Potawatomi13
Imperial Masterpiece
Nicest pre bonsai seen ever.
Show us your Oak (Quercus) Pre-Bonsai
- Thread starter miker
- Start date
Yes, I’ve heard the stort of an old lady before!
Housguy
Chumono
Another little corker
ibakey
Mame
Thats a nice specimen ! How did you get the leaves to reduce so much on the oak?
Housguy
Chumono
One of my favorites from seed (seven years old), probably won't sell this one.
parhamr
Omono
This agrifolia continues to do really well. Here it is yesterday, before work:
I reduced some strong sections and made some edits to select better positioned branches: (this view is the wide angle lens
)
I think next year I can continue the semi-aggressive chops on the main trunk. I still need to preserve just a bit of extra upper foliage to continue sap draw, so I might only be 1/4 or 1/5 of the way there on this sequence of chops.
I reduced some strong sections and made some edits to select better positioned branches: (this view is the wide angle lens
)I think next year I can continue the semi-aggressive chops on the main trunk. I still need to preserve just a bit of extra upper foliage to continue sap draw, so I might only be 1/4 or 1/5 of the way there on this sequence of chops.
Wulfskaar
Omono
I've got a bunch of Coast Live Oaks that I started from acorns last fall. Some of them are growing together so I'll soon be separating them into their own pots. I've got a billion more acorns falling right now so I'll start a new batch.
Just yesterday I planted 11 Valley Oak acorns! I can't wait for these to sprout. I've been really wanting valley oak. Their leaves are quite nice compared to the CLO leaves.
Just yesterday I planted 11 Valley Oak acorns! I can't wait for these to sprout. I've been really wanting valley oak. Their leaves are quite nice compared to the CLO leaves.
parhamr
Omono
@Wulfskaar I’m excited about that! The Valley Oak sure does look good. Keep us updated 
John P.
Chumono
I really like the Valley Oak leaves. I’m trying several of them, too, ranging from a 5-g nursery find to smaller ones. I do find that Coast Live Oaks and Canyon Oaks tend to backbud where I want a lot easier, though. Still a great option for the alligator skin bark, regardless.
namnhi
Masterpiece
Here is my cork oak. Bought on ebay about 6 years ago. Reported into this pot probably four or five years ago.
luvinthemountains
Chumono
Here are my two oaks, a q. ilex and a q. suber. Both dropped their leaves last winter and grew a new crop in spring. That was them sitting on the ground outside in the wind and temps down in the mid-teens F. This winter I should have a greenhouse for more protection. Anybody else having any luck keeping these alive is zone 7 or colder?
I picked up this Quercus Robur over the weekend for a song. I'm quite excited for it; however, I'd love some advice (I'm fairly new to bonsai still) as to whether I should focus on the roots or primary structure first? I'm leaning towards the root system first to stop whatever is happening down there from getting too out of control. Reduce as much as possible, and if it lives, then work on the structure.
Thoughts?
Wulfskaar
Omono
I'm no expert, so you'll want other opinions on this... but I don't think you want to reduce the roots as much as possible in one go. I think that's something that should be done over a few years of repotting with oak tree. I think doing some work to the roots before putting into a grow box is the best way to start. Take off more as needed in future repottings as you decrease pot size over time.
Yes, absolutely. I should've clarified that I certainly didn't mean going straight down to a bonsai pot kind of root pruning but rather incremental, as in, as much as possible as the tree will allow in stages. I've read that oaks don't really like their roots handled much, so I'm thinking the first go will be large roots shortened underneath, but still repotted into a grow box. The next time around go smaller and smaller.
But, I'm also wondering now if maybe major structural work is best, first, while it still has all of its major root ball. Then, once I give it a year or more to recover extremely well to the major structural work, start the incremental root work. I'm now leaning more to this route, as the structural work is certainly needed - there are many branches that need thickening - so I'm thinking that the larger container and root system will help a lot in recovery and thickening. Hopefully someone has done something similar with a nursery stock on a tree like this that they can share.
Hack Yeah!
Omono
@Alcam I'm not an expert either but oaks can take root pruning or maybe I just got lucky? I'd just get on with it and reduce it where you need to in order to start developing your best tree
Thread 'Hack's Oaks' https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/hacks-oaks.53036/
Thread 'Hack's Oaks' https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/hacks-oaks.53036/
Wulfskaar
Omono
I think you're on the right track. I have been guided in the same direction... get it into good soil in a grow box, let it recover and grow, then worry about styling later. Thickening requires growth and you can always cut off what you don't want later.
Oh, wow! You really took those back. This makes me feel much better about going after the roots, although I don't think I'll be taking them back as much as you did, just to be safe, ha!
Thanks. I keep going back and forth on things, but I do keep coming back to the roots and getting it into better soil, as there's always a risk that doing the structural work and leaving it in potting soil might prolong things anyways. I just watched a Mirai Live stream where Ryan said something along the lines of fixing the root system first before structural work, because if you spend all that time on the top before the bottom on an oak, there's the chance of wasting all that time if the tree dies. If it dies in the beginning, well, then I'm doing bonsai, and at least I didn't waste a couple of years on the top. Thanks for the input.
Wulfskaar
Omono
I guess this is just one of the learning situations of beginning and what's the best strategy for the tree moving forward. I'd say it's less about patience and more about saving years, which can maybe seem like impatience when it's really more about doing bonsai in a way that puts the tree's developmental goals first and foremost. Thinking about doing major structural work to it first and that the soil, container, and root ball it's in will help it recover kept begging the question: will its current soil really help that much, or will better soil do a much better job when it has a much better balance of water and oxygen? I only have a few trees, and I've been setting my goals and strategies for this upcoming year. Both of my other trees are going to be repot as well and put into good bonsai soil, so I guess I should've followed my intuition and decided the same for this oak, as it's a great feeling when you get a tree into good soil for it's first time.
I'll definitely post updates over the years. I'm really excited for this tree. It has terrific natural movement in the trunk - not a ton of taper, but once I do remove the top 8 inches and go with the other one as the new leader, I think that'll help a lot. And who knows, maybe one day I decide to air layer and make a couple of trees out of it?!
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