Cork Oak Pruning - Back Budding

[sbap]

Hello,

I have a cork oak that I repotted back in February of this year and it seems to be doing just fine - but I am looking to perhaps clean it up a bit and bring the growth in. I have a couple of questions before I do so though...

Is it okay to prune it mid summer? I'm in San Diego and it has only recently begun to feel like summer here - we've got probably 3-4 months of warm summer weather ahead of us... Or should I let it run for a bit since I repotted it earlier this year.

Also with regard to the attached pictures - I wanted to make the branches less leggy - can I prune the branches below the leaves and still get back budding? And will it only bud from what I am assuming are the buds (those that I circled) or will a cork oak bud from other spots along those branches too?

Thanks for any input!

 

[Shibui]

Oaks have prominent resting buds so easy to see where to cut back. Those obvious buds will sprout easily.
Oaks generally also have hidden dormant buds further back on older wood so they will often sprout quite a way back after hard pruning but that seems to get increasingly hit and miss with the age of the wood and bark covering the buds. Best to rely on buds you can see and hope for more buds on older wood.
Pruning any time of year is OK. In nature trees get damaged at all times of the year - storms, browsing animals, drought, snow, etc. Trees would not have survived for millions of years if they only recovered from damage at certain short times of the year. The only thing is that response to pruning will vary depending on time of year. Temperate species pruned later in summer or fall may not regrow until the following spring. Regrowth at some times will be strong and vigorous and after pruning at other times of year can be smaller but generally, trees will respond to pruning any time. I have noticed my cork and English oaks tend to only grow once a year so often wait for spring to shoot but others have commented that theirs seem to shoot several times each year after similar trimming. That's anecdotal so should be taken with a grain of salt. See what happens with your trees in your area.

 

[sbap]

Oaks have prominent resting buds so easy to see where to cut back. Those obvious buds will sprout easily.
Oaks generally also have hidden dormant buds further back on older wood so they will often sprout quite a way back after hard pruning but that seems to get increasingly hit and miss with the age of the wood and bark covering the buds. Best to rely on buds you can see and hope for more buds on older wood.
Pruning any time of year is OK. In nature trees get damaged at all times of the year - storms, browsing animals, drought, snow, etc. Trees would not have survived for millions of years if they only recovered from damage at certain short times of the year. The only thing is that response to pruning will vary depending on time of year. Temperate species pruned later in summer or fall may not regrow until the following spring. Regrowth at some times will be strong and vigorous and after pruning at other times of year can be smaller but generally, trees will respond to pruning any time. I have noticed my cork and English oaks tend to only grow once a year so often wait for spring to shoot but others have commented that theirs seem to shoot several times each year after similar trimming. That's anecdotal so should be taken with a grain of salt. See what happens with your trees in your area.

Thanks for the information! I'll prune some of the branches and see how they react - I think I have more than enough summer coming up for the tree to throw some buds...

 

[milehigh_7]

Obviously depending on the strength of the roots supporting it, you will be fine. They normally respond quite aggressively to pruning.

 

[AJL]

Oaks have prominent resting buds so easy to see where to cut back. Those obvious buds will sprout easily.
Oaks generally also have hidden dormant buds further back on older wood so they will often sprout quite a way back after hard pruning but that seems to get increasingly hit and miss with the age of the wood and bark covering the buds. Best to rely on buds you can see and hope for more buds on older wood.
Pruning any time of year is OK. In nature trees get damaged at all times of the year - storms, browsing animals, drought, snow, etc. Trees would not have survived for millions of years if they only recovered from damage at certain short times of the year. The only thing is that response to pruning will vary depending on time of year. Temperate species pruned later in summer or fall may not regrow until the following spring. Regrowth at some times will be strong and vigorous and after pruning at other times of year can be smaller but generally, trees will respond to pruning any time. I have noticed my cork and English oaks tend to only grow once a year so often wait for spring to shoot but others have commented that theirs seem to shoot several times each year after similar trimming. That's anecdotal so should be taken with a grain of salt. See what happens with your trees in your area.

Deciduous British native Oaks, Q robur and Q petraea in southern Britain normally have a second flush of growth later in summer - known as Lammas growth, so you may expect some sprouting in response to pruning in summer- but best not leave it too late, Im not familiar with your weather patterns- how long is your growing season?
My evergreen Holm Oak , Q ilex which is similar to Cork Oak has re-sprouted vigorously after I cut -back in May and Im tempted to prune it again now to bring the growth in further and shape it, but Im not sure how it would respond to harder pruning this late in the year?

 

[Bonsai Nut]

At this time of year, you are ok to prune your cork oak in San Diego. I don't prune anything once you hit October until the tree wakes up the following spring.

 

[Shibui]

Deciduous British native Oaks, Q robur and Q petraea in southern Britain normally have a second flush of growth later in summer - known as Lammas growth, so you may expect some sprouting in response to pruning in summer- but best not leave it too late, Im not familiar with your weather patterns- how long is your growing season?

Great info. Thanks for posting.
Growing season depends how you define 'growing'. 'Frost free' was previously considered from Early November through to March but most trees are budding well before November and often still growing into April and May. Change in climate seems to have pushed 'frost free' back 2-4 weeks in recent years.
I guess OP has a similar or even longer growing season given the USDA zone 10a.

 

[Tieball]

Deciduous British native Oaks, Q robur and Q petraea in southern Britain normally have a second flush of growth later in summer - known as Lammas growth, so you may expect some sprouting in response to pruning in summer- but best not leave it too late, Im not familiar with your weather patterns- how long is your growing season?
My evergreen Holm Oak , Q ilex which is similar to Cork Oak has re-sprouted vigorously after I cut -back in May and Im tempted to prune it again now to bring the growth in further and shape it, but Im not sure how it would respond to harder pruning this late in the year?

My oaks are similar with a middle summer new growth. This growth just started for me a couple days ago. The new bud growth is quick. Not everywhere on the tree…. unpredictable. When branches are cut back in the start of my spring season, at late winter just before bud swell in April, many of the dormant buds on branches and on the trunk will open. There are always plenty of dormant buds waiting in line to open.