Big Country Bonsai
Shohin
The blackjack oak would actually probably be hardy in your area. Just let me know if you’d like some
Would anyone be interested in purchasing several varieties of oak seeds ( acorns)?
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Big Country Bonsai
Shohin
I’ll see if I can get some this weekend! How many would you want?
I'll do some research and let you know. PA is a world away weatherwise from TX
Big Country Bonsai
Shohin
I don’t see any issue in that. How many of each would you like to try? For sure plenty of buckleyi but have to go out and see how the hanstings oaks are producing this year.
Big Country Bonsai
Shohin
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rockm
Spuds Moyogi
It is an Escarpment Live Oak (quercus Fusiformis). IMO, It is vastly more cold hardy than the southern live oak, which is why it grows up into North Texas into Oklahoma where freezing is a regular thing. It's also more suited to bonsai culture, since its leaves are smaller (and reduce pretty well). It has tighter leaf internodes too. The hard part of collecting them is getting roots. Like most oaks, they have strong tap roots that sometimes grow to China. the collector I got mine from 25 years ago dug quite a few of them. He said that a successfully collected live oak typically lost ALL of its leaves after being dug up. If a tree held onto leaves, it usually didn't survive the process.
I think Texas oak species hold a lot of promise for bonsai. I something of a Texas ex-patriot with lots of family from the Gulf Coast up into the Piney Woods of East Texas. I've been down there a lot and have always been impressed with the oaks in the landscape in that area. I've dug up a few oaks (and ALOT of cedar elm). Never had the chance to get the oaks out alive, as I was always visiting outside of collection season.
rockm
Spuds Moyogi
Not saying you shouldn't try them. Heck, they may make it. Just saying that they're Texas natives that may not like the depths of a Pennsylvania winter.
I’ve got room to try and start 50 or so.
rockm
Spuds Moyogi
I love blackjack oak. I don't know how they'd do as bonsai...Any bonsai made from one would have to be on the large to extra large side (like 3-4 feet tall, with a trunk 6-12 inches). That's not only because of the larger leaves, but the bark on them is very thick and craggy, like an alligator's back Those two traits would look a smaller bonsai look odd...
My parents had a big old, ancient Black Jack in their back pasture. It was a spectacular tree--but you could tell only if you were under it, because the leaves were so dense you couldn't see inside the canopy. here's a pic of it. It's the shorter tree to the right of those young pines. The stock photo below of the bark doesn't do it justice. Old black jack bark is extremely rough and fissured.
My parents had a big old, ancient Black Jack in their back pasture. It was a spectacular tree--but you could tell only if you were under it, because the leaves were so dense you couldn't see inside the canopy. here's a pic of it. It's the shorter tree to the right of those young pines. The stock photo below of the bark doesn't do it justice. Old black jack bark is extremely rough and fissured.
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According to ASU Buckley oak is a zone 6-11 tree so it may work here. And I like those traditional oak shaped leaves. Technically we are 6b but we are surrounded by 7a, so it's not too cut and dry. Maybe I can get them to work
Big Country Bonsai
Shohin
Just let me know! If you have the room and could provide some form of protection in winter I don’t see any harm in trying.
Big Country Bonsai
Shohin
No kidding on bark being awesome!
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Leo in N E Illinois
The Professor
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Trick I found with marginally hardy species from seed. For example, American persimmon & bald cypress - both are listed as hardy in my area, but both are only common a couple hundred miles south of me. Seedlings tend to sprout late in the spring, or not sprout until early summer. The trick is to winter these seedlings with protection the first one or two winters. Protect them from deep freezes for a couple years. Then the second or third winter you let them get a normal winter, or store them as you would other trees hardy in your area.
Leo in N E Illinois
The Professor
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@jbogard
This oak is spectacular enough that the reverse taper is forgivable. Once that area is exposed, slowly in time it will develop bark similar to the trunk above, but it will take decades. But like wild yamadori Ponderosa trunks, zones of reverse taper are usually ignored if the rest of the trunk is spectacular.
You should begin collecting oaks in order to learn how to do it. Start with smaller specimens. Collect a handful, just one or two of each species. Collect at different seasons of the year. Try defoliating trees as you collect them. Collect in spring, collect a few in summer, collect a few in autumn, collect in winter. Figure out what works. KEEP NOTES for yourself. It may take 3 to 5 years to figure out what combination of timing of collection, and style of aftercare will work for your local oaks. No reason to not start learning right now.
Once you get the collecting and after care of "medium quality" trunks down, then go for the more spectacular ones. Learning to collect is a hands on process, you need to do it to learn how to do it. Be deliberate in changing different factors, such as timing, and aftercare (bag or no bag, defoliate or no defoliate, the sunny side of the yard or the part shade). Once you develop a formula for success, go for the good trunks.
rockm
Spuds Moyogi
Exactly, what Leo said, especially SKIPPING the terrific ones for now. Dig the uglier sister NEXT to the beauty. See how it goes.
@jbogard
This oak is spectacular enough that the reverse taper is forgivable. Once that area is exposed, slowly in time it will develop bark similar to the trunk above, but it will take decades. But like wild yamadori Ponderosa trunks, zones of reverse taper are usually ignored if the rest of the trunk is spectacular.
You should begin collecting oaks in order to learn how to do it. Start with smaller specimens. Collect a handful, just one or two of each species. Collect at different seasons of the year. Try defoliating trees as you collect them. Collect in spring, collect a few in summer, collect a few in autumn, collect in winter. Figure out what works. KEEP NOTES for yourself. It may take 3 to 5 years to figure out what combination of timing of collection, and style of aftercare will work for your local oaks. No reason to not start learning right now.
Once you get the collecting and after care of "medium quality" trunks down, then go for the more spectacular ones. Learning to collect is a hands on process, you need to do it to learn how to do it. Be deliberate in changing different factors, such as timing, and aftercare (bag or no bag, defoliate or no defoliate, the sunny side of the yard or the part shade). Once you develop a formula for success, go for the good trunks.
Woocash
Omono
Cool nice one. I’m not sure about how many really, but don't need too many. I guess 5 or 10. I don’t really know enough about germination rates, to be honest. Thinking about it, a few of each of whatever you’ve got would be nice to try. Someone over here PM’d me about sending some on to him too so i’m waiting to see what he would be interested in as well.
So does each photo represent a different tree? You have two pics of Hastings with different leaves. That's why I'm wondering.
Big Country Bonsai
Shohin
Those two pictures are from two different trees but I did see a tree or two with variable leaves on the same tree. That’s what gets tricky with the oak trees. They have lots of variability. I was able to gather some Hastings acorns yesterday so I have some ready! The first two pics are from one tree and the last three are from another. So you can see they have a varied lead structure. The tree I got acorns from is more of the three lobed type from the first page.
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The reason I asked is cause I liked the leaves in this picture. https://www.bonsainut.com/attachments/c1ca6c70-cd17-4d59-8def-21bc23cbd64f-jpeg.269235/
Woocash
Omono
Ha, this one floats my boat too.
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