Oak bonsai at home. How to grow oak bonsai

Bonsai is a concept that implies the cultivation of miniature copies of trees using a special technique. Such plants look very beautiful in pots and help to create coziness in the room.

For the first time, bonsai cultivation began in China due to the decree of the emperor, who ordered the creation of an exact copy of the Chinese empire, including plants and trees. A method has been devised to grow ordinary trees in a reduced form, which has since become very popular not only in China, but also abroad.

To learn more about growing bonsai, see our article, where you can also find step by step instructions and an interesting video about the types and techniques of cultivation.

Types and techniques

Bonsai happens different types, but they are all grown using two techniques:

Traditional.
Special.

Special technique today is less popular than the traditional one. It is used only by knowledgeable gardeners. It involves growing bonsai in styles such as "landscape in miniature", "common roots", "growing in the wind" and "growing on a rock". Each of these styles has its pros and cons, but not everyone manages to master them.

Traditional technique is used as the main one by almost all amateur gardeners. It also includes several different styles, such as "group", "oblique", "half-cascade", "cascade", "literary", "straight formal", "straight informal" and "composition".

The variety of species and subspecies of bonsai is amazing. Plants are grown both from seeds and cuttings.

How to grow bonsai yourself?

It is not difficult to grow Japanese or Chinese bonsai yourself if you know the secrets of planting and care. First you need to decide how exactly you want to grow a miniature tree: from seeds or from cuttings.

Most often, bonsai are grown from seeds, since in this way it is easier to control the growth process of the plant. However, when grown from cuttings, the tree will grow faster. We offer to compare both options to determine which one is worth choosing.

From a seed

Even a novice gardener can grow a bonsai from a seed. You should know that each type of tree is characterized by a certain type of seed box. The measures that should be taken before laying the seed in the ground depend on this.

Seeds of pine trees, as well as oak and beech do not require preliminary action. They can be sown in prepared soil immediately after harvest, without further processing. Store them in a cool place away from direct sun rays. But the seeds of trees such as maple, quince, hornbeam and others require preliminary stratification. To do this, they are kept in containers with wet sand for about six months.

Having dealt with the preliminary measures, you can proceed directly to the landing. The algorithm for planting seeds in the ground is as follows:

Place seeds prepared for bonsai in a container and pour cold water leaving it in this position for a few days. This is necessary so that the sprouts pull themselves closer to the shell and begin to crack it from the inside, making the germination process faster.
After that, it is necessary to treat the seeds with a fungicide to protect the roots from diseases and pests.
The soil in which you want to plant the seeds, pre-disinfect. As for the soil mixture, it is better to use peat and sand mixed in a one to one ratio.
The pot is filled with the prepared mixture, not reaching three centimeters to the top. Then the soil is slightly pressed down and the seeds are laid out, which are covered with a layer of sand, which should be at least two centimeters.
After that, you need to water the soil with water, but you should not add too much of it. It is enough to make sure that the soil is moist, but without standing water.
The pot must be covered with polyethylene or glass, and then sent to a place away from sunlight.
The temperature in the room is also important detail. The temperature should not be more than fifteen degrees above zero.

After the seeds are planted in the ground, they must be carefully monitored. When sprouts appear, the container will need to be opened to provide oxygen to the plants. You should also periodically get rid of weeds, if any.

From a cutting

Growing bonsai from cuttings is not difficult, but you need to choose the right tree for seedlings. Oak is best.

In order to create a bonsai, you need to dig a cutting, the size of which should not exceed fifteen centimeters. And in order for the plant to start, you need to plant it in the same ground in which it grew, so it’s better to take some soil with you from the place where the cutting was dug.

You can also buy a seedling for growing bonsai in specialized stores. In this case, success will be guaranteed, and soon the plant will delight with its miniature appearance.

We offer step-by-step instructions for planting a cutting at home:

Pick a good one to start planting material in the forest or in the store, choosing a seedling, the height of which will not exceed fifteen centimeters. Then pick up a wide, shallow container in which you will grow bonsai. Prepare the soil by mixing sand with peat in equal proportions, and a suitable pot, the bottom of which is filled with gravel.
The next layer is to lay out the soil prepared in advance so that its level does not reach 2-3 centimeters to the edge.
Then prepare the cuttings for planting by digging them up or cutting them off the tree.
Leave the cut cuttings in the sun for a few minutes, sprinkled with water.
Next, cut off all the horizontal branches so that only the vertical trunk with leaves remains, as shown in the photo.
The prepared sprout must be stuck into the ground to a depth of about two centimeters.
After planting, the plant must be watered abundantly with water, and the pot with it must be removed in a well-ventilated area. It is advisable to choose a place where direct sunlight does not fall.

For several weeks, the soil should be kept moist, but it should not be flooded with water so that puddles remain. Also, after a few weeks, some cuttings may die without taking root. They need to be removed, and the rest planted in their own pots or left to grow in the original.

Varieties

There are a large number of varieties of bonsai, among which are:

blooming only in spring and summer;
evergreen;
blooming in autumn;
with curly branches and a crown.

Surprisingly, bonsai can be grown from any plant if you know the rules for planting and caring for it. The most popular are miniatures of lemon, pine, oak, juniper, sakura, maple, lotus, ficus, apple, birch, pomegranate, rose, spruce and other trees and flowers. You also need to be able to properly form the crown so that the miniature plant is pleasing to the eye.

We suggest taking note of the rules for growing certain varieties of bonsai at home.

Lemon

Growing bonsai from lemon not an easy task, since finding seeds on sale is quite difficult, and ready-made processes are even more difficult. Nevertheless, if you are still lucky enough to acquire planting material, you should know how to properly grow a bonsai tree with your own hands.

pot with decorative tree must be installed in the part of the dwelling where sunlight hits most often. Citruses love hot weather, so it is recommended to plant them in early spring so that they are well rooted by summer. If the temperature in the room drops below seventeen degrees, then a special lamp should be installed next to the plant.

As for watering, you should not fill the lemon with water. It is enough to keep the soil moist, periodically adding water so that it fills the pot pan.

Lemon bonsai need fertilizer at least once a month.

Pine

Knowing certain secrets, you can easily grow pine bonsai with your own hands. First you need to choose a seedling by pinching off a branch from an adult tree or by buying an already rooted seedling in a flower shop. If you choose a seedling yourself, then it is preferable to take it from a tree that has already wintered in the open field.

The selected seedling must be cut and planted in the ground, which is best purchased at the store. After planting, cut and pinch the crown to give the tree the desired shape. To do this, all large branches are cut off, and the remaining ones are pinched to the ground with wire and small stakes. An example of pinching can be seen in the photo.

You can keep pine bonsai in any part of the home, as the tree is not picky about temperature and can withstand even persistent frosts. But if you keep the plant outside during the cold season, you should mulch the soil in a pot.

Oak

Growing bonsai from oak is quite difficult, as the plant has a fairly hard and massive bark, as well as wood, whose texture is somewhat rough. But, if you use the tips from our article, you can cope with this difficult task and grow a beautiful bonsai at home.

Oak can be grown both from acorns and from already grown seedlings. It is best to use varieties of oak such as holm or cork. Seeds (acorns) must be free of damage and cracks. Before planting, they are dried for several days in a well-ventilated area, after which they are transferred to a bag with wood shavings, which must be moistened.

The package with chips and acorns is transferred to the refrigerator and kept there for about a month, after which the seeds are planted in the ground. The pot for planting oak should not be wider than five centimeters in diameter. When leaves appear on the sprout, you should transplant it into a pot that will be larger in size.

Remember that it is best to plant oak for bonsai formation in mid-autumn.

