JackHammer

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I've got a 400 year old (estimated) in my yard and a couple others that are nearly as old (see my avatar picture). They are Coast Live Oaks. I love them!
That's the real deal!
Here is the biggest
20210608_191619.jpg

And then this one was bent over from some heavy snow(21 inches). I didn't think the top half was going to make it but it looks like it is pulling through.

20210608_191556.jpg

This is why I was saying that they are tough trees. I am impressed.
 

JackHammer

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by the way, here is some wilting that i mentioned earlier. its just the young foliage so far, im going to keep an eye out on the rest and keep it out of the sun until it settles in View attachment 379783

This is the sun damage on one of my full-size trees. It looks similar but I don't know what other issues you could be having. Too much sun and maybe a little more water would be my recommendation.

20210608_193150.jpg
 

JackHammer

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wow that must be so awesome to have a property like that! what a dream that would be! yeah they are pretty tough trees, although my wifes grandfather says that when it comes to black oaks that "you can beat em with a big chain and they grow even better, but if you pluck a leaf the next week, itll probably die!" i am not sure how true that is, but im not about to argue with him about it. there are some old oaks out there that are practically famous!
Thank you! I lived in an apartment in Brooklyn long enough to not take this place for granted! I like the oak trees but I don't see them as bonsai very frequently(other than live oak), maybe because the leaves are so big?
 

Wulfskaar

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thats a beautiful tree in that photo. looks massive.

It's HUGE and beautiful! The cool part is knowing that it predates/coincides with the arrival of the Spanish, so the local native Chumash people possibly used it for acorns! What sucks is that it's protected, so I can't cut any branch thicker than 2". Also, it sits near the property line, on a hill, with a wall in between, and that wall is getting pushed over toward my neighbors. 🤦‍♂️
 

CoreSeverin

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This is the sun damage on one of my full-size trees. It looks similar but I don't know what other issues you could be having. Too much sun and maybe a little more water would be my recommendation.

View attachment 379786
I don't think that I have sun damage on mine I think it's shock from transplanting it. Do you think that I should take off the leaves that are wilting or just leave them?
 
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CoreSeverin

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Thank you! I lived in an apartment in Brooklyn long enough to not take this place for granted! I like the oak trees but I don't see them as bonsai very frequently(other than live oak), maybe because the leaves are so big?
that leaf size probably has a lot to do with it. I am not even aure about whether or not they will reduce very well.
 

CoreSeverin

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It's HUGE and beautiful! The cool part is knowing that it predates/coincides with the arrival of the Spanish, so the local native Chumash people possibly used it for acorns! What sucks is that it's protected, so I can't cut any branch thicker than 2". Also, it sits near the property line, on a hill, with a wall in between, and that wall is getting pushed over toward my neighbors. 🤦‍♂️
oh dang that wall might not last a whole lot longer lol. yeah that tree ia a giant! is it protected because of its age or is it more to do with species?
 

Wulfskaar

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oh dang that wall might not last a whole lot longer lol. yeah that tree ia a giant! is it protected because of its age or is it more to do with species?
Sorry, I'm really not trying to hijack the thread! I just like trees!

The species (Quercus agrifolia) is protected due to a city ordinance. I can understand why; people want to replace them with "nicer looking" trees. I've got 3 of them.

I tried to snap a wider pic for you today. I need to find a better spot so I can get the whole thing.

clo.jpg
 

CoreSeverin

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That's the real deal!
Here is the biggest
View attachment 379784

And then this one was bent over from some heavy snow(21 inches). I didn't think the top half was going to make it but it looks like it is pulling through.

View attachment 379785

This is why I was saying that they are tough trees. I am impressed.
that bend is crazy! these are both such amazing treea! thanks for sharing these beauties!
 

CoreSeverin

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Sorry, I'm really not trying to hijack the thread! I just like trees!

The species (Quercus agrifolia) is protected due to a city ordinance. I can understand why; people want to replace them with "nicer looking" trees. I've got 3 of them.

I tried to snap a wider pic for you today. I need to find a better spot so I can get the whole thing.

View attachment 379798
thats what we are here for, because we like trees and want to talk about them :) we are going deep on oaks in this thread!
 

CoreSeverin

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Sorry, I'm really not trying to hijack the thread! I just like trees!

The species (Quercus agrifolia) is protected due to a city ordinance. I can understand why; people want to replace them with "nicer looking" trees. I've got 3 of them.

I tried to snap a wider pic for you today. I need to find a better spot so I can get the whole thing.

View attachment 379798
They want to replace them? How would you even start to replace a tree that large? I suppose they would just start hacking off branches then bring in a backhoe? thats crazy, those trees are way better than whatever they could replace them with.
 

Wulfskaar

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They want to replace them? How would you even start to replace a tree that large? I suppose they would just start hacking off branches then bring in a backhoe? thats crazy, those trees are way better than whatever they could replace them with.
I think it's that the branches grow really far horizontally, then get huge, then eventually break off. Also, the leaves are kinda sharp and pokey. Still, I'm glad their protected.
 

Tieball

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Sorry, I'm really not trying to hijack the thread! I just like trees!

The species (Quercus agrifolia) is protected due to a city ordinance. I can understand why; people want to replace them with "nicer looking" trees. I've got 3 of them.

I tried to snap a wider pic for you today. I need to find a better spot so I can get the whole thing.

View attachment 379798
I see the tree and think about all the colorful stories told by Native American Indians beneath those branch while the tree might have been younger. I have several oaks around me that are all at least 3’ or more in diameter. I imagine the land when the trees were under the shadow of a parent oak long gone now.
 

Tieball

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I don't think that I have sun damage on mine I think it's shock from transplanting it. Do you think that I should take off the leaves that are wilting or just leave them?
I would carefully snip only the wilted leaves off and retain about a centimeter or two of stem from the leaf still attached to the branch. When I've done this I try to not injure the small bud that needs awakening where that stem connects to the branch. A light fertilizer and plenty of water should help. I’d keep the tree in what I’d call a bright shade environment. I'd favor not toasting the tree while in recovery. That branch area that wilted could also die off if the tree has found a more favorable route for expanded growth. You'll work with what the tree gives you.
 

CoreSeverin

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Just an update this is now the 2nd time that I've cut off wilting foliage from the oak and I took a picture of how it looks afterwards it looks pretty good but as long as The leaves keep wilting it's gonna probably not make it.
 

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Tieball

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It may be on a steady decline. It's not looking like an isolated condition. There might be nothing you can do to prevent that decline. Just curious, because I do this sometimes, on an out-of-the-way branch, is the bud still green like there’s a leaf pending? Or are the buds dried up brown?

I had an oak dug up that looked just fine. However, once summer was in full swing, and the oak probably used up any stored reserve growth energy, the oak declined overall. I gave up when that happened.…so did the oak tree. Eventually it just moved to the burn pile and I looked for a new tree. Oaks, to me and my experience, are very tough to successfully dig up.

However, hang in there and hope for a redistribution of growth energy. It could happen. It might not happen. It would be nice to happen but don’t get too attached.
 
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