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Initial cutback on a coast live oak – and Tree Sale!

August 6, 2021 by Jonas Dupuich

One of my favorite oaks in the garden has been growing freely for the past few years. Now that it’s showing signs of vigor, it’s time for pruning!

Coast live oak

New shoots on a coast live oak

It turns out that many of the interior branches lacked ramification so I ended up shortening most of the branches on the tree. By doing this, I can stimulate new shoots near the cut sites.

Here’s the tree after pruning.

After pruning

After pruning – 20″

As you can see, the trunk splits into two main divisions, but there are relatively few secondary branches. As the new growth fills in, I can wire the new shoots to fill gaps and improve the tree’s shape.

Seeing the trunk clearly also led me to think about alternative fronts for the tree. I’d wanted to rotate the tree clockwise when I repotted last winter, but the shape of the rootball prevented me from using the front I’d selected. Depending on how the new growth fills in, I might rotate the tree the next time I repot.

Alternative front

Alternative front accentuating movement to the left

Four weeks after pruning, the tree was covered with new shoots.

New growth

One month later

New growth on coast live oaks is often bright red which makes for great summer color in a predominantly green garden.

Red leaves

Bright red new growth

New buds often emerge from all points along the trunk on oaks after significant pruning. I try to knock these buds off as soon as I see them to prevent the trunk from producing additional callus tissue (which can lead to even more new shoots along the trunk).

New shoots

New buds low on the trunk

Shoots removed

After removing the low buds

I’ll let the tree grow freely until fall at which point I plan to wire some of the new shoots to set them up for thickening next year.

Summer Tree Sale Starts Today!

For the next few weeks, I’ll be listing bonsai for sale on the website. The trees are a mix of conifers, deciduous, and broadleaf evergreens. All trees are in bonsai pