Hi, I am new this forum and I am seeking some advice on starting a bonsai. I have been an amateur gardener for just over a year, and I have always been interested in trying to "bonsai."
A cork oak was given to me as a going away present. They are amazing trees and I wanted to keep it as a bonsai as I have no place for it. So I have been looking up all kinds of information on keeping cork oak and making it into a bonsai and I wanted some advice on caring for it.
Currently the cork oak is a sapling about 15 in tall with 3-5 branches and the trunk 1/2 in in diameter inside a 1/2 gallon tank, like a typical seedling. I am curious about how I should start it as a bonsai. My plan of attack, was re-potting it into a wider but shallow pot and pruning it into a small tree. As for pruning, when is the best time to start pruning the cork oak? What kind of soil would be best for a cork oak, and when do cork oaks go dormant? Since its a Mediterranean tree, wouldn't that be summer? Most of the information I have found are about deciduous oaks, and cork oaks are evergreen and specially adapted to a Mediterranean climate, which is kind of giving me a lot of uncertainty.
This also brings me to my next problem. I currently in Southern California, but I have to go to Syracuse, New York for school. I planned on bringing the bonsai there and trying to keep it alive. Is keeping a cork oak in a temperate, "4 season climate" feasible? I could take it inside and leave it next to the window for the worst parts of winter. I read that cork oaks cannot handle anything below 14 degrees but they can handle freezing temperatures. So could I keep it alive as long as I kept it safe from the cold? Course, if I keep it inside then sunlight becomes an issue.
Anyways, thanks for reading my novel of a post. I tried to be thorough in describing my problem.
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TomM
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Qiutian,
Welcome to the forum. Hope you enjoy it here.
You have presented a rather unique situation and some tough questions. Cork Oak from San Diego to Syracuse. Now that'is a challenge!
Sorry, I know next to nothing about this tree other than what you have told us. Zero experience. But I certainly do dabble in bonsai and I know Syracuse - living about one hour to the East. San Diego? Beautiful, warm - and I have a niece there. But back to you issues.
Little trees don't like being moved around. Especially out of their comfort zone. They sulk, they get very confused, they drop leaves - sometimes they die. Trying to re-acclimate to a totally new environment is very stressful to a young sapling, temperature, lighting, humidity, etc. All so vastly different.
Syracuse (zone 5) has brutal Winter weather. Snow capital of the East. If you plan to keep your tree in a cool greenhouse it MIGHT have a chance for survival. Probably not in a dorm room or apartment. Just not enough like its home. Not at all like Mediterranean or SoCal. Not an indoor tree.
You might want to contact the Bonsai Club of Central New York for any additional advice - https://sites.google.com/site/cnybonsai/
Or, if at all possible, you might arrange for your tree to be kept in San Diego - with reliable friends with some knowledge of trees, while you study landscape architecture back East. If cared for properly it will have grown, thickened up, and matured just as you have over a few years. Then you will have better material from which to create a nice bonsai.
I hope this has helped - and not sounded too negative.
Tom
Welcome to the forum. Hope you enjoy it here.
You have presented a rather unique situation and some tough questions. Cork Oak from San Diego to Syracuse. Now that'is a challenge!
Sorry, I know next to nothing about this tree other than what you have told us. Zero experience. But I certainly do dabble in bonsai and I know Syracuse - living about one hour to the East. San Diego? Beautiful, warm - and I have a niece there. But back to you issues.
Little trees don't like being moved around. Especially out of their comfort zone. They sulk, they get very confused, they drop leaves - sometimes they die. Trying to re-acclimate to a totally new environment is very stressful to a young sapling, temperature, lighting, humidity, etc. All so vastly different.
Syracuse (zone 5) has brutal Winter weather. Snow capital of the East. If you plan to keep your tree in a cool greenhouse it MIGHT have a chance for survival. Probably not in a dorm room or apartment. Just not enough like its home. Not at all like Mediterranean or SoCal. Not an indoor tree.
You might want to contact the Bonsai Club of Central New York for any additional advice - https://sites.google.com/site/cnybonsai/
Or, if at all possible, you might arrange for your tree to be kept in San Diego - with reliable friends with some knowledge of trees, while you study landscape architecture back East. If cared for properly it will have grown, thickened up, and matured just as you have over a few years. Then you will have better material from which to create a nice bonsai.
I hope this has helped - and not sounded too negative.
Tom
You'll have to make sure that there is a place where you can keep it outside. This isn't always possible in dorms, but usually fine if you're sharing a home or apartment.
They can be kept outside to below freezing, that's for sure, but probably not *much* below. I'm not too far from Syracuse, and our winters are similar. But, I would not keep cork oak, or any "warm temperate" tree outside year round. So, you're also going to have to make sure you have access to something like an unheated but attached garage, or something like that, that will keep the tree slightly warmer than the outside environment and also protect from the elements. A heated shed or greenhouse would also work. If not, your best bet is to leave it home for the semester.
They can be kept outside to below freezing, that's for sure, but probably not *much* below. I'm not too far from Syracuse, and our winters are similar. But, I would not keep cork oak, or any "warm temperate" tree outside year round. So, you're also going to have to make sure you have access to something like an unheated but attached garage, or something like that, that will keep the tree slightly warmer than the outside environment and also protect from the elements. A heated shed or greenhouse would also work. If not, your best bet is to leave it home for the semester.
