Youngling
Yamadori
Thank you! I don't know why but these very small trees awaken a different feeling, almost like seeing a puppy or kitten.
Just cant leave them alone and end up giving them more attention and care than the overgrown ones that actually need it.
Wulfskaar
Omono
Do these ideas apply to Coast Live Oaks?
Youngling
Yamadori
Sorry i have no experience with Coast Live Oak, perhaps @Bonsai Nut can help.
Bonsai Nut
Nuttier than your average Nut
Coast live oak, though a broad-leaf evergreen like cork oak, is not nearly as strong or as fast-growing. I would hesitate before I tried a defoliation on any of the California live oak species (coast, valley, etc). Someone else may have done it, but I have not.
BrianBay9
Masterpiece
I defoliate collected coast live oak immediately after collection, and get a strong response. After that I take a more traditional approach - harden off new growth, cut back to a couple of leaves, repeat. They will give you three flushes of growth in California, but I leave the last flush alone until spring.
Valley oak are deciduous so they defoliate themselves. I treat those like most deciduous trees - prune in early winter after leave drop. They back bud readily and can give two or three rounds of new growth per year.
Bonsai Nut
Nuttier than your average Nut
My memory is getting the best of me. I own a few valley oaks. I own a few blue oaks. I own a few coast live oaks. I thought there was such a thing as valley live oak... but apparently there is not
I looked up west coast live oaks and all I see is coast, canyon, interior... but no valley Since I moved here to NC I've been giving valley oaks to people as gifts
Youngling
Yamadori
The response to the pruning:
Youngling
Yamadori
Tamed some runners again 16 Jan 2025:
Youngling
Yamadori
Response. Current state:
I am trying my best to keep the balance between shoots without hard cut back, which I plan on doing in early Spring. Or maybe even Late Summer.
My initial plan was to let it grow throughout spring and summer then cut back in early fall, but its much more vigorous than last years.
I am trying my best to keep the balance between shoots without hard cut back, which I plan on doing in early Spring. Or maybe even Late Summer.
My initial plan was to let it grow throughout spring and summer then cut back in early fall, but its much more vigorous than last years.
Youngling
Yamadori
Youngling
Yamadori
WNC Bonsai
Masterpiece
I am still blown away by how much reduction in leaf size you are getting! It is early spring here and mine spent the winter in my greenhouse. I am about to chop it back to a bare stump and wondered did you immediately get your new backbuds after the initial chop? Also did you wait until apical buds were expanding before doing the chop?
WNC Bonsai
Masterpiece
Well, I finally bit the bullet and gave this a try—and it works!
This is my cork oak after about 3 years of growth. I got this from @Eric Schrader a couple of years ago. I have just let it grow with only minimal pruning.
So on March 27 2025 I chopped it back. Just in case I left one lower branch with a single leaf.
And here it is a month later on April 29. At this point I have pruned back some of the more aggressive growth to encourage the lower buds to develop. There are still about 8 buds waiting to open. Hopefully by cutting back the terminal buds on the extended branches those new buds will go ahead and develop.
This is my cork oak after about 3 years of growth. I got this from @Eric Schrader a couple of years ago. I have just let it grow with only minimal pruning.
So on March 27 2025 I chopped it back. Just in case I left one lower branch with a single leaf.
And here it is a month later on April 29. At this point I have pruned back some of the more aggressive growth to encourage the lower buds to develop. There are still about 8 buds waiting to open. Hopefully by cutting back the terminal buds on the extended branches those new buds will go ahead and develop.
Youngling
Yamadori
Sorry for the late reply. Time passes real quick once you've got a little Bonsai person in your life.
You've got some great material for this, nice low down bends and off to a great start. Well done!
It is basically winter here, some stubborn trees still hanging on to leaves. Come spring i will be performing another chop or hard cut on this guy, force budding lower down for a more compact tree...
The bare 'right' side always bothered me with that one stubborn bud that just won't take off.
I will update once I've got something to work with again.
I will use the first branch as new leader.
I think the trick with these is to tame the runners to maintain compactness. Otherwise they get too strong and the smaller type of growth you want will become too weak.
They will take an initial chop and root prune with ease if they are strong and growing well.
I've got another, bit bigger one with good potential. I might start a thread on it.
You've got some great material for this, nice low down bends and off to a great start. Well done!
It is basically winter here, some stubborn trees still hanging on to leaves. Come spring i will be performing another chop or hard cut on this guy, force budding lower down for a more compact tree...
The bare 'right' side always bothered me with that one stubborn bud that just won't take off.
I will update once I've got something to work with again.
I will use the first branch as new leader.
I think the trick with these is to tame the runners to maintain compactness. Otherwise they get too strong and the smaller type of growth you want will become too weak.
They will take an initial chop and root prune with ease if they are strong and growing well.
I've got another, bit bigger one with good potential. I might start a thread on it.
WNC Bonsai
Masterpiece
Yes, Mine has now started putting out side branches on the branches and I’ve removed the growing tips to try and encourage even more budding before the summer dormancy begins.
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