Theory. Need an opinion

[Jnicholes]

Hi,

My oak bonsai is VERY close to going above the soil. I am growing from seed, as I mentioned a while ago.

I noticed something a few days ago while taking a walk. I was looking at oak saplings, and I noticed they were pretty well tapered. They also had great bonsai shape. Zigzagging trunk, tapered look, they looked great.

I noticed the saplings were cut several times throughout the growing seasons. How they were cut, I don’t know, but I could easily tell. It looks like they healed by sending out growth near where it was cut and basically forming a new trunk, explaining the zigzag shape. I also concluded this helped make the tapered look.

Now a scenario. Let’s say I let the trunk of my oak bonsai grow to the desired thickness. I then chop it to right above a new branch. Then I wire the new branch to be a “new” trunk. As soon as the next part reaches the desired thickness, and the tree fully heals, you repeat the process.

Now my question. Is this scenario good to do with Bonsai? I am basically replicating what I see in nature to achieve bonsai shape.

Just curious.

 

[Esolin]

I'm a beginner myself, but I think you're describing a classic bonsai technique.

I saw another video where a guy said he would place a few small rocks over his planted acorns, so that when the sprouted, they developed some natural bends right at the trunk from weaving up between the rocks.

 

[ShadyStump]

Still a noob, but decently read to a point.

What you're describing is EXACTLY how it works, and a very common technique in bonsai. If you can find some info on cut-and-grow techniques, it involves precisely this over the entire tree to obtain the desired structure, and is the original bonsai method from the days before wiring. Different species respond differently to cutting, of course.
Try reading up on the Lingnan school of bonsai. Takes five times as long if it's your sole strategy, but the results are stunning even if not your personal aesthetic cup of tea.

I am basically replicating what I see in nature to achieve bonsai shape.

Can't go wrong with this line of thinking.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Still a noob, but decently read to a point.

What you're describing is EXACTLY how it works, and a very common technique in bonsai. If you can find some info on cut-and-grow techniques, it involves precisely this over the entire tree to obtain the desired structure, and is the original bonsai method from the days before wiring. Different species respond differently to cutting, of course.
Try reading up on the Lingnan school of bonsai. Takes five times as long if it's your sole strategy, but the results are stunning even if not your personal aesthetic cup of tea.

Can't go wrong with this line of thinking.

What he said. However do not necessarily need waiting till last cut heals. All happens in good time.

 

[Shibui]

Pretty much the process many of us use to develop trunks for bonsai. I make the first cut well before the trunk has reached desired thickness as it will continue to expand as the subsequent sections are grown. I also get better tapered trunks bu cutting earlier and allowing several of the resulting shoots grow upward. Their combined growth will thicken the lower trunk the same as a single thick leader but when pruning comes there will be several smaller cuts to heal. Each of the leaders grows at a different angle thus offering more choices for your zigzags. Several leaders will also add thickness at slightly different places which tends to enhance the taper of the lower trunk.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Growing out a new leader... common practice in bonsai. Helps create taper and movement those chops.

 

[Jnicholes]

Thank you all. I appreciate the input. My oak germinated this morning. I’m excited.

My basic idea is to work WITH nature to achieve great bonsai shape. This way, the tree looks more natural. That plus observation is what led to this theory I made, which as you guys pointed out, is actually a common bonsai technique.

By the way, here’s a picture of my baby oak. Just germinated this morning.



Welcome to the world, little oak!

 

[Bnana]

If there are oaks that are cut this way they are either from someone that grows them for bonsai or they're just cut because someone didn't want trees there. Might be a nice source for some more developed trees.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

It might be helpful to get some more acorns to experiment with. If you have a tray or two of them, you can experiment with different techniques without being too concerned if you lose a few along the way. An eventually you can keep only the ones that have more potential.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Perfectly normal for oak seeds, acorns, to send out a root in autumn, and then sit dormant until spring, before putting out a stem and leaves. They need to be kept cool or cold during this winter resting period. You still have a few weeks, or month or so before spring comes to Boise.

 

[Jnicholes]

It might be helpful to get some more acorns to experiment with. If you have a tray or two of them, you can experiment with different techniques without being too concerned if you lose a few along the way. An eventually you can keep only the ones that have more potential.

I can go back to the Mother tree and get some more acorns, then. You have a good point.

Fortunately, it’s just a short bike ride away.

 

[Jnicholes]

Perfectly normal for oak seeds, acorns, to send out a root in autumn, and then sit dormant until spring, before putting out a stem and leaves. They need to be kept cool or cold during this winter resting period. You still have a few weeks, or month or so before spring comes to Boise.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but did I germinate this acorn a little too early?

If I did, I can just get another acorn and germinate it when the time comes. No issue, because now I know how to germinate them!

 

[LittleDingus]

I can go back to the Mother tree and get some more acorns, then. You have a good point.

Fortunately, it’s just a short bike ride away.

If there are acorns left, they are rotten. Acorns don't last long once they fall. EVERYTHING eats them It's best practice to pull them off the tree if you're going to grow them. I doubt you'll find any acorns now. If you do, they will very likely have bugs or else they would have been carted away already.

If there are some on the tree still, it's probably a 2 year oak. Many red oaks take 2 years to mature acorns. Green acorns won't germinate.

Many oaks mast. They don't give reliable crops every year. But then, one year, there will be a bumper crop! I really wanted to collect some chinquapin acorns this past fall. I went out early and scouted a number or trees. There weren't many acorns this year. I found a few clumps of acorns and watched them every few days so I could collect them before the squirrels! The squirrels beet me to the most promising, easiest for my to collect acorns. I did manage to collect about 20 that are in a pot in the garage safe from the squirrels.

Do you know what kind yours is? That would help you research when the best time to collect more acorns would be

On the grow/chop/grow/chop cycle...you do need to let the trunk thicken before you chop. Once you chop, that section of trunk will not thicken much until the growth above it gets close to the original size again. This of it this way, if I cut a 6" pipe and connect a 1" pipe to it, I still have plenty of capacity in the 6" pipe so no need to upgrade it. Your tree will work similar. Once you chop, the new growth will be thinner for a while. The trunk won't need to grow much/at all to supply the needs of the new growth. Only once the new growth exceeds the demands of the original trunk will the trunk start to grow appreciably again. If you chop every year, you don't get stellar taper...you get a short tree.

 

[Shibui]

Correct me if I’m wrong, but did I germinate this acorn a little too early?

Seeds generally germinate when conditions feel right. Over here the acorns start to germinate soon after they hit the ground as it does not get too cold. Where you are your seedling probably needs some protection from the really cold temps you can get. i assume you have it indoors or at least in a sheltered place for it to have germinated now. Just keep it where it is until temps are better in spring. It will manage a few degrees below freezing if necessary.

 

[sorce]

Just germinated this morning.

Chop it!

Sorce

 

[Bnana]

Chop it!

Sorce

Or place in in a dark spot, than it becomes literati.

 

[Jnicholes]

Here is the Mother tree. I finally got the picture.