bonsaiTALK Community - View Single Post - Coastal Live Oak Qs & help.

Hi Hack,

The oaks are a wonderful genus of plants to work with for bonsai. I posted a page to some collecting photos earlier. If you seach on oak you will probably find it.

Quercus suber, the cork oak is a popular plant for bonsai as the corky bark is very unique.

We fertilize with organic fertilizer. Miracid can help to lower the pH of your soil. Leaves tend to water spot on oaks. Nothing terrible, just a little unsightly if you have hard water. Drainage should be very good. Many oaks are adapted to dry climates where their roots run deep.

Wire and twist branches into curliques. You can wire the branch and then wrap it around your finger a couple of times. Most of it will be cut off. Clip and grow works well, but to get an oakish appearance you sometimes need to cut to a bud growing in the "wrong" direction (upwards or toward the interior of the tree, so that you can later reverse the direction (down and out) so as to create the switchbacks and general graceful zaniness that is the habit of the tree.

Left to its own devices, you will wind up with a small shrub with many straight branches! Be sure to repot oak well before the buds break.

Regards,

Matt.

9-Dec-2001	#2
TreeBay Tips:5¢ Advice:Free *MODERATOR GROUP* Join Date: Aug-2001 Location: Silicon Valley Country: USA USDA Zone: 9 AHS Heat Zone: 4 Posts: 9,745	Re: Coastal Live Oak Qs & help. Hi Hack, The oaks are a wonderful genus of plants to work with for bonsai. I posted a page to some collecting photos earlier. If you seach on oak you will probably find it. Quercus suber, the cork oak is a popular plant for bonsai as the corky bark is very unique. We fertilize with organic fertilizer. Miracid can help to lower the pH of your soil. Leaves tend to water spot on oaks. Nothing terrible, just a little unsightly if you have hard water. Drainage should be very good. Many oaks are adapted to dry climates where their roots run deep. Wire and twist branches into curliques. You can wire the branch and then wrap it around your finger a couple of times. Most of it will be cut off. Clip and grow works well, but to get an oakish appearance you sometimes need to cut to a bud growing in the "wrong" direction (upwards or toward the interior of the tree, so that you can later reverse the direction (down and out) so as to create the switchbacks and general graceful zaniness that is the habit of the tree. Left to its own devices, you will wind up with a small shrub with many straight branches! Be sure to repot oak well before the buds break. Regards, Matt. __________________ Want to be a seller on bonsaiAUCTIONS? Get authorized today! bonsaiTALK: Over 100,005.36 Megabytes Served this Month!