726 by Conor Dashwood, on Flickr

01/09:
DSC_0787 by Conor Dashwood, on Flickr
DSC_0786 by Conor Dashwood, on Flickr

 

[ConorDash]

So, this tree has frustrated me a while... I've had it a while now but done no real major work on it. A number of times I've thought about what to do but nothing has grabbed me. At least for now it is building vigor and strength, and establishing in its pot. I have 2 ideas for it, to follow after update pics:

DSC_1589 by Conor Dashwood, on Flickr

DSC_1588 by Conor Dashwood, on Flickr

DSC_1587 by Conor Dashwood, on Flickr


​

 

[ConorDash]

I have thought about these 2 options...

First, takes advantage of the movement in existing trunk, and the taper at the top. Disadvantage is that straight taperless section of trunk in the middle, which bugs me. This also is also probably a few years faster to achieve.

InkedDSC_1589_LI2 by Conor Dashwood, on Flickr
​

Second, chopping lower. Adjusting the wired branch up a bit more to turn in to new leader. This will create better taper and have little or none of the straight taperless pole trunk in the middle. It will need some branches pop on the trunk though, to then let grow for a number of years to create primary branches.

InkedDSC_1589_LI by Conor Dashwood, on Flickr
​

If anyone has any thoughts, I'd appreciate the brain storming. Theres been a number of thoughts already in this forum, they aren't being forgotten.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

I don't know if it's been mentioned before, but I like the idea of the second pic.. But with the right hand branch wired up as the new apex.
It would provide an oak-like full canopy almost immediately.

It's not very creative though.
The oaks I see in my own country are boring, very little movement. I'm shaping my own ones (Robur) just like that. Sentimental value is higher on the preference scale for me than artistic value is.

 

[ConorDash]

I don't know if it's been mentioned before, but I like the idea of the second pic.. But with the right hand branch wired up as the new apex.
It would provide an oak-like full canopy almost immediately.

It's not very creative though.
The oaks I see in my own country are boring, very little movement. I'm shaping my own ones (Robur) just like that. Sentimental value is higher on the preference scale for me than artistic value is.

That second image is exactly what I was thinking, in regards to the branch moving up to be apex . The green trunkline is moving the branch up.. the oak is just starting to wake up now so I’ll have to do my work on it soon, to not waste anymore time..

My chinese elms are still only just opening leaves, barely! Why so slow this year, it’s very weird.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

I would move it up a bit more, somewhere in the middle between the green trunk-continuation line and the highest green branch. If you know what I mean.
I think it would ease the flowing motion of the trunk, instead of it having an abrupt change of direction.

I have some confused trees as well this year. My beeches are usually earlier than my English oaks, but this time it's the other way around. My red pines are earlier than my scots pines, and even my mugos are pretty late compared to last year. I'm just hoping for a bit more rain.. It's raining a bit now for the first time in a month or so. The lawn I so meticulously cared for is once more reduced to a dust patch with some scattered greens.
I'm expecting this summer to be more brutal than the 2019 one.

 

[ConorDash]

I would move it up a bit more, somewhere in the middle between the green trunk-continuation line and the highest green branch. If you know what I mean.
I think it would ease the flowing motion of the trunk, instead of it having an abrupt change of direction.

I have some confused trees as well this year. My beeches are usually earlier than my English oaks, but this time it's the other way around. My red pines are earlier than my scots pines, and even my mugos are pretty late compared to last year. I'm just hoping for a bit more rain.. It's raining a bit now for the first time in a month or so. The lawn I so meticulously cared for is once more reduced to a dust patch with some scattered greens.
I'm expecting this summer to be more brutal than the 2019 one.

Yes I know what you mean, I take your point about the positioning. I need to chop it ASAP, if that’s what I’m doing.

Yeh I’ve always felt grass is too much hassle to keep... so I... bought 20+ Bonsai trees... wait a min, somethings wrong with my logic here.