Quercus ilex

meushi

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A sapdrawer is a sacrifice branch grown from one of the terminal buds. Basically select one branch line where you won't remove the terminal bud until the desired branch size is obtained.
 

irene_b

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Meushi,

Thank you SOOO much! This fits nicely into Mauro's advice. What exactly is a "sapdrawer"? Is that a sacrifice branch?

My very specific problem is the best way to get these things out of the nursery boxes in which I am sure the roots are a tangled mess. I am concerned as I know the roots are fragile.


Thanks again!
Build a big Box...Slip pot it. Work your mix in with the dirt. In a few years you can then start taking out some roots... I will be removing some roots on mine next year. But after killing so many I am going to go slow...
Irene
(This is what I have done with mine)
 

milehigh_7

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Build a big Box...Slip pot it. Work your mix in with the dirt. In a few years you can then start taking out some roots... I will be removing some roots on mine next year. But after killing so many I am going to go slow...
Irene
(This is what I have done with mine)

Good, maybe I am learning. I was considering making some of Vance's screen side boxes and doing just what you say. Let's do this together and see what happens! I would hate to kill these as they are already between 2.25" and 1.5" caliper with the bark starting to cork up nicely.
 

Mojosan

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Milehigh,

After looking at your pictures, and reading through this thread, I question using these trees for bonsai at this point. What I mean is that they will need to be severely chopped, and this will of course produce a staight, fat stump. Then you will begin a long process of developing the next section of trunk for taper. This will be a long haul, time wise. In the interim, I wouldn't even think about messing with the roots. I'd plant it in the ground, and let it grow (after chopping).
 

milehigh_7

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Milehigh,

After looking at your pictures, and reading through this thread, I question using these trees for bonsai at this point. What I mean is that they will need to be severely chopped, and this will of course produce a staight, fat stump. Then you will begin a long process of developing the next section of trunk for taper. This will be a long haul, time wise. In the interim, I wouldn't even think about messing with the roots. I'd plant it in the ground, and let it grow (after chopping).

Thanks, this is valuable input. I am not planning to use them for bonsai for several years. I am definitely in no hurry.
 

milehigh_7

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New Lesson

Well I did a trunk chop as advised and the lovely little things back budded very nicely from the ground all the way to where I cut. I already have new growth around a foot long.

:D

This is the good news...


The bad news is that in this species if you brush (even lightly) foot long new branches they simply snap off at the base.

:(*sigh*

I thought I would share so others can be careful.
 

milehigh_7

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Update

Here is the lone survivor. Last year I build a 2' x 2' screen side box and popped it in and hoped for the best. It made it through the summer and is pushing leaves on the three remaining branches. I started to carve off the dead stump and I am just in a quandary as to what direction to take this. My decision this year was to let it get stronger for a year while I think.


IMG_20120418_081543.jpg IMG_20120418_081552.jpg IMG_20120418_081628.jpg IMG_20120418_081642.jpg


As always input welcome
 

milehigh_7

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01-06-13 Update

Well it has been nearly three years since I picked this fella up and about two since it was paced in the screened box. I decided to try to get it into a pond basked for a few years and hopefully reduce the mess that the roots were from living in a nursery can its whole life.

Part of my plan is to thread graft branches on either side (green 'x') of the big "knee" root (blue arrow). The way these are with roots I don't dare cut off the big knee.

ThreadGraftPlan.jpg

I dumped it out of the screen box and rinsed the soil off the roots. I was hoping for more fine roots but... not so much.

IMG_0245.jpg IMG_0247.jpg

I cut off as much of the Thumb thick snakes as I dared

IMG_0249.jpg

All settled into it's home for the next couple of years:
IMG_0253.jpg
 

nathanbs

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I know that this is a little late in the game but that is a cork oak(Quercus suber) as Paul said not a holly oak
 
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nathanbs

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there is no mistaking the bark of a quercus suber. The foliage is definitely suber as well. I own both suber and ilex bonsai, and its like Japanese Black Pine to Japanese White Pine once you are used to looking at them.
 

milehigh_7

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there is no mistaking the bark of a quercus suber. The foliage is definitely suber as well. I own both suber and ilex bonsai, and its like Japanese Black Pine to Japanese White Pine once you are used to looking at them.

Please post your Quercus and show the differences for me.
 

augustine

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Also, I believe that Harry has more information on the "sap drawer" in his Bonsai4Me.com website. Look in the species guide for maples.

Best,

Augustine
Central MD - 7A
 

milehigh_7

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there is no mistaking the bark of a quercus suber. The foliage is definitely suber as well. I own both suber and ilex bonsai, and its like Japanese Black Pine to Japanese White Pine once you are used to looking at them.


Yep I just got a bunch of Suber starters and the tree in question is most definitely Suber not Ilex. I have another that was labeled ilex as well and it is quite different.
 

nathanbs

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Sorry just realized that I never provided you pics. Glad you figured it out
 
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