Nursery collected oaks

zen

Sweeeeet...

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rockm

I like the oak, not the style you've chosen. The long arching apex branches aren't really live oak as much as they are weeping willow. Oak branches twist and turn laterally. That movement can't really be attained using wire. Hard directional pruning is much much more effective.

If you're interested-- willow oak have a shape all their own in the wild. It's quite striking and would probably be more effective (and easier) than the style you've chosen. It's basically a modified broom, that has branches originating from the mid trunk all the way to the top. The lower branches are heavy and grow laterally, getting less heavy and growing gradually more vertical the closer you get to the apex. Big old Quercus Phellos growing by themselves in the open are typically globular in silhouette.

By growing out a leader on your stump and encouraging back budding on the old wood on the trunk, you could get this image realtively quickly. Allowing the branching to extend for a couple of years, followed by a hard pruning back to an inch or so or new growth will result in branches with alot of the gnarled character typical of oak limbs. The smooth arc and texture of the branches you have now will remain for quite some time and will be very difficult to inject any character into.

BrianBay9

Thanks Rock, I would love to see an example of willow oak in its natural growth form. Got a pic?

Admittedly, this is my first attempt at working with this species. If I don't like the result I can achieve by wiring, I always have the option of directional pruning, but the reverse is not true (ala thread on a "Plan B"). I am hoping I can take advantage of the two long limbs this tree developed, but maybe not. The radical bends can be made by partial breaks, if they heal well. I've got of couple of those accidently, so I'll find out soon enough. The end result will probably be a combination of techniques. I'll post updates on how it goes.

Brian

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rockm

Here are a couple of images:

http://www.fcps.k12.va.us/Stratford.../willow_oak.htm

They're not the biggest or best willow oaks I've seen, but you can get the idea.

You're trying to have it both ways by wiring and deciding to cut this back if wiring fails.

In wiring the branches, you have basically established a curved profilestarting at the trunk. That is a very hard thing to change, once established. If you decide to hard prune, the curve will never look "right" with the branch. If you leave it wired, it will just get "archier." For what it's worth, I am working with Texas live oak (Quercus virginina "fusiformis), which has very similar leaves and structure to willow oak.

I've been working with a large wild collected oak for about six years now. I have found wiring only minimally effective in making satisfying "oak" branches. hard directional pruning give much more convincing results, as it allows you to build in twists and turns laterallly and up and down into the branch. I have also found that this species will push new growth very quickly and strongly. I believe willow oak will too, as it is a strong vigorous species./