Quercus garryana progression

[parhamr]

In 2014 I bought a 1-gallon seedling Quercus garryana from a local retail nursery for about $15. Here it is in 2015 in a 3-gal clay pot:


I decided to grow out a second main trunk line and work on a natural looking informal broom style


This tree is inspiring


So I grew it out in full sun with lots of water and organic granular fertilizer


It grew quite a bit over some hot and dry Mediterranean summers


I’ve been pruning with guidance of local masters and teachers


It’s ready for (and takes quite well to) copper wire. Here’s a rough sketch of how I’ll fill out the next parts of the canopy


More to come

 

[parhamr]

It’s barking up nicely

 

[Potawatomi13]

!

 

[Tieball]

Cool!
Excellent growth.....was in in the pot the entire time?
What’s the size now?.....Trunk diameter...and intended height?

 

[parhamr]

Cool!
Excellent growth.....was in in the pot the entire time?
What’s the size now?.....Trunk diameter...and intended height?

This tree spent two years in a one-gallon nursery can, two years in a three-gallon clay pot, and has had three full growing seasons in its current mica pot.

I’ve allowed the tree to grow four feet tall for developmental purposes. I think its final height will be around 3 feet. I haven’t recently checked with my calipers, but I don’t think the trunk caliper yet exceeds two inches.

 

[John P.]

Nice tree!

 

[Tieball]

This tree spent two years in a one-gallon nursery can, two years in a three-gallon clay pot, and has had three full growing seasons in its current mica pot.

I’ve allowed the tree to grow four feet tall for developmental purposes. I think its final height will be around 3 feet. I haven’t recently checked with my calipers, but I don’t think the trunk caliper yet exceeds two inches.

Excellent controlled growth. And...in a container environment. My inquiry had a motive. I have an Oak in the ground growing. On a tile. It’s been very slow growing. Very slooooooow. Most likely not enough sun or just the earth soil. I’ve been thinking about moving it to a wooden box to grow this Spring 2019 at bud swell. Your growth experience signals me that it could be done....perhaps with better results than I’m getting in the current ground location. My Oak trunk is only at about 1-1/4” + - diameter. Thanks for sharing your experience...it helped give me more confidence in my box idea plan.

 

[parhamr]

Ooh I found some of my favorite photos of this tree. It had mushrooms fall 2016


At that time I was thinking about growing a broom from the lowest active node

 

[0soyoung]

It had mushrooms

Truffles are supposed to associate with oak tree roots. Too bad you just got 'ordinary' mico. A couple of good French truffles would pay for your bonsai habit.

 

[Nanuk]

Love the tree, the bark is real nice.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Those 'shrooms' look tasty.
A number of edible mushroom species are mycorrhizal symbionts with oak trees. But unless you key those out to species I do not recommend a taste test. Those little brown mushrooms could kill you, but the ones that stain blue, take you on a wonderful trip, without leaving the farm.

 

[coh]

Coming along nicely! Do you use the portland rose society fertilizer? It sounds like that's pretty popular with bonsai growers
out there.

@Leo in N E Illinois , LOL - speaking from experience? My college roomates used to occasionally partake in "magic mushrooms" but I never tried them.

 

[parhamr]

Do you use the portland rose society fertilizer?

Yep!

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

@Leo in N E Illinois , LOL - speaking from experience? My college roomates used to occasionally partake in "magic mushrooms" but I never tried them.

I'm 64,
if I were to be honest, the last time I sampled ''the ones that stain blue'' was just a little more than 10 years ago.

But really, "set and setting" are important, at the time it seemed like the thing to do.
Believe it or not, I am normally very sober, drug and alcohol free. But every now and then, stuff happens, and without excess angst, I join in.

 

[coh]

I'm 64,
if I were to be honest, the last time I sampled ''the ones that stain blue'' was just a little more than 10 years ago.

But really, "set and setting" are important, at the time it seemed like the thing to do.
Believe it or not, I am normally very sober, drug and alcohol free. But every now and then, stuff happens, and without excess angst, I join in.

Hey, no judgement here! I sometimes wonder what I missed by not trying some of the stuff they used to do. I went as far as marijuana a few times
but never cared for it.

 

[parhamr]

…back to the tree

It’s looking good. I repotted it into a bowl-shaped pot of about 13" diameter. Photos to come when I can get it in the right lighting.

The soil looked good but a lot of the pore space had been filled by broken down organics. Since I know oaks to have sensitive roots I did not do much in the way of reduction, save for one coarse root.

I think I’ve caught an early, mild infestation of root aphids. See the photo. I’ve ordered some nematodes and will apply them asap.

 

[0soyoung]

As I've read, nematodes have just about wiped out p, thunbergii in Japan. How does one tell supposedly beneficial store-bought nematodes from tree root eaters?

 

[parhamr]

As I've read, nematodes have just about wiped out p, thunbergii in Japan. How does one tell supposedly beneficial store-bought nematodes from tree root eaters?

In North America we have commercial propagators of the good, desirable nematode species. See the details of this product for which species kills which pests: https://www.arbico-organics.com/product/2417/

 

[parhamr]

 

[parhamr]