I am very partial to trees hearty to the northeast.
You have a challenging peice of foraging work before you. Without any guarentee of success. Your oak is not hearty at Syracuse NY--for the winter.
Your gonna have to find a sheltered space. it might be a garage, it might be a cold frame or unheated green house. Just berming the pot in the ground come Columbus day isn't gonna be enough shelter. One the flip-side indoors is too much and too dry.
if you do not think you can find such a space, its gotta stay back on the left-coast.
Repotting and pruning are spring time projects.
You have a challenging peice of foraging work before you. Without any guarentee of success. Your oak is not hearty at Syracuse NY--for the winter.
Your gonna have to find a sheltered space. it might be a garage, it might be a cold frame or unheated green house. Just berming the pot in the ground come Columbus day isn't gonna be enough shelter. One the flip-side indoors is too much and too dry.
if you do not think you can find such a space, its gotta stay back on the left-coast.
Repotting and pruning are spring time projects.
I don't know about that Tom, I've been keeping Virginia Live Oaks indoors for 3 or 4 years now, no problems. If it's an evergreen, it *might* do okay provided that cold house conditions are maintained. IOW, it might be worth a shot if you keep it out until temps drop below 40ºF consistently, and then bring it IN when temps go below 30ºF, bringing it out of dormany for an early spring. It *might* work. But, on more than a start, I would not want to try it.
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Qiutian
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- Location: San Diego, CA or Syracuse, NY
Yeah I was thinking it would be crazy to try a cork oak in Syracuse. Although, Now that I have read so much about bonsais, maybe I will try to start something in Syracuse. I don't think I want to risk losing such an impressive tree with such a huge shift.
Given the oak's current size, how long would it take before it reaches proper size to make it into a bonsai? Do I wait until its trunk thickens and it matures or do I start training it to be small when its a sapling? I was thinking about keeping it 2-3 feet tall, so not an enormous bonsai.
If I am home in August, December, and May every year would that also allow me enough time to care for it? I was told cork oaks mature fast, but is that like 6 months or 3 years?
Also, thanks for the replies guys. I'm probably going to keep it at home, but I just need to figure out how big its going to get and where to go from there.
Given the oak's current size, how long would it take before it reaches proper size to make it into a bonsai? Do I wait until its trunk thickens and it matures or do I start training it to be small when its a sapling? I was thinking about keeping it 2-3 feet tall, so not an enormous bonsai.
If I am home in August, December, and May every year would that also allow me enough time to care for it? I was told cork oaks mature fast, but is that like 6 months or 3 years?
Also, thanks for the replies guys. I'm probably going to keep it at home, but I just need to figure out how big its going to get and where to go from there.
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TomM
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OK - it's currently 15 in. high and you want a 'finished' bonsai of 2-3 feet? This will take many years.
The sapling must be allowed to grow freely for 2-5 years, then chopped back to a point where a low upward growing branch can be trained as a new 'leader'. Then allowed to grow freely again for a few years more and chopped again. Process repeated again. This grows the trunk out and provides taper. Branch pruning is similar and 'training of branches' begins with wiring, placement, and some removal. Backbudding will provide new side branching and future ramification to fill in the bonsai design over time.
All this may sound time consuming, and it is. Patience is required. Learn all you can about this species. Leaf size is a big issue with oaks, and is the reason that they are not among the most popular as bonsai.
Can you provide a pic of yours?
Tom
The sapling must be allowed to grow freely for 2-5 years, then chopped back to a point where a low upward growing branch can be trained as a new 'leader'. Then allowed to grow freely again for a few years more and chopped again. Process repeated again. This grows the trunk out and provides taper. Branch pruning is similar and 'training of branches' begins with wiring, placement, and some removal. Backbudding will provide new side branching and future ramification to fill in the bonsai design over time.
All this may sound time consuming, and it is. Patience is required. Learn all you can about this species. Leaf size is a big issue with oaks, and is the reason that they are not among the most popular as bonsai.
Can you provide a pic of yours?
Tom
"Bonsai are one of the few pets that will outlive you."
I stole that off an Iowa bonsai club home page.
Speaking only for myself. Starting off on bonsai without a mentor or club to lean on, is rather like starting off a carreer as a boxer. Your gonna step in a lot of post-holes (post-hole stepping is the gait of a boxer getting beaten up).
If your tough enough to get up off the floor after a whupping, you might make it as a boxer. For bonsai, its letting go of the trees that got away (died), and starting over.
Fun northeastern hearty trees that are (often) unwanted, and worth the trouble to train: Larch, upland blueberry, crab apple, quince, spruce. Forage for 'em, get permission, grow from there.
I stole that off an Iowa bonsai club home page.
Speaking only for myself. Starting off on bonsai without a mentor or club to lean on, is rather like starting off a carreer as a boxer. Your gonna step in a lot of post-holes (post-hole stepping is the gait of a boxer getting beaten up).
If your tough enough to get up off the floor after a whupping, you might make it as a boxer. For bonsai, its letting go of the trees that got away (died), and starting over.
Fun northeastern hearty trees that are (often) unwanted, and worth the trouble to train: Larch, upland blueberry, crab apple, quince, spruce. Forage for 'em, get permission, grow from there.