Sakura

To grow bonsai from sakura, you should choose high-quality planting material. It is necessary to take into account the fact that sakura seeds have very poor germination, so you need to either buy more material or grow bonsai from ready-made seedlings.

To begin with, the seeds need stratification, for which they are mixed with wet sand and put in the refrigerator for 2-3 months. Then, before planting, the seeds are soaked in warm water and pierce the thick outer layer of the shell with a pin. Only after that you can sow sakura in open ground. The planting process is similar to the plants described above.

Care

Bonsai care at home consists in timely pruning and high-quality watering. Also, the plant may need fertilizer and replanting. Here are some tips for beginners and experienced gardeners who are planning to grow bonsai.

In summer, in late spring and early autumn, in especially dry weather, bonsai should be watered twice a day - in the morning and in the evening, and in winter, watering should be done only once a day.
Plant varieties that shed their leaves by autumn need a little more watering than their evergreen relatives.
Cannot be used for irrigation tap water, since it contains many chemical elements that can harm ornamental plant. It is best to water the bonsai with rain, melt or settled water, which should be at room temperature.
It's not just the soil that needs to be watered. The crown should also be sprayed with liquid. This will remove dust and help the leaves stay fresh and green longer.
Fertilize the soil once a month in the first two years of plant growth. Further, one fertilizer every six months will be enough.
Crown trimming should be carried out no more than once every two months.

Scientific name: Quercus

Common names: Oak

General information:
Deciduous tree of the beech family. There are about 250 species in the genus, growing in the temperate zones of the Northern Hemisphere, in the tropics, South America (Colombia) and Southeast Asia.

Some varieties suitable for bonsai are:
Quercus pedonculata - white oak, reaching a height of 40 m. Lives for at least 400 years and can reach a thousand years of age. The trunk is straight, thick and short, the branches are large, thick, winding and angular. Irregular top. Falling leaves, with 4 or 5 pairs of lobes and two ears at the base, dark green with a slight bluish tint, smooth bloom in bunches. Acorns ripen in autumn.
Quercus robur - common oak (petiolate, black), reaches a height of 40 m. The trunk is straight, cylindrical, tapering towards the top. The leaves are uniform, with 7-8 pairs of lobes and a rounded top, without ears at the base, light green, shiny, red in autumn. They may remain on the branches in winter. Acorns ripen in late autumn.
Quercus pubescens - fluffy oak, not exceeding 20 m in height. The trunk is short, twisted, the top is irregular in shape. Less durable than other types. Falling leaves, with unequal lobes, gray on the underside. Spherical acorns on stalks.
Quercus petraea
Quercus ilex
Quercus suber

Temperature:
Cold-resistant oaks love warmth and are afraid of spring frosts. Common oak prefers a mild and humid climate.

In oak bonsai, the root system is quite sensitive to frost. Therefore, in order for the oaks to overwinter with a guarantee, it is recommended to sprinkle them up to the branches with dry fallen leaves. Shelter made of film or glass is not required in this case.

Lighting:
The plant requires a lot of light, while the common oak (forest tree) must be placed in partial shade. Downy oak is desirable to place on the north side, but in the light. In summer it is kept in partial shade.

Watering:
When watering, do not wet the leaves. IN rainy weather it is recommended to move the plants to a dry place. Wet location in the second half of summer contributes to leaf damage powdery mildew. For watering plants use separated tap water. Oak tolerates watering with hard water, but in this case it is necessary to water from below. To do this, containers with plants are lowered into a basin of water so that the water does not reach the base of the trunk, since hard water leaves limescale on it. The most suitable time for watering plants in summer is early morning before 9 am, in May and September until 10 am.

Top dressing:
Mature oak trees should be fertilized with very little or no plant fertilization. With increased fertilizing with fertilizers, oaks grow very large, ugly leaves, which even look unattractive in very large bonsai. Younger plants are fed with organic fertilizers, as usual, every 4 weeks from April to the end of August.

