Advice Needed on Seasonal Work

[Prismile]

Hello! I'd like your thoughts on seasonal work for costal redwoods, trident maples/Japanese maples, cork oak, and cork elm. When would be the best time for making styling decisions resulting in heavy cutback? I'm in northern California where temps don't drop lower than 45 degrees at its coldest point.

I can provide pictures as well - I recently obtained nursery stock that I'd like to work on, but am not sure if it is the right time to do so. What would be appropriate to do now as we head into February? Should I repot the nursery stock now and wait to work on them as we get closer to spring?

Any help is appreciated!

 

[Adamski77]

First of all... I think you can find plenty of information on this forum as well as in the internet... start with that. Your question is relatively broad but all trees you mentioned are deciduous trees so there will be some similarities. I would start watching some deciduous guides... either on YouTube or on some other websites... Mirai/Bonsai-U (both have great videos on deciduous seasonal schedule)... and develop initial knowledge base. Than start clarifying with members here on particular issues that are still not entirely clear.

 

[Shibui]

all trees you mentioned are deciduous trees so there will be some similarities.

Down here coast redwood and cork oak are evergreen.

What you do and how much you do depends on how advanced and healthy the trees are. Some pictures would help us give much better advice.

In warmer climates Maples tend to bleed a lot when pruned in late winter or 'before bud burst' so I tend to prune soon after leaf drop or later in spring when the leaves have hardened off. The exception is when I'm root pruning as root pruning seems to stop any bleeding.
I repot and root prune tridents any time from mid winter through to leaf out in spring. Japanese maples are a little more sensitive so they get root pruned and repotted closer to spring. Both can take significant root reduction without ill effects.

I'll need to see the cork elm as different people use the same name for different species. Generally elms do better when repotted and root pruned closer to leaf out in spring but some elms shoot very early in warmer climes so let the tree be your guide here. Pruning can be done any time of year.

Oaks, including cork oak, do not seem to appreciate radical root reduction so smaller root trimming more often seems to be better than occasional bulk root pruning. Cut back can be done any time.

Coast redwood is one species I have little experience with but I would be happy to chop or prune any time and repot/root prune in spring like other conifers. Prune any time of year.