John P.
Chumono
Picked up this one from a favorite native plant grower in Southern California. It was labeled as Quercus chrysolepis, Canyon Live Oak, and looks similar to my Quercus agrifolia (Coast Live Oak) but for leaves that are about half the size of the Coast Oak. The leaves on the Canyon Oak are more gray, too.
I performed a chop to the tree before bringing it home in order to fit it in my car. It’s in a 5-gallon planter.
As you might deduce from the thread title, I ended up getting more than one of these. The other will be easier to begin refining, as its growth pattern already resembles an old tree in miniature. This one, however, has a very straight trunk that doesn’t resemble the oaks that I am accustomed to seeing every day here in Orange County, CA.
I’m considering notching, v-cutting, or kerfing into the trunk as illustrated below to get some movement. There are a couple posts here that have been informative: one being V-notching made easy and the other Abrupt re-direction of branches.
I would appreciate any thoughts you have about the methods that I am considering, or alternatively, other ideas for this tree.
I performed a chop to the tree before bringing it home in order to fit it in my car. It’s in a 5-gallon planter.
As you might deduce from the thread title, I ended up getting more than one of these. The other will be easier to begin refining, as its growth pattern already resembles an old tree in miniature. This one, however, has a very straight trunk that doesn’t resemble the oaks that I am accustomed to seeing every day here in Orange County, CA.
I’m considering notching, v-cutting, or kerfing into the trunk as illustrated below to get some movement. There are a couple posts here that have been informative: one being V-notching made easy and the other Abrupt re-direction of branches.
I would appreciate any thoughts you have about the methods that I am considering, or alternatively, other ideas for this tree.