Quercus Alba (White Oak)

[Shogun610]

Bummed conifer collecting hasn’t been as fruitful as deciduous this spring… but I snagged this at a native nursery growing on the hillside, threw them 20 bucks and dug it last Thursday, even left work early for it ha. Took off big structural roots , and kept all the feeders. Potted in a Anderson flat with 2:1 Akadama and Lava with some pine bark. Top dressed afterwards. Going to cut lower once the first flush hardens off.. I love the bark.. excited to develop this native oak.

 

[Colorado]

Great potential, nice movement at the base!

 

[Shogun610]

Big thick and juicy , leafing out too..

 

[Potawatomi13]

Hope it makes it.

 

[Shogun610]

Doing well, I cut the straight section close to the “apex” would be cool to carve it some day. I wired the bottom branch down and top branch up to crate a apex and some initial design, that’s the only wire I have on it..I have a sick pine in the background, and not a good sick. Look at that nebari , I forgot how sweet it was, I removed sphagnum I had placed on top after collecting

 

[Shogun610]

Some leaves on this unfortunately dried out , I water every day so not sure how that happens

 

[Potawatomi13]

Could be not enough root to make up for heat inspired transpiration.

 

[Shogun610]

Rip… too much roots taken off. Oh well it was free … I have prospects in the mountains I’m tagging and bagging anyway.. pursuit of a good oak bonsai is not over for me.

 

[19Mateo83]

Sad, that was a nice trunk. Better luck next time.

 

[MMJNICE]

View attachment 441927Doing well, I cut the straight section close to the “apex” would be cool to carve it some day. I wired the bottom branch down and top branch up to crate a apex and some initial design, that’s the only wire I have on it..I have a sick pine in the background, and not a good sick. Look at that nebari , I forgot how sweet it was, I removed sphagnum I had placed on top after collecting

Rip… too much roots taken off. Oh well it was free … I have prospects in the mountains I’m tagging and bagging anyway.. pursuit of a good oak bonsai is not over for me.

Well keep us posted on your collection efforts this early spring. I've been listing oak bonsai for the last 4 months. Got two from a nursery, "pin oaks" one didn't make it, it was on the way out anyways and a bonsai buddy of mine did an horrible trunk chop.Chop and pulled half the bark off with the top.. he thinks it looks cool smh... the other was a younger pin oak that I did surgery on. Looks like a much healthier subject and is doing fine.
I collected a white oak 2 and half weeks ago that lead me to your post. Bummer about your mature specimen. It had all the branches growing in the right place and a killer root base. This is the second time writing this edited post so I'll just say good luck next year and post your updates

 

[stu929]

beautiful trunk sorry it didn’t survive. I though the green Al concensus was to avoid all American oak species as the leaves did not reduce. Am I wrong thinking this? My uncle has a ton of white oak and American beech growing on his property. I could dig them for a year and not even scratch the surface.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

beautiful trunk sorry it didn’t survive. I though the green Al concensus was to avoid all American oak species as the leaves did not reduce. Am I wrong thinking this? My uncle has a ton of white oak and American beech growing on his property. I could dig them for a year and not even scratch the surface.

I believe you are wrong, North American oak species leaves will reduce, with ramification and time. I had some bur oak leaves stay under one inch. But so far never the whole tree, but my projects are young and from seed. White oak and closely related bur oak have the coarsest bark of the zone 6 and colder oaks. Coarse bark is a key trait for creating illusion of age. White oak an bur oak should be on the radar for northern growers. Bur oak has geographic races winter hardy through zone 3. Get seed from at least 300 or more miles north of where you are growing. Then you won't have to worry about winter protection.

 

[stu929]

I think you and I share a similar Lat I believe. Around here we have a lot of red oak and pin oak. I have two nursery oaks I was given for free in the ground right now but was essentially talked out of them and planned to give them away because I heard they don’t reduce. My uncle has 100 acres with primarily white oak and cherry and American beach. I could take trees out of there every day and never run out.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I believe you are wrong, North American oak species leaves will reduce, with ramification and time. I had some bur oak leaves stay under one inch. But so far never the whole tree, but my projects are young and from seed. White oak and closely related bur oak have the coarsest bark of the zone 6 and colder oaks. Coarse bark is a key trait for creating illusion of age. White oak an bur oak should be on the radar for northern growers. Bur oak has geographic races winter hardy through zone 3. Get seed from at least 300 or more miles north of where you are growing. Then you won't have to worry about winter protection.

I have only limited experience with eastern white oaks, since I could not keep them on the west coast. However California white oaks (aka valley oaks) will absolutely reduce. The key is to develop ramification and keep the roots confined. If you let the branches and roots run, the leaves get quite large.

I am optimistic about Q. alba since I grew up with them and they are one of my favorite natives.

 

[stu929]

I have only limited experience with eastern white oaks, since I could not keep them on the west coast. However California white oaks (aka valley oaks) will absolutely reduce. The key is to develop ramification and keep the roots confined. If you let the branches and roots run, the leaves get quite large.

I am optimistic about Q. alba since I grew up with them and they are one of my favorite natives.

Unfortunately I only have access to eastern white oaks here.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Unfortunately I only have access to eastern white oaks here.

But that is what we are saying Quercus alba IS worth experimenting with.