Lesson learned.

[Jnicholes]

I have an oak bonsai, growing from seed. I learned a lesson today.



I probably should have shaped the trunk BEFORE it started growing thicker. I can’t bend it now.

Well, lesson learned.

On a sidenote, it looks like the leaves are starting to grow. It’s looking good so far!

As soon as outside temperatures permit, I’m going to get it used to being outside.

Jared

 

[sorce]

Try letting it dry out some, maybe a different time of day.

Sorce

 

[just.wing.it]

That little green shoot is too hard to bend?
Is this for real?

 

[just.wing.it]

I mean, if that's to stick to wire, when would you have done it? When it was still an acorn?

 

[Jnicholes]

I mean, if that's to stick to wire, when would you have done it? When it was still an acorn?

Yes, it is pretty stiff. I’ll show you what I mean in just a moment. You do have a point, though. I couldn’t have wired it when it was smaller.

 

[leatherback]

You can wire and shape this for the next years.

A green shoot like this needs to be a little deprived of water else it snaps. Best you wait till summer, when it is getting woody, and wire & bend then

 

[Zach Smith]

Forget wiring it. Get yourself a fairly heavy rock or something similar and weatherproof, then force it (gently, so as not to snap the shoot) against your new seedling so that it ends up growing at an angle. Let it keep on growing to get thicker, then when the time is right cut it back to that first node. That's the best way to start getting movement in this new tree.

 

[Shibui]

There are lots of ways to put bends into trunks but this one is way too young to try wiring. I would definitely dispute that it is past bending but it needs to mature a bit before it can cope with wire and bending.

 

[Tieball]

I’d move along with the rock placement @Zach Smith mentioned. I’ve done this. It works well. In my case....When the rock is placed I orient the container so the seedling points away from the sun, as it grows the need of sun will begin bending the seedling toward the sun....and around the rock creating a natural bend. Nature does this very well. Then I have cut back options.