Transfer:
Under natural conditions, oaks prefer medium-heavy, clay soils with a low humus content. For growing bonsai, nutritious and breathable clay mixed with compost is used. For oak bonsai that are in the growth phase, take 2 parts of clay granulate (Akadama) and one part of rotted leafy soil. Adult bonsai are planted in a potting mix of 9 parts clay granulate (Akadama) and 1 part well-rotted compost. Very important point is the use of high (minimum 8 cm) containers for bonsai, as oak trees actively develop vertical taproots and therefore they cannot tolerate very low dishes. As a drainage, it is enough to pour a thin layer of coarse-grained river sand (grain size 2-4 mm).

Yamadori can be dug in early spring after the soil has completely thawed. In old specimens, it is necessary to cut off all tap roots a year before. Oaks are transplanted from April to the end of May or from October to November.

Pests and diseases:
Khrushchi - Roots on which nests with larvae are located are gnawed. The leaves are worn. Control measures: In autumn, the soil is watered with an insecticide solution in order to destroy the larvae. In spring, the plant is sprayed with insecticides to control adult beetles.
Zlatki - on the bark - holes from where galleries of gnawed passages depart. The branches dry up. Sometimes you can see silver-gray beetles. Control measures: affected branches are pruned and destroyed.
Lumberjack beetles - on the bark - holes from which galleries of gnawed passages depart. The branches dry up. Sometimes you can see silver-gray beetles. Control measures: affected branches are pruned and destroyed.
Stag beetles (stag beetles) - the trunk is gnawed by large white larvae. Perhaps the presence of brown beetles. These insects infect only those trees that will soon die. Control measures: There are no effective control measures.
Leaf beetles - growing holes on leaves, gnawed in leaf plates by larvae and beetles. Control measures: the affected plants are sprayed with insecticides.
Nutworms - on the tissues of the tree, reddish-green hairy galls in which the larvae live; swelling and cracking on the shoots, similar to artichokes. Control measures: affected shoots are pruned and destroyed.
Bark beetles.
Woodworms.
Silkworms.
Moths.
Leaf rollers.
Mining moths.
Aphids.
Black leg - blooming buds are covered with fungus and fade. Wet rot appears on the root neck. The tree, as it were, "melts", settling, after which it dies. Control measures: it is necessary to avoid stagnation of water in the container and waterlogging of the earthen coma. The tree is transferred to a well-ventilated place.
Leaf curl - gray-green blisters on the leaves, causing them to dry out, turn black, and then fall off. Control measures: the plant is sprayed with fungicides based on copper preparations.
Cancer - the bark in the place of scars or folds of branches cracks and falls off, forming open wounds, leading to the death of the branch. Neighboring branches, trying to protect themselves from infection, form growths. Wood becomes visible through the wounds, on which red dots appear. Control measures: diseased branches are cut and destroyed. The affected areas on the bark are cut out to healthy wood, smeared with a fungicide and covered with putty or garden pitch. During leaf fall, the tree is sprayed with a solution based on copper preparations.
Coral spotting - affected tissues on individual branches and shoots that dry out and die. Convex red spots - pustules of the fungus - form on the dead parts of the plant. Control measures: the affected parts of the plant are cut and destroyed. Treatment chemicals Not recommended.
Anthracnose - convex red spots of irregular shape appear on the leaves. Young shoots dry up. Control measures: Foliage is sprayed with a copper-based fungicide.
Powdery mildew.
Leaf spotting.

Reproduction:
By seeds - ripened acorns are harvested, as a rule, in October. After harvesting, they are slightly dried, after which they are stored in a heap (like potatoes) or slightly damp sand in winter. Sow in March - April, when the threat of late frosts has passed, to a depth of 6 cm. Seeds germinate after 6 weeks. As soon as sprouts appear, they must be sheltered from birds. Young plants are transplanted into pots the following spring.

Cuttings - cuttings are cut from one to three-year-old shoots, treated with a root formation stimulator, planted and kept warm until roots form.

