Advice on where to chop newly collected oaks

[Big Country Bonsai]

Hey guys, new to bonsai and I could really use some advice on where to cut my trees to give them the greatest chance to become a bonsai at some point. I read that oaks can be collected in late summer so hopefully I’m not completely wrong. Any general advice is appreciated. I believe this is a Quercus buckleyi.

 

[Johnathan]

Oaks are a mystery lol some people say fall, some say spring is best for collecting. Probably depends on where you collected it and what it was growing in.... But, nevertheless, if they were just collected recently, just leave them like that for a year and then chop in Spring of 2020. Some more experienced people will reply with suggestions on how to winter it. Unheated Garage should be fine I think.

Also, next time I'm in Dallas you have to take me oak hunting with you since I responded first!!

 

[Big Country Bonsai]

Few more pics. It had some pretty nice feeder roots I think.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Horticultural knowledge/instinct tells me Foliage was needed to put energy back into root system before Fall dormancy. Cutting roots/removing foliage brutally shocking tree so late in season when cannot regrow solar panels(leaves)puts tree in negative/negative energy state with no way to recover. If tree regrows in Spring give best care possible. Hope for its health and survival is slim.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Chopping (english) oaks after collection is what I found they do all by themselves. They die back to the roots sometimes, leaving around 97% of the trunk dead.

I collect them in spring with success. In summer with failure (leafed out) and I haven't done it in fall yet.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I'm up North, so really don't know how autumn collecting will fare in Dallas area.

A tip, when you collected this clump, your initial chops should have left the largest diameter trunk as the longest, the next largest should be about 2/3rds the height of the largest diameter. Third trunk about 2/3rds of second and so on.

If you have no obvious budding out now, probably not too late to adjust heights of these trunks.