Valley Oak Progression

[BrianBay9]

Progression thread for this Quercus lobata, valley oak. Bought as nursery stock in Feb 2023. Good low branching, nice bark.

 

[BrianBay9]

I see this one as a tradition valley oak style - so cutting back to a short trunk and then a modified "broom" that kinda goes wild. Root work and cut back in Feb. Here's the response by the end of May.







Another cutback to the proper trunk height.



And what came off

 

[BrianBay9]

The top I'm working with



A little carving



and cut paste

 

[BrianBay9]

Where it stands now. Planning on wiring and letting the branching thicken before cutting back. Valley oak back bud really well so I don't have to worry about the eventual cut backs.

 

[NateDyk47]

Nice tree & beautiful bark!

 

[Fonk]

The bark is very nice indeed!

I have a question... Does it take long for the leaves to reduce size?

 

[BrianBay9]

The bark is very nice indeed!

I have a question... Does it take long for the leaves to reduce size?

Tomorrow I'll try to get a pic of full size vs in a bonsai pot for a couple of years.

 

[Fonk]

Tomorrow I'll try to get a pic of full size vs in a bonsai pot for a couple of years.

Appreciate it, thanks!

 

[BrianBay9]

OK, @Fonk , here's the leaf comparison I promised. The top one is standard size, growing out. The bottom one is after two years in a pot, working on ramification. They've gone from about 6.5 inch length to 1.25 inch length. I'm really learning to like valley oak.

 

[Fonk]

Wow, that's a huge reduction in just two years!

Oaks are pretty typical where a live (but the Quercus Robur variety) and I've tried to pot a couple of them that had to be removed from the garden but no luck so far...

Next time I'll try with the sweat bag method and see if they manage to root

Thanks for the picture! It is really enlightening

 

[ForrestW]

Great start to the tree-- I can not wait to see how it develops. I am slowly working on a young English Oak, but mine will be 10 years just building a trunk...

 

[bonsaiwood]

Any update on your oak? Have been curious to see the back budding after the chop.

 

[BrianBay9]

Any update on your oak? Have been curious to see the back budding after the chop.

It popped all over - new buds on all limbs and on the trunk. Just a big ball of leaves now, hard to take a revealing pic. After summer heat abates, I'll cut back again and see if I can get a fall flush. I'll take more pics then.