Layering - as usual. The layer is wrapped with two layers of film: the bottom layer is made of polyethylene, and the top layer is made of aluminum foil, which reduces moisture loss and retains more heat.

Styles and shapes:
As a bonsai, oaks have been a well-tried material for a long time. Nevertheless, not everyone can form an oak bonsai, since the leaves of the tree are large, and it is not so easy to give a harmonious shape to the trunk and branches. An oak bonsai should be at least 70 cm high so that its leaves appear more graceful and the whole tree looks harmonious. Oak bonsai are grown not from seeds, but from plants found in nature. The following types of oaks grow in Germany: English oak (Quercus robur); sessile oak (Quercus petraea); downy oak (Quercus pubescens); Austrian oak (Quercus cerris).

Not every style of bonsai can be formed from oak. Tried are sloped multi-stemmed forms and free vertical broom forms if the plant is large enough. Bizarrely curved and grotesque shapes are also possible, but shaping them is not recommended. In oaks, size plays a very important role, so small plants below 70 cm high should not be used to form bonsai. Oaks have very inharmonious leaves, which only manifests itself to a lesser extent after the tree reaches a certain size.

Formation:
It is best to lay the wire in the fall after the leaves have fallen. The wire remains on the plant for about two years. In those places where the wire grows into the bark, it is immediately removed and, if necessary, applied again. The material used is solid copper, aluminum or mild steel g wire.

Thick branches are pruned from January to the end of March. Soft young shoots can be cut if necessary all year round. The places of cuts must be covered with garden pitch, as open wounds in oak can quickly rot.

To maintain a beautiful crown, it is necessary to cut the plant periodically throughout the summer. This means that once every 2 weeks, shaping pruning of young shoots should be carried out. For this, it is necessary to have a well-developed sense of shape and experience in shaping the crown of a tree.

Oak leaves can be pruned every three years. At the same time, all leaves are cut off, even small ones, along with petioles. The right time for this procedure is the last week June. Three weeks later, new leaves grow. However, in this case, some of them again grow too large.

For additional reading:
The article was prepared based on the materials of the sites
Photos taken from
artofbonsai.org
walter-palll.de
fichas.infojardin.com

In translation, the word "bonsai" means "growing in a tray." This is a way of growing miniature trees indoors. Oak has been used for this purpose for a long time and quite effectively. In nature, the plant has a lush crown and large growth, which causes certain difficulties in the formation of oak bonsai.

What will be required?

It is not easy to create a bonsai from this tree: the rough and hard texture of the bark, large leaves cause difficulties in the process. But if you follow the rules, apply the effort and have patience, it is possible. To create an oak bonsai and care for it, you will need:

file;
scissors;
secateurs;
curved cutters;
capacity;
plastic grid.

As additional components you need:

moss to regulate soil moisture;
stones that perform the function of decoration;
copper wire for shaping the trunk and branches.

You can purchase ready-made bonsai kits at horticultural outlets.

How to plant?

Before starting work, you should decide on the choice of style for growing, because there are several:

vertical - with a smooth trunk, thickened at the roots;
inclined - the plant grows under a strong slope to the ground;
multi-stem - when several more small trunks grow from the main trunk;
cascading - the top of the plant leans below the soil level.

The first three options are suitable for creating oak bonsai. You also need to know that such a tree grows above 70 cm in height.

You can grow a stunted oak tree with your own hands:

from an acorn;
from a seedling.

In early spring, in a park or in a forest near a mature oak, you should choose a few healthy, strong acorns without damage, since most of them may not take root. The fruits should be soaked in water: those that float should be thrown away - they are empty inside. Dry the rest in a well-ventilated place, but not in the sun. After drying, the acorns should be stratified, that is, create conditions for them similar to natural ones: provide appropriate humidity and temperature.

