Calif. Live Oak

denny

hi all,long time no see.
i been trying to bulk out the folage on this tree for years.what i been doing is topping the branch each time one starts.the leaves are tiny when the branch begins and its really not working that well,im wondering now if maybe i should instead let the branch grow,and the leaves mature before i top it.
what do you think?
thanks,
denny

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Denny
Still Growing in zone 9
So.Cal.

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DNA Perfect

Got any pics? Did you grown the oak from seed? Ive tried many times to did up oaks here in California. They always have this HUGE taproot that goes straight down with little side roots. The only way I could get one was by ground layering it. Actually I haven't cut the tree off yet. Its still up on this shady hill near my home.
Regards,
Ken

TreeBay

What do you mean by

"bulk out the foliage"

This is not a familiar term

Regards,

Matt

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Tony

Hi denny, long time indeed. Like the others, I'm not quite sure what stage of development your tree is at. Usually you bulk up the foilage when you are growing the trunk to the size you want. Small leaves and refining of branches comes latter.

Tony

TreeBay

Hey is that Denny? I thought I recognized the Logo out of the corner of my eye. I was thinking about you the other day. How's that li'l dog of yours?

Regards,

Matt

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denny

got a new computer and havnt got the camera up and running yet.
thanks for the thoughts matt.
bulk up the folage=make it bushier,more leaves.is there a word im missing here?
i too thought of the trunk when i said bulk tony,but i couldnt think of the right word,duh.

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Denny
Still Growing in zone 9
So.Cal.

denny

DNAP,
it came up in one of my dads garden pots and he just kept on watering it not even knowing what it was.crow hid it there no doutb. so when dad died some 12 years ago i brought it home.
i think its ready for a pot as far as the trunk goes,but the folage has always been really sparce.

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Denny
Still Growing in zone 9
So.Cal.

BrianBay9

The live oaks (Q. agrifolia) I've got seem to ramify pretty well with standard "pinching" techniques. On new growth cut off everything but the first 2 - 4 leaves. Repeat.

By the way, 've collected them without much regard to their roots - severed the tap root and took what I could get. All but one have lived when collected in "winter" (Jan, Feb).


Brian

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Robert

Hi Denny,
Brian's advice about "pinching" works well with me too.....and as far as collecting Q. Agrifoliua, you can cut them just below the soil line....with NO roots, (do it in the middle of February), completely defoliate them, plant them in a course mix, put a little heat under them, and in all liklihood they will set new roots and leaf out in the spring. I've had success with this method and timing......in Northern California.
I enjoy doing oaks from acorns too, but the real exitement is to find a tree with a thick trunk and which has been "pruned" by cattle or deer over the years and then successfully collect it......within a few years you can have a masterpiece. The "acorn twigs" are fun too, espcially when you wire them and crank down on the trunks for some very interesting contorted shohin.
Enjoy,

Robert.............in Sta.Cruz

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Robert.........in Sta.Cruz