Northern Red Oak from Sapling

[mburn]

Hello!

I live in Austin, TX and there are many Northern Red Oak saplings (approx. 6" tall) sprouting up in the common ground in my neighborhood. Are these worth cultivating for bonsai? If so, what's the best method for transplanting? Can someone point me to a resource or point out the basics in terms of transplanting, pot size, soil type, preparation for bonsai, etc.

Thanks for the help

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Welcome to the site!

Those aren't saplings... they're seedlings If you dig them up, you might even find them attached to an acorn. Though growing a bonsai from seed is a long road... it is also uniquely satisfying if you have the patience.

I am not aware of any single resource on that that answers all of your questions, but if you use the search function and read a lot of the associated threads I'm sure you'll see a lot of the info covered here. There are pros and cons of working with oaks. I like them, but they're not for everyone

 

[World Bonsai Police]

Ya know how I hate to be picky, but your Northern Red Oak is different from ours...

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Ya know how I hate to be picky, but your Northern Red Oak is different from ours...

Actually, I agree with the ID. Even though the name is a little misleading that definitely looks like a "Northern" red oak... that grows in the south

 

[World Bonsai Police]

OK, they look different when they speak German, too.