Show us your Oak (Quercus) Pre-Bonsai

[Darth Masiah]

water oak presumably. one day it might be something. or not. it harkens back to a time of learning how to collect trees from the wild.

 

[Bagels]

Cork Oak

 

[Esolin]

lol, how young is too young to be considered 'pre-bonsai'? While investigating native plants for the contest, I discovered the Engelmann Oak, a native species I had absolutely no idea existed until recently--and I've lived here all my life! Unlike the ubiquitous Coast Live Oaks, the Engelmann or Mesa Oak as it's sometimes called, is in the blue oak family, and well, the reason I never knew they existed is because they're endangered. There are a few pockets of them still around in So Cal, and each population seems to have slightly different leaf characteristics, some being smooth-edged, others fully or partially lobed / serrated. They can hybridize with Scrub and Valley oaks, which may explain the diverse genetics.

I bought a seedling just for the heck of it, but it's got a lotta growing to do!

 

[Mikecheck123]

I've been dyin to get my hands on some valley oak. Pretty hard to come by at nurseries, surprisingly. I had to settle for a little one from Evergreen Garden Works.

It moped last year, but seems to be exploding this year.

 

[John P.]

I've been dyin to get my hands on some valley oak. Pretty hard to come by at nurseries, surprisingly. I had to settle for a little one from Evergreen Garden Works.

It moped last year, but seems to be exploding this year.

View attachment 366759

I bought many of them as starters from Jonsteen company on eBay. Not bad pricing when bought in bulk. Love these trees.

 

[barbard]

English oak (Quercus robur) and Turkey oak (Quercus cerris) saplings I bought a couple of years ago. Tried a second air layer start of last year on the English oak, haven't checked if taken yet as here in UK just gone into a real cold snap after the hottest ever day in March. Hopefully doesn't do any damage to the leaf buds appearing on everything.

 

[BonsaiNaga13]

Dug up a pin oak about 6 foot 2 weeks ago and potted up. Cut back to about 5 foot will post pics tomorrow.

 

[Housguy]

Corker

 

[Dan92119]

This tree was posted here Oct 2017. I thought I would show an update. Its been 3 1/2years. The only thing I have done is re-pot it and trim it. The main trunk has thickened really nice, the curve in it is natural and I think it looks kind of sexy! . It is likely I will eventually remove the second trunk. I need to wire the branches soon! Its a cork oak, FYI.

I have other Cork oaks that I need help with, I may post in their own threads though.

 

[Mikecheck123]

Did some root work on this canyon live oak (q. chrysolepsis) today. I really hate the bar branches. Any suggestions on styling?

 

[Hartinez]

Q Lobata. 1 week ago.
Today

From last year

last may

 

[John P.]

Did some root work on this canyon live oak (q. chrysolepsis) today. I really hate the bar branches. Any suggestions on styling?

View attachment 368548

I have some of these, too. You could go medieval:


Or just knock it down to the primaries. It’ll back bud like a fiend and present you with more options:

 

[Potawatomi13]

Did some root work on this canyon live oak (q. chrysolepsis) today. I really hate the bar branches. Any suggestions on styling?

View attachment 368548

Let grow until trunk 2-3 times as big then consider cutting back. Only way to get stupendous trunk. Oaks need stupendous trunks.

 

[ihaveaspaceship]

Cork oak starting out it's journey. Repotted mid Jan 2021


love this little branch!!

 

[Hartinez]

Another Lobata. This one is big. It’ll need some thread grafts, carving, surface root work and general filling in. But I did a sketch to give me direction.

 

[namnhi]

 

[parhamr]

The foliage has exploded on this Coast Live Oak!

 

[Hartinez]

The foliage has exploded on this Coast Live Oak!

I love seeing that. Brand new foliage is always the best. I’m about a week or two out on things really beginning to extend. Counting the days.

 

[Forsoothe!]

Here's a Laurel Oak started from an acorn robbed from the cradle in the front lawn of a nursery in Estero, Florida in 2006. It's finally big enough to reduce the top in favor of growing lower limbs. Vert slow growing here 1,300 miles north of Mom...

 

[SWfloirda]

Quercus laurifolia. Laurel oak.