This can be done in two ways. Place them in a plastic bag, putting moss, sawdust or vermiculite inside, which trap moisture. Then put the bag in a cool place: in the basement or on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. It needs to be opened from time to time for fresh air to enter, and water needs to be added periodically to maintain the humidity level. It is important to avoid excess moisture, otherwise the acorns will rot.

After the roots appear, the acorns are planted in small containers, always with holes to drain excess moisture. After about 2-3 weeks, the first leaves appear on the sprouts.

The second option is to plant oak fruits immediately in small cups filled with peat, and you need to put 2-3 things in a glass. Then they must be placed in the same conditions as in the previous method. After two months, roots will appear.

Transplant the plant to permanent place possible with the following:

well developed central root;
there are white roots;
the height of the sprout is more than 15 cm.

The most optimal solution would be to plant a ready-made small seedling with healthy leaves and a height of about 15 cm. It must be carefully dug out without damaging root system. Then the soil from the roots should be shaken off and washed with cold water. With a sharp knife, cut the main root obliquely, leaving only 5-7 cm.

It is necessary to plant a plant in its native land, so it is collected near the oak from which acorns or a sprout were taken. The substrate is taken with fallen leaves and twigs, it is the best suited for bonsai. The container for landing should be spacious, but not deep. A grate is placed in the bottom of the dish, drainage is poured, then sand mixed with fine gravel is placed in a layer of 1 cm, and then earth is added. In this way, both a finished seedling and a sprout from an acorn are planted.

The soil is laid in the form of a slide so that moisture does not accumulate at the roots.

Somewhere in a month and a half or two it will be noticeable whether the plant has taken root. With a positive result, it can be taken for the formation appearance. To give the trunk an elegant curved shape, you need to wrap the wire around the tree with one turn and fix it on the outside of the dish. It is slightly pulled to give a bend to the plant.

Care rules

After the growth of young shoots, you can proceed to the creation of the crown. Excessive branches are removed with a sharp knife or secateurs, and the remaining ones are bent using a wire, under which fabric scraps are laid.
To give the trunk a spectacular knotting, the bark is selectively cut off with a blade. Branches are also cut off, shoots are left that grow horizontally so that the crown grows in width.
Systematic pruning causes inhibition of oak growth. For this purpose, transverse cuts are also used in different places of the trunk for the juice to flow out. All sections must be treated with garden pitch so that there is no decay.
The leaves that appear should be cut in half so that there is no dissonance with a small tree. In addition, such a measure also delays the growth of oak. Over time, the leaves themselves will become smaller, and as a result, the discrepancy will disappear.
In autumn, undersized plants also lose their foliage, like their counterparts in the natural environment. The plant can be put on the balcony and remove the wire. IN winter time oak bonsai feels good in a cold place, at this time watering is stopped.
During the growing season, the tree needs good lighting, and moisture is carried out as the soil dries. To avoid its drying out, oak roots are covered with moss, which retains moisture.
Like any other plant, it needs fertilizers, but unlike the others, not for growth, but for strengthening and thickening the bole. Therefore, it is advisable to use organic or special top dressing.
Temperature and humidity don't really matter, but Fresh air necessary. In a room with poor ventilation, oak can suffer from fungal diseases.
The tree is transplanted about once every 2-3 years, while the grown roots are cut off and insignificant roots up to 10-15 cm long are left. This procedure significantly slows down the growth of the plant.

Tip added January 1, 2012
How to grow oak bonsai
The art of creating bonsai originated in China two centuries before our era. Growing trees in pots was originally practiced by Buddhist monks and later became fashionable among the wealthy nobility.
How to grow oak bonsai
Related Articles
How to grow oak bonsai

