Tired of Willow Oaks yet? Here's yet another one

[JasonG]

Jason,
Yeah, I'll see about sending you one.....Might have to wait until next year to get a decent one.

It is pretty cool having some stock growing on my own place

That pic of the radial roots is just a teaser. It's the only one like that so far. All my other trees aren't so nice.
I have found that if I cut the taproot with a sawsall, it does encourage lots of new radial roots.

I'll PM you soon.

Cool! PM me!

The radial roots aren't all that important to me..there are ways to fix them over time and in bonsai, time is something we deal with! I like all the trees you are posting.

See Ya, Jason

 

[TheSteve]

Now if we're going to sending these bad boys out I'm really not THAT far from Jason.

 

[Ang3lfir3]

Hey now!!! I'm not that far either!!!

 

[Jay Wilson]

Now if we're going to sending these bad boys out I'm really not THAT far from Jason.

Hey now!!! I'm not that far either!!!

Have patience my friends Maybe next year.

 

[milehigh_7]

Jay,

I bought two little willow oaks today I will be asking for advice to be sure. Why don't you work up a little article on care, tips and tricks, styling, gotchas etc. and post it.

Thanks for sharing these great trees you seem to have inspired several of us to try them.

 

[Rusty Harris]

rock star of tree world

Here in N. Carolina, the willow oak is sometimes called "the rock star of the tree world" in arborist circles, simply beause, compared to other quercus species, the willow grows fast and dies young. I will describe an example. Some years ago I met a wonderful old (mid eighties) nurseryman. In his yard stood a huge willow oak, I mean two grown men couldn't "hug" this tree, and three men would be seriously stretching to make their fingers touch one another in a "circle hug" of this tree. As I stood and admired this gargantuan beauty, Mr.Brown (the nurseryman) asked me, with a smile " How old you recon that tree is?"
"Two, maybe three hundred years old " I replied.
" I planted that tree, as a whip, in 1947, maybe '48", said Mr. Brown , with that same warming smile.

http://archive.salisburypost.com/ar...&IncludePages=1&IncludeImages=1&mode=allwords


http://archive.salisburypost.com/ar...&IncludePages=1&IncludeImages=1&mode=allwords

 

[TheSteve]

Hey now!!! I'm not that far either!!!

Sorry big guy I'm much closer and I spoke up first.

 

[Jay Wilson]

Here in N. Carolina, the willow oak is sometimes called "the rock star of the tree world"

Aw hell, does this mean I'm gonna have to get my trees an entourage and a limo?

 

[Jay Wilson]

Jay,

Why don't you work up a little article on care, tips and tricks, styling, gotchas etc. and post it.

Well, I tried to write an article once only to find out I'm not a good writer.

I'll try to come up with a few tips though.


I am working on a story titled "Beer- the origin of bonsai?"

 

[milehigh_7]

I am working on a story titled "Beer- the origin of bonsai?"

Beer is the origin of all things good. That is a story I will read!

 

[grog]

I am working on a story titled "Beer- the origin of bonsai?"

You had me at "Beer".

 

[mossbear]

I love the look of your oak- reminds me of a miniature version of the Tree of Death in Sleepy Hollow! I want one now...

 

[subnet_rx]

Willow Oaks are fast growers down here, but the downside is that it doesn't end up with a good form unless pruned correctly. I have a huge one right outside my window and it looks hideous compared to the live oak right beside it. This is not a problem in bonsai though, so I've been wanting to do one. I think it would have to be a 3 to 4 feet size or your internodes would be too long. I rarely see them at nurseries though.

 

[discusmike]

They are all around up here in Maryland,i might have to try one.

 

[Jay Wilson]

Update...

The twigging is getting better, but I have yet to work on the nebari.....
It's been three years in this box, so I'm going to re-pot this spring and try a ground layer or thread graft some roots-which one depends on what I find after bare-rooting.

 

[rockm]

Wow. Coming along quite nicely. You're doing a great job on this tree.

Wonderful species and quite common around these parts.

 

[Rick Moquin]

The twigging is getting better, but I have yet to work on the nebari.....
It's been three years in this box, so I'm going to re-pot this spring and try a ground layer or thread graft some roots-which one depends on what I find after bare-rooting.

Coming along nicely Jay

Wrt the left (now right) branch I think your decision to keep it was an excellent choice as it adds another dimension to your tree. Of course you can always cut it off later, but I would keep it.

How did the ground layer on the other tree fair out that you tried?

 

[Yamadori]

Great improvement on the ramification from your first post. Looks great.

 

[mcpesq817]

First time I've seen this thread - very nice work! In my town, these are planted all over as street trees. I'll have to see if I can find one to work with. The bark on even the younger trees is fantastic.

Do you happen to have a picture in leaf? I was wondering what kind of leaf reduction you are getting.

 

[Jay Wilson]

Thanks Mark, it is a fun and fairly easy species to play with.

Rick, thank you.. Yeah, the sacrifice branch is looking more and more like a keeper. See attached pic for the ground-layer result. I've had very mixed results in trying to ground-layer my native oaks. As often as not, I just get a lot of corky growth and no roots.

Yamadori, it is coming along, thanks.

mcpesq817, thanks, I hope you can find a few to play with. I haven't tried to reduce the leaves much....more trying to bring the twigging back toward the trunk. Here's a pic (taken just before the naked pic) of the tree half defoliated.

Thanks for the interest folks.