LG Grey Oak #2

Lars Grimm

Chumono
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Hi All,

This is a progression thread for my second grey oak. You can see my grey oak number one here. This was purchased from Alvaro Arciniegas in October of 2019. Here you can see the picture from him at that time. It has some nice deadwood in the front and apex. All the branches are coming off of one point in the back.

20191003_152655.jpg
 

Lars Grimm

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I elected to leave it in the box for a full year to acclimated. March 2021 was repotting season from the pumice mix he uses for collection. Similar to my other tree, I expected a large tap root and few feeder roots. My goal with this repot was to give it a nice stable platform to build out a good strong root system.

Here is the tree today with some duct tape holding the plastic container together.
IMG_6145.JPG

After teasing out the soil, you can see a large tap root with a few roots at the end, but a long gap in between the proximal feeder roots and the roots at the end.

IMG_6146.JPG

This is nothing that some extendable loppers can't take care of.
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I was able to get a nice three point tie down on the roots and get it very stable in the new box. I used a mix of 50% akadama and 50% pumice for repotting. I'll leave the tree to just gain as much vigor as possible before styling. I am to be much more proactive about treating the deadwood on this tree to prevent breakdown. The character of the deadwood on this tree are great, especially in the main trunk.

IMG_6150.JPG
 

Lars Grimm

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The tree is doing really well in the new box. I leave it in full sun and I assume it has developed some nice new rootage. Here it is today.

August 2021.jpg

One challenge is that all the branches come off a single spot in the back.

August 2021 3.jpg

I've playing around with some virtuals in photoshop. I am no @MACH5 but I'm trying. I think my vision right now is to have the apex in the top right. The first branch will drop low on right to signify movement. There will be a back branch on the left, above the trunk angle change to give it more depth. This may require some creative wiring. I want to highlight the apical deadwood and will likely have the apex wrap slightly around the top right deadwood piece. Any thoughts are always appreciated.

August 2021 virtual.jpg
 

rockm

Spuds Moyogi
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I've been watching my gray oak for a few years now. Haven't really worked it, although it's been repotted into a ceramic container. I've been slow to work it because I'm looking at growth habits. one of those habits is this species' propensity to drop branches--BIG branches in favor of new growth elsewhere. This isn't a habit that's in reaction to containerization, from the remnants of extremely old branches on the tree when I got it. Is there any growth above those whorls at the burl on yours?

And FWIW, my oak also get strong shoots every spring and into the summer every year but at repotting last year, corresponding root growth wasn't really all that prevalent. That may be my fault, though as I've been overwintering this one in the backyard.
 

Lars Grimm

Chumono
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I've been watching my gray oak for a few years now. Haven't really worked it, although it's been repotted into a ceramic container. I've been slow to work it because I'm looking at growth habits. one of those habits is this species' propensity to drop branches--BIG branches in favor of new growth elsewhere. This isn't a habit that's in reaction to containerization, from the remnants of extremely old branches on the tree when I got it. Is there any growth above those whorls at the burl on yours?

And FWIW, my oak also get strong shoots every spring and into the summer every year but at repotting last year, corresponding root growth wasn't really all that prevalent. That may be my fault, though as I've been overwintering this one in the backyard.
Very interesting observations. I have three grey oaks and have not seen any dropped branches yet. For me, they tend to hold onto their leaves over winter and then are late to put out a spring flush when they eventually drop old leaves. I often get a second flush of growth in late summer (now) which also drops leaves. I think the root growth is slow and never as dense or fibrous as a maple or hornbeam. Clearly there are enough roots on this tree though as the branches are doing well and I cut off the large tap root in the winter. My current approach is to space out repotting. I plan to do some wiring this fall. There are currently no branches above that whorl I pictured.
 

rockm

Spuds Moyogi
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Very interesting observations. I have three grey oaks and have not seen any dropped branches yet. For me, they tend to hold onto their leaves over winter and then are late to put out a spring flush when they eventually drop old leaves. I often get a second flush of growth in late summer (now) which also drops leaves. I think the root growth is slow and never as dense or fibrous as a maple or hornbeam. Clearly there are enough roots on this tree though as the branches are doing well and I cut off the large tap root in the winter. My current approach is to space out repotting. I plan to do some wiring this fall. There are currently no branches above that whorl I pictured.
Mine also keeps leaves all winter and pushes new growth in late spring, which is kind of typical for "live oak" species. My Texas fusiformis live oak does the same.

I also removed a big portion of tap root on my gray oak mostly because the dead portion of it had become home to a colony of ants.

My gray oak came with a lot of very old aged deadwood branches and a second dead trunk that had also died off a very long time ago. I have found that new shoots on branches and elsewhere on the tree can "take over" quickly at the expense of older growth. That is what looks to have happened with its current trunk. It outgrew its twin and the twin died off. Same wiht some of the existing old branching.
 

Lars Grimm

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Mine also keeps leaves all winter and pushes new growth in late spring, which is kind of typical for "live oak" species. My Texas fusiformis live oak does the same.

I also removed a big portion of tap root on my gray oak mostly because the dead portion of it had become home to a colony of ants.

My gray oak came with a lot of very old aged deadwood branches and a second dead trunk that had also died off a very long time ago. I have found that new shoots on branches and elsewhere on the tree can "take over" quickly at the expense of older growth. That is what looks to have happened with its current trunk. It outgrew its twin and the twin died off. Same wiht some of the existing old branching.
Sounds like managing the energy flow on new vs old branches is pretty important. It makes me think that it might be better to err on the side of fewer branches and avoid trying to develop new primaries at a later date.
 
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