Oak not breaking dormancy?

[leatherback]

Has someone mentioned that Oaks are late budders

Instead of scratching and breaking branches, I think it is a good skill to have to just look at the bark of twigs. Normally in early spring healthy branches have a light gloss, whereas dead branches stay wrinkled, mottled. If you look for it, over time you will quite reliably spot it. Also, wetting the young branches will often show brown or green shine.

 

[BrianBay9]

I've got about 20 coast live oaks (Q agrifolia). Some start early, some start late.

 

[Perrywinkle]

Small update: I still have seen no movement or swelling of buds on the oak. I have been taking care of the tree as normal, being careful not to overwater. The last of the wild trees are now starting to bud out, but I will still wait to see what mine does. I have noticed that wild trees that suffered significant dieback are only now beginning to wake up, so maybe my little oak is still waiting. Will update in a couple of weeks.

 

[BrightsideB]

I have several oaks that haven’t broke dormancy as well. They are always late. My white oaks just broke last weeks here in north Georgia. I’d just be patient.

 

[Hack Yeah!]

Good luck, I believe I have a GA oak as well, it's been awake for weeks...

 

[parhamr]

I am also anxiously awaiting the spring growth of an oak. This is a Quercus garryana, the Oregon White Oak.

Here it is today: (late winter storm plus lots of overnight lows in the mid 30s)


But this was April 16, 2020 (a mild winter)


And this was April 5, 2019 (also pretty mild)


And finally, March 31, 2017: (the exhaust vent of a restaurant kitchen kept my trees warm)


Oak budding is a cruel game

 

[ShadyStump]

No idea what variety it is, but the big oak in my back yard has just barely started to pop on a couple branches. The Gambel's scrub oak that grow wild around here haven't popped at all yet.
I'm on the same train as the others here. It's just up to the individual and species.

 

[Perrywinkle]

@parhamr that first picture looks exactly like my oak. Even down to the couple buds that have broken off lol

 

[parhamr]

@parhamr that first picture looks exactly like my oak. Even down to the couple buds that have broken off lol

Ha! Were your buds green on the inside?

My buds look alive and the branches are also looking good. I have a minor worry I watered my oak a little bit too much in the last month.

 

[LittleDingus]

The Gambel's scrub oak that grow wild around here haven't popped at all yet.
I'm on the same train as the others here. It's just up to the individual and species.

My gambel is almost entirely leafed out already...it's still a toddler though...



Most of my live oaks have also tossed new growth...they cheat though...they never lost their old growth

Suber:


Virginiana:


My native oaks? They're a stubborn lot! These are the only buds moving on my imbricaria



Most of the rest of the buds haven't moved at all. Nothing has begun to do anything on my chinquapin either. The native oaks around here usually don't move much until May.

 

[ShadyStump]

My gambel is almost entirely leafed out already...it's still a toddler though...

View attachment 367948

Most of my live oaks have also tossed new growth...they cheat though...they never lost their old growth

Suber:
View attachment 367949

Virginiana:
View attachment 367950

My native oaks? They're a stubborn lot! These are the only buds moving on my imbricaria

View attachment 367951

Most of the rest of the buds haven't moved at all. Nothing has begun to do anything on my chinquapin either. The native oaks around here usually don't move much until May.

Geography is everything, as my old anthropology prof would constantly reinforce. If I had taken biology I assume I'd have heard it there too.

Nice Gamble, BTW. I want a few forest plantings when I get around to it. Guess I'm preparing for when I'm too old to get to the woods to see them for real.

 

[Perrywinkle]

Hey everyone, just giving a quick update. My oak is as dead as a doornail, unfortunately. We all learn from our bonsai mistakes and I will now be extra precaucious with hard freezes. Here's to hoping the trees you all posted in this thread have come back already!

 

[thatguy]

Ah I'm sorry to hear that. One of the valley oaks seedlings I have is leafed out now and the other is pushing buds. The trees do teach us some lessons and I definitely learned some this year too. Best of luck with your next oak adventure!

 

[Perrywinkle]

Ah I'm sorry to hear that. One of the valley oaks seedlings I have is leafed out now and the other is pushing buds. The trees do teach us some lessons and I definitely learned some this year too. Best of luck with your next oak adventure!

That's great to hear. Thanks, I am already thinking of getting a seedling to start over again. And I definitely learned the limitations of bonsai pots in retaining heat in winter lol

 

[ibakey]

Interesting thread. I wonder if the larger the oak bonsai, the more winter hardy it is.

 

[leatherback]

Interesting thread. I wonder if the larger the oak bonsai, the more winter hardy it is.

a bigger tree has bigger therman mass. as such it takes longer to cool down and the core of the rootball would experience less of the peak cold at night (one reason to put bonsai on the ground in cold winters, added thermall mass). In that sense, it is less sensitive.