Instruction
1
If you want to grow your first bonsai, as they say, from scratch, go to a park or forest where mature, acorn-producing oak trees grow. Find a hatched acorn to be sure it's alive. But it is better to choose a ready-made sprout with clean, not diseased leaves, about 15 cm high.
2
You need to have a bayonet spatula and a plastic bucket with you. First, fill it with earth a meter from the sprout along with fallen leaves, without sifting anything, how much will fit in the container for the future bonsai. This soil is necessary for the tree, as it is from its usual environment, here it was born.
3
Now carefully dig out a small oak tree, in no case pull it out of the ground by the trunk, the sprout should be taken out along with a clod of earth, its roots should not suffer at least a little. At home, lightly shake the ground off the tree, wash off the remnants with cold water. Find the central root that grows down, cut it obliquely with a razor blade or utility knife, leaving 7-10 cm in length.
4
Dishes for bonsai should be wide, but shallow, maximum 10-15 cm, special bonsai boxes are sold in the store, but you can also use existing dish-type dishes. Pour a drainage layer at the bottom: about 1 cm of sand, small pebbles in one layer, then brought earth. Fill it with a slide so that excess water after watering does not accumulate in the area of \u200b\u200bthe roots of the tree.
5
After a month and a half, it will be clear to you whether the seedling has taken root, in a positive case, you can begin to take action to change the appearance of the tree. Start with the shape of the trunk, to do this, make one turn of wire around it and fasten it to the edge of the dish, pulling it slightly, bending must be done very gradually so as not to break the bonsai. Tighten the wire only when the tree trunk stops bending back.
6
As new branches appear, form a bonsai crown. Extra branches can be carefully removed with a blade, the rest can be bent with a wire, under which pieces of soft matter should be placed so as not to damage the bark. To make the trunk and branches knotty, cut the bark of the bonsai also with a blade, but not in a circle, otherwise the movement of the tree sap will be disturbed, and it may die. Keep the bonsai on the windowsill for better lighting, in winter, transfer the tree to the balcony, water no more than once a month.

The use of oak for growing bonsai is underestimated. Its small leaves (in some species), tendency to form massive trunks, and rough texture of the bark give the impression of a huge old tree in miniature. However, the types of oak that are most suitable for bonsai are not native to Japan, which is why oak is not a traditional bonsai tree.

The genus includes about 600 species that grow in the northern hemisphere. Oaks are deciduous and evergreen. Evergreens are found in tropical regions. Oak wood is dense and durable, widely used in construction and in the manufacture of furniture.

Almost all types of oak can grow a good bonsai, but two of the most suitable can be distinguished. The first is cork oak (Quercus Suber). The bark of this tree has been used for hundreds of years to make bottle caps. wine bottles. In this oak, the trunk grows quite quickly, which is distinguished by a thick layer of bark. When applying the wire, one must be careful, as the fragile bark can be easily damaged. You should also be careful when transplanting cork oak and try not to damage the roots.

Another Mediterranean oak is holm oak (Quercus llex). This evergreen tree is native to the Atlas Mountains in North Africa, along with the Atlas Cedar.

Three other species that are great for bonsai grow in California are California oak (Quercus Agrifolia), golden-leaved chrysolepis (Quercus Chrysolepis) and barberry-leaved oak (Quercus Berberifolia). They are all evergreen and tolerate wire shaping and root pruning well.

Massive oak trunk give bonsai a special look

The soil:

Not picky about the substrate. Use soil from the oak's natural habitat.

Lighting:

Place in full sun in a well-ventilated area. Branches in shade tend to die off.

Temperature:

Moderate in summer, protect oak from frost below -5°C in winter.

Watering:

Moderate in summer, scarce in winter. Don't let the soil dry out.

Top dressing:

During active growth, feed once every two to three weeks with organic fertilizers.

Formation:

When applying the wire, make sure that it does not cut into the bark.

Large branches are pruned in the spring before the circulation of juices, small shoots - all year round. Cardinal pruning stimulates the active growth of young shoots.

Repot your oak every two years before the start of the growing season.

Buying a plant:

In specialized stores or on order. You can take bonsai in nature, or grow from an acorn. Summer breeding.

Pests and diseases:

With insufficient ventilation, it is prone to the appearance of fungus. subject to defeat

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