Fonz's this is not a contest tree.

[Fonz]

Last fall I marked an English oak (Quercus Robur) in a forest at my mom's place. Cut it back to what it is on the picture.

The plan is to collect it later this year, if it buds out that is. And from next year I want to start working on the branches.

 

[JosephCooper]

It looks huge!

what are you planning on doing with it?

 

[Fonz]

It looks huge!

what are you planning on doing with it?

It's 50cm/20" high now. I'm hoping for some new shoots this spring. And then at the end of the year I'll dig it up so next year It can settle in the growbox. And after that we'll see, selecting some good shoots and maybe cut back the trunk(s) some more.

 

[humboldtmadness]

Looks good, better to go big and see what it does than wait for it to get that girth. I like it, hope it pulls through the transplant and does well for you!

 

[SnowfallenGarden]

looks exciting!

 

[Fonz]

Buds are starting to pop up!

 

[Fonz]

Things are looking good so far. Not sure what caused the damage at the top of the big trunk.
In a few weeks I'll be pruning the new shoots and cut the roots 20cm/8" around the trunk so it'll be easier to dig up in november.

 

[TN_Jim]

I’m wondering if you should seal that top; also, how will you approach the root pruning, trench around and fill back in?

 

[Fonz]

I’m wondering if you should seal that top; also, how will you approach the root pruning, trench around and fill back in?

Since the wound is probably a few weeks old I'll let it be as it is (I also won't get to the tree in the next 2 weeks or so).
I'll be pruning the new shoots, not the roots
With a shovel I'm going to go around the tree ( 8" from the trunk) so I'll be creating a more compact rootball. The only problem will be the tap root that will be quite big and I won't be working on that until I'll collect the tree late november.

 

[John in Toledo]

Fun project!

 

[Cypress187]

( 8" from the trunk) so I'll be creating a more compact rootball.

Who says the roots are that close to the trunk (21 cm)? You might better dig wider and see how much roots there are available before cutting roots you perhaps need.

 

[stevek]

I agree with cypress 187, use a three prong cultivator and start out 3' and skim the surface to find some roots from the surface down carefully. then work your way in. work till you find feeder roots. then you'll know where to cut later when you want to pull from the ground. cover it back up and wait till the spring before buds break, not now in the fall.

 

[defra]

Fonz how is this one doing?
Please be aware that oaks tend to have big big BIG yes REALY BIG taproots and that they store loads of energy in there and its adviced to reduce the taproot in a course of serval years

I tested this with 8 aprox 4 to 5 year old seedlings i dug up two years ago,
With 4 i removed the taproot completely in one go and 3 of those died the one surviver started and grew allot slower then the 4 i removed the taproot only about 1/3

unfortunatly ive got only one left now since my dog was probably bored and chewed on them and ripped them out of their pots in the middle of the summer, when i noticed the roots had been exposed to the awfully hot sun for over a day

 

[Fonz]

Fonz how is this one doing?
Please be aware that oaks tend to have big big BIG yes REALY BIG taproots and that they store loads of energy in there and its adviced to reduce the taproot in a course of serval years

I tested this with 8 aprox 4 to 5 year old seedlings i dug up two years ago,
With 4 i removed the taproot completely in one go and 3 of those died the one surviver started and grew allot slower then the 4 i removed the taproot only about 1/3

unfortunatly ive got only one left now since my dog was probably bored and chewed on them and ripped them out of their pots in the middle of the summer, when i noticed the roots had been exposed to the awfully hot sun for over a day

I don't think the one in this thread has a very bright future. It looked rather weak at the end of fall so I decided to leave it in the ground for another year. I'm very aware of the taproot issues.
I did rescue 2 saplings that are about 3 years old from an excavator. Left their taproot almost intact and put the in big containers.

 

[defra]

I don't think the one in this thread has a very bright future. It looked rather weak at the end of fall so I decided to leave it in the ground for another year. I'm very aware of the taproot issues.
I did rescue 2 saplings that are about 3 years old from an excavator. Left their taproot almost intact and put the in big containers.

If i recall correctly there is a thread somewere here on bnut that included a tree also pre chopped the year for collection wich had the same isue with weak growth or death, i dont remember who but there was said that it is often better to chop and collect in one go because when chopped it gets shaded out to much by taller tree's
Your pic shows a pretty open place tough
Anyway i hope it pulls trough cus it looks to have great potention!