GRAY OAK (QUERCUS GRISEA)

[MACH5]

Here are a few shots when the tree was transferred to the growing box. Thankfully I had assistance. We basically cut off part of the plastic tray and slid the tree into the box. I cut off part of a heavy root in order to better situate the tree. The part that was cut off barely had any fine roots so essentially it was useless.

 

[JudyB]

This is why I'm getting out of big trees it's getting far too large to swing at.

 

[PiñonJ]

Isn’t Alvaro’s collecting area actually in New Mexico? I’m going to sue for repatriation! ? Very cool tree! On a collecting trip last year, I was lucky enough to find a sweet little Wavyleaf Oak. It’s a hybrid of Q. gambelii and, in this case, either Q. grisea or Q. turbinella (the same common name can apply to gambelii crosses with any of six other species).

 

[MACH5]

This is why I'm getting out of big trees it's getting far too large to swing at.

 

[MACH5]

Isn’t Alvaro’s collecting area actually in New Mexico? I’m going to sue for repatriation! ? Very cool tree! On a collecting trip last year, I was lucky enough to find a sweet little Wavyleaf Oak. It’s a hybrid of Q. gambelii and, in this case, either Q. grisea or Q. turbinella (the same common name can apply to gambelii crosses with any of six other species).

Love oaks. Deciduous oaks that is. They are finding some great ones in Italy. I am just hoping that more US collectors start to focus their attention on good deciduous material and not just conifers. Not sure however that the demand is there yet. Perhaps never will?

 

[JudyB]

I am just hoping that more US collectors start to focus their attention on good deciduous material and not just conifers. Not sure however that the demand is there yet.

I guess I'll just have to be more demanding. I agree 100%

 

[MACH5]

I guess I'll just have to be more demanding. I agree 100%

Hahaha! Yes... even pound your fist damn it!

 

[Potawatomi13]

Any signs of Spring life yet?

 

[rockm]

I have a couple gray oaks from him and they all do it every winter, as do the gray oaks out in the wild I've seen. They always drop come spring and new growth comes in just fine.

Aaron

Well, um, that's in New Mexico, not New Jersey. Half greyed out leaves in May means the new growth was affected by something.

A couple of notes on mine this spring--it has leafed out well, and on the four or five strong extension shoots from last summer, has budded out particularly strongly. It has also bloomed -- which resemble those stringy blossoms on native pin oak in the woods that are covering my yard now .

A word of caution too. Last week I noticed significant sawdust piles at the foot of the trunk. My tree has a large deadwood patch on the front from losing a significant primary branch a very very long time ago. The remaining wood had weathered to a very attractive cracked silver on the surface, which looked dry. However, that deadwood patch had soaked in all last winter's precipitation drawing it into the interior of the tree--which I discovered going after the carpenter wasps that had take up residence and were producing that sawdust by tunneling. I dug into the deadwood-punky and soggy all the way through the trunk to the other side. It was also pushing rot up into the center of the living trunk.

I cleaned out the soggy wood and the wasps, which left the trunk mostly hollow--which is not all that great for the long-term health of the tree. It is better, however, than leaving the rot to continue. I expect borers now and am on watch.

So, if you have significant old deadwood features that run into the trunk--this could be an issue. That deadwood didn't develop in a humid environment and it is not durable in our climate here in Va. My large Texas live oak is the direct opposite. It has had a huge deadwood feature on its nebari for years. It remains wet or moist all the time. It has never shown any rot at all in the last 22 years. It is native to a wetter climate...

 

[aml1014]

Well, um, that's in New Mexico, not New Jersey. Half greyed out leaves in May means the new growth was affected by something.

A couple of notes on mine this spring--it has leafed out well, and on the four or five strong extension shoots from last summer, has budded out particularly strongly. It has also bloomed -- which resemble those stringy blossoms on native pin oak in the woods that are covering my yard now .

A word of caution too. Last week I noticed significant sawdust piles at the foot of the trunk. My tree has a large deadwood patch on the front from losing a significant primary branch a very very long time ago. The remaining wood had weathered to a very attractive cracked silver on the surface, which looked dry. However, that deadwood patch had soaked in all last winter's precipitation drawing it into the interior of the tree--which I discovered going after the carpenter wasps that had take up residence and were producing that sawdust by tunneling. I dug into the deadwood-punky and soggy all the way through the trunk to the other side. It was also pushing rot up into the center of the living trunk.

I cleaned out the soggy wood and the wasps, which left the trunk mostly hollow--which is not all that great for the long-term health of the tree. It is better, however, than leaving the rot to continue. I expect borers now and am on watch.

So, if you have significant old deadwood features that run into the trunk--this could be an issue. That deadwood didn't develop in a humid environment and it is not durable in our climate here in Va. My large Texas live oak is the direct opposite. It has had a huge deadwood feature on its nebari for years. It remains wet or moist all the time. It has never shown any rot at all in the last 22 years. It is native to a wetter climate...

Very true, same signs may lead different ways in our different climates. Glad to hear yours is growing strongly even though it had the severe rot. If it ever gives you to many problems, you know who will snag it up from you?

Aaron

 

[MACH5]

Summer update. Over winter this tree lost many secondary branches. In spring it pushed strong growth and even back budded in some areas. However, as growth slowed down some shoots at the top suddenly just withered and died back. The tree, I feared, was about to go into a rapid decline. After all it had been plucked from the wild, planted in a tray and a year later shipped to NJ. I think if someone told me I was moving to Jersey I would too wither and die. However, I'm still here!

Recently I did noticed great signs that this oak was perhaps stabilizing and regaining its footing. Took a few pics this morning where it shows new strong second flush. A good sign that roots are well and healthy or at least on the mend.

Some of the remaining dead branches were cut off today. There were many more that I had removed earlier in the year.








Second flush now underway pretty much on all parts of the tree.










Back budding on these trees does not seem to be a problem even on old wood. A big plus on any species that are grown for bonsai.








I am encouraged by what I am seeing so I hope it continues to get itself back on track and gets well established in its new environment. It receives lots of sun and not kept overly wet.

 

[barrosinc]

An amazing tree! It just needs a bit of mach5 pixie dust to thrive again.

 

[JudyB]

Wow that was a lot of dieback glad to see the new shoots coming on so strong. Do you think it will be challenging to keep in your climate, or is this all just post collection reaction?

 

[coh]

I think if someone told me I was moving to Jersey I would too wither and die.

Great line! I went to college in NJ and my wife is from there so I can relate

Sorry to see all the dieback but at least it is popping new growth. Fantastic trunk structure to work with once that new growth gets going!

 

[MACH5]

Wow that was a lot of dieback glad to see the new shoots coming on so strong. Do you think it will be challenging to keep in your climate, or is this all just post collection reaction?

Judy, I think a little bit of everything. Post collecting trauma and new environment. Not to mention the VERY long trip it took from New Mexico to Chicago to Pennsylvania and finally onto New Jersey all in a plastic tray which is not exactly the most stable container for a tree. It went through a lot so I think this was to be expected.

The single best thing I could have done for it is to transplant it into a wooden box. Anything that is not native or known not to grow in my area I consider delicate and subject to extra care specially in winter. That's always the issue with dealing with non-endemic species.

Time will tell if it can thrive in my climate. Obviously that's the hope. At the moment I am liking what I'm seeing.

 

[MACH5]

Great line! I went to college in NJ and my wife is from there so I can relate

Sorry to see all the dieback but at least it is popping new growth. Fantastic trunk structure to work with once that new growth gets going!

LOL! Yes despite its horrible stigma, I will say it does have some very beautiful areas specially up north.

Most of that growth had to eventually be cut off anyway. So at least that's my consolation. It was more disheartening in the sense that its health may have been in decline.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Amaaaazing Tree! May great care win the day for long survival.

 

[rockm]

I've had some dieback on smaller branching, but extremely strong push of new foliage on extension growth from last summer. I haven't messed with the roots at all despite the deteriorating collection pot. I am being pretty cautious in how I'm going at it. With this past winter's extremely unpredictable weather pattern, I've been even more cautious--just let it grow.

The new growth this spring was encouraging, however, some of the initial leaves had the same grey out as the leaves that were on it last summer--I suspect a fungal issue. However, since that initial problem, the tree put on dense growth

There seem to be two growth periods, as far as I can see. Early spring and mid-summer, which would make sense in timing--springtime rain, and the summer monsoon season in its native habitat. Stronger, but more localized, growth in the summer period.

As it did last June/July, the tree is pushing new growth on the two foot long extension shoots it grew out last summer. That new growth on the stronger shoots is moving at a half inch per day at this point. I expect them to extend as far as the shoots did last year.

I have been fertilizing with low phosphorous ferts at full strength all summer once a week. It's not a problem as the pumice drains pretty freely.

Insects don't like this tree --at all. Have had only a couple try to chew leaves, but they moved on since the leaves are thick and tough. Along with the fert, I'm also supplementing with Epsom salts every other week--a half teaspoon to a gallon. That helps toughen up the leaves. I do that for all my trees. Works OK.

Obviously, 'll have to post a photo soon.

This species is interesting. Dropping finer branches seems to be in its DNA, given the extensive deadwood on all of these I've seen. That wouldn't be surprising, as its native habitat would force that kind of thing, same as desert juniper species with their deadwood. Surprisingly, or maybe not, the tree seems to like water. I was trying to let the soil dry down, but wound up killing some new growth in early spring. I water every day, sometimes twice in this ungodly heat. Also covering the pot with a white cloth if the temps are forecast to top 90.

 

[rockm]

Love oaks. Deciduous oaks that is. They are finding some great ones in Italy. I am just hoping that more US collectors start to focus their attention on good deciduous material and not just conifers. Not sure however that the demand is there yet. Perhaps never will?

I wish someone in Texas would start working with all the oak species down there. Texas is the oak capital of the world, basically. While Europe has only 22 oak species, and Asia has 98, North America has 234. The U.S. has 60 within its borders. Over 40 those species grow in Texas, which is near the center of oak diversity in Northern Mexico.

Having spent a lot of time in east Texas, I can say that the oaks there are among the most expressive trees I've seen in the U.S. --and I've lived more than a few places in the lower 48. Some are more than equal to those much photographed ancient English oaks in the U.K. Thing is the oaks in Texas are out in the middle of nowhere with only longhorns, roadrunners and rattlesnakes to appreciate them. I don't know how all those species would take to bonsai culture, but I'd bet more than a few would.

This is a typical white oak growing in the scrub along a driveway down there. It is probably rooted to China, but that trunk is pretty awesome. There are about 10,000 more in a half mile radius...

 

[markyscott]

Time will tell if it can thrive in my climate. Obviously that's the hope. At the moment I am liking what I'm seeing.

Bummer about the branches, but I’m hoping for the best. I’ve been watching Alvaro’s site for a long time, but, even though he’s just a few hours away near Dallas, the Houston climate is SO different. Most of what he collects won’t do well here. But even though I live in the land of the Southern Live Oak, there are a some local native deciduous oaks around, particularly north of the city. I collected a Post Oak two years ago. It took to collection well and has done great in recovery. I gave it to a friend - here are a couple of pictures.

Spring after collection


Repot after first growing season


Earlier this spring