Canyon Live Oak. What do I do?

[aml1014]

Oh I didn't know it got that cold down there!

If your talking about NM, we are a crazy state climate wise. We have towns that are from zone 9 all the way down to zone 4. I'm in zone 7 in my city so we get single digit Temps. The low desert is were it's always hot, I'm up in the high desert at a mile high.

Aaron

 

[ForrestGump]

Do you think it would be ok if I just kept it outside for the most part, and brought it in on the days it gets below (whatever temp)?

 

[ForrestGump]

So now I got nervous about this thing, and decided to go dig up 2 baby White Oaks. Transplant went well so I'm hoping they both survive.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Do you think it would be ok if I just kept it outside for the most part, and brought it in on the days it gets below (whatever temp)?

Am personal parent of unknown live oak and was advised to not let freeze. This is exactly what I will be doing: in and out as weather dictates. Several others as well for HARD freezes 20 or fewer degrees F.

 

[ForrestGump]

Hopefully it works. I'm starting to think this is im possible lol.

 

[rockm]

Hopefully it works. I'm starting to think this is im possible lol.

You've painted yourself into a corner with the Calif. oak in Michigan. You have to provide a mostly frost-free, lighted environment for it over the winter. You can't really bring it inside the house, or, much worse--bring it in and out depending on freezing temps. That's moving it from extreme to extreme and the tree will continually try to adjust to both and will be successful at neither.

Best option would be a cold greenhouse that stays above 35 degrees or so for the winter, if possible. If you can't do that, think of how you can best meet its needs. Think outside the box...

 

[M. Frary]

White Oaks

Not the best candidate for bknsai. If they survive your collection in mid summer ( being white oaks I'd say they wont) they grow slow. Like the slowest growing tree in Michigan. It will be many years to grow them out.
There are more trees not to waste your time growing in Michigan than there are to use as bonsai.
No birches.
No oaks.
No maples.
No red or white pine. Jack and scots are good.
No willows.
No junipers.
Trees to look for are
Elms
Hawthorns
Tamarack
White spruce
Jack pine
Scots pine
Hops hornbeam
American hornbeam
The pines are the hardent to collect and live.
The elms the easiest.
All should be collecTed in the spring for best success of surviving.
Some may disagree but they don't have temperatures like we or at least I see in winter. Not enough time here for roots to heal after a fall collection.
I don't know where you live in Michigan but there are a few bonsai clubs.
Next weekend the Four Seasons Bonsai Club is having its annual show at Bordines Nursery in Rochester Hills. I make the trek down there every year. If you are near come see us.

 

[ForrestGump]

I wish I would have gotten an elm tree this spring. Im afraid to try now. I collected one in June and it lost its leaves. Is it a goner?

 

[M. Frary]

I wish I would have gotten an elm tree this spring. Im afraid to try now. I collected one in June and it lost its leaves. Is it a goner?

If they haven't grown back by now sorry to say but yes.
You can also find trees at regular nurseries that will work for bonsai. These are already used to being in containers. They usually have tons of roots and can stand losing some when you start reducing/working roots to get them into smaller containers.
Some to look for are junipers,mugo pines,boxwoods,japanese maples if you live a few hours south of me and other decent things to work on.

 

[timeleft]

Oaks are challenging in states that get cold. During winter, my willow oaks (or maybe live oaks) are kept in an attached garage that has windows with supplemental lighting. The temperatures tend to hover around 45 degrees and I occasionally need to open the garage to lower temps. My lighting is usually timed similarly to our day light (sometimes as little as 6-8 hours of supp lighting) and they have done great the last couple of winters. They tend to never fully defoliate but rather have spurts of growth that push out the old leaves so they always have some degree of photosynthesis.

If you are in an apartment this might get tricky over winter time to give them the ideal climate.

 

[aml1014]

Quercus chrysolepis, or canyon live oak (also known as gold-cup oak, laurel oak, or maul oak), occurs in a greater variety of habitats than any other California oak.

Actually, laurel oak is Quercus laurifloia, native to the eastern united states.

Aaron

 

[rockm]

Actually, laurel oak is Quercus laurifloia, native to the eastern united states.

Aaron

You have to be careful with names. Ironwood here in the east means hornbeam, out west ironwood is a completely unrelated species. Same for oaks. Lots of localized names for them.