SW Florida Acorn to Oak Tree Thread

[SWfloirda]

I've been noticing more squirrel activity in my yard lately, specifically them digging around in a big bougainvillea pot. I went to go investigate and found this. Why not?

 

[czaczaja]

Haha putting it all on a single acorn

 

[SWfloirda]

Haha putting it all on a single acorn

Well the contest is free.
I started these two in the spring of 2021. I wired the first couple of curves on the one in the pot. The rest of the movement is from getting beat around in the hurricane and other storms. The one in the ground I planned to dig up this coming spring but at this point I'm considering chopping it where it is and making niwaki out of it.
I thought if I can get that kind of progress in a little over two years almost on accident I could do one on purpose. Maybe.

 

[czaczaja]

I

Well the contest is free.
I started these two in the spring of 2021. I wired the first couple of curves on the one in the pot. The rest of the movement is from getting beat around in the hurricane and other storms. The one in the ground I planned to dig up this coming spring but at this point I'm considering chopping it where it is and making niwaki out of it.
I thought if I can get that kind of progress in a little over two years almost on accident I could do one on purpose. Maybe.
View attachment 520074View attachment 520075

Lovely trees. I was just surprised you are doing the contest with a single acorn As a person who never grew anything from seed I tend to overcompensate the amount of seeds and still not confident anything will grow

 

[IamOrg]

Well the contest is free.
I started these two in the spring of 2021. I wired the first couple of curves on the one in the pot. The rest of the movement is from getting beat around in the hurricane and other storms. The one in the ground I planned to dig up this coming spring but at this point I'm considering chopping it where it is and making niwaki out of it.
I thought if I can get that kind of progress in a little over two years almost on accident I could do one on purpose. Maybe.

Hello! Everybody explains growing in the ground is faster, and obviously it makes perfect sense, but I do not have hands on experience with it to tell how much is the gain versus pot growing. I am stomped with the pictures you posted so I need to confirm: the 2 trees on the 2 pictures were acorns in spring 2021, is it so?
Thanks and good luck with the chosen one

 

[SWfloirda]

Hello! Everybody explains growing in the ground is faster, and obviously it makes perfect sense, but I do not have hands on experience with it to tell how much is the gain versus pot growing. I am stomped with the pictures you posted so I need to confirm: the 2 trees on the 2 pictures were acorns in spring 2021, is it so?
Thanks and good luck with the chosen one

Yes those two are almost three years old.

 

[czaczaja]

Hello! Everybody explains growing in the ground is faster, and obviously it makes perfect sense, but I do not have hands on experience with it to tell how much is the gain versus pot growing. I am stomped with the pictures you posted so I need to confirm: the 2 trees on the 2 pictures were acorns in spring 2021, is it so?
Thanks and good luck with the chosen one

Good few vids on YT that compare both.
Here and Here for example

 

[rockm]

Hello! Everybody explains growing in the ground is faster, and obviously it makes perfect sense, but I do not have hands on experience with it to tell how much is the gain versus pot growing. I am stomped with the pictures you posted so I need to confirm: the 2 trees on the 2 pictures were acorns in spring 2021, is it so?
Thanks and good luck with the chosen one

The gain in the ground is exponential. The more roots, the faster the tree will grow. Putting a tree in a container severely limits the root run and functional capability of the root mass . IMO, Oaks require relatively large trunks to make a "believable" "oaky-looking" bonsai. Three years in the ground is only a start on establishing a root mass that will fuel trunk development. Ten is better, more is best, depending on what you're aiming for in the final tree.

also, FWIW, The top two thirds of the tree in ground is sacrificed later after nebari and trunk caliper are established. Don't get too hung up on the top.