Cork Bark oak

JudyB

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I've been smitten with oaks since I saw the Tucker oak at the Weyerhaeuser exhibit last year. I lucked out and a poster on another forum was making a trip thru the area and had some nice stock cork oaks. I snagged this one. It was just waking up and was super healthy, so I did a Major root pruning, over 3/4 of the roots were cut off. It was in a nursery pot, with large tap roots, and many good fibrous roots, very potbound. It's going pretty crazy with growth right now. No clue how I'll style this one, but it's looking to be fun.
 

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gergwebber

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I like it! How long from the acorn is it? (I planted several this year)
 

PaulH

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Welcome to the oak addiction. I've got about 20 species of oak bonsai now and am sure I will have more. My favorite bonsai genus.
 

JudyB

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They really are something else aren't they? I'll never have an oak like that tucker oak, but I see it in my mind all the time...
I was surprised that it didn't skip a beat with all the root work I did, as I had read they don't like it. But I must have got it at the right time, and it was super healthy (thanks Bob!). I figured, that the tap root had to go, so I'd just do it all at once. Paul, if you don't mind, could you post some of yours, there are not many photos out there to get a sense of direction from.
 

BigDave

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good job guys with the oaks.

Cork bark aka quercus suber is my fav.

they are aggressive growers, but very top dominant, always promote low branches

here is one I started from a 2 inch line...circa 1992

100_2292c.jpg
 

BigDave

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above photo...Thats a 4 foot square of wood behind the tree, for size


was in ground for a few yearsbonsai 2-2-05 002.jpg
 
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BigDave

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My buddy Johns Cork, 4 man...really huge

IMG_6070.jpg
 

JudyB

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I still can't believe how fast these grow. Like a beautiful weed.
Here it is after first styling, I need more of these...
 

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What do you guys think the best time for chopping and repotting on oaks in general. I've heard chopping in the summer works well and I can vouch for it, one for one, on a rubra.

Thanks and sorry for the rookie Q on a thread w such nice trees,
David
 

JudyB

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What do you guys think the best time for chopping and repotting on oaks in general. I've heard chopping in the summer works well and I can vouch for it, one for one, on a rubra.

Thanks and sorry for the rookie Q on a thread w such nice trees,
David

No worries David, root work in the spring, I did a ton of rootwork, and it didn't even notice. Chops, I can't tell you. I know there are oak fans out there...
 

Beng

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I too have a thing for cork oaks, still growing mine but looks like you got one with a nice start already. They do backbud ok old rugged wood just not often or profusely.
 

JudyB

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update

This guy put on a ton of growth in the past month. So much I had to unwire it a couple of weeks ago. I rewired today, and it's filling in nicely. Also a shot I found of it in it's nursery pot, it's come a ways in one short season.
 

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JudyB

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Here is an update, this one went thru winter in my cold greenhouse with no more protection than any of my other trees, so that answers that question. I was worried that it would need more protection, but this winter was a good test. I repotted into a smaller pot, and did a partial defoliation at the same time. The tree has responded well and is leafing out strongly. There are lots of buds pushing on the branches that seem rather bare right now. Seems to be bulletproof.

One question I have, should I (or can I) take the remaining leaves from last year off now? I would imagine that would be good to do, but this is still a plant I'm learning...
thanks!
 

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Gilad

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Hello oak fanatics,

I bought a nursery stock of southern red oak a year ago. It was growing great (kinda lame on the going red though; I'll need to explain to it what the deal is). However, because it was leggy, I prune it during winter and change the soil begging of spring (left all the roots). It's has yet to wakened still, giving me anxiety that it didn't survived D.C. Winter. There's few tinny wannabe buds but still. Need of spiritual support here.....

BTW, the oak is very VERY young, j
 
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Potawatomi13

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Welcome to the oak addiction. I've got about 20 species of oak bonsai now and am sure I will have more. My favorite bonsai genus.
AHA! Another fan. I HAD 7 different kinds but in 13 a very cold winter here killed all but one tree including our native oak. I've got 4 more seedlings now and all doing great this spring. Sure I'll be getting more later on.
 

jquast

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AHA! Another fan. I HAD 7 different kinds but in 13 a very cold winter here killed all but one tree including our native oak. I've got 4 more seedlings now and all doing great this spring. Sure I'll be getting more later on.

Cork oaks can be a bit sensitive to the cold since they are endemic to the Mediterranean. Walter Pall wrote about what happened to one of his several years ago and I keep that in the back of my mind when we get some cold snaps here in the Bay area. I protect them when temps dip below freezing for a few nights in a row and will bring them into the garage at night until temps warm back up.

http://walter-pall-bonsai.blogspot.com/2008/04/cork-bark-oak-catastrophy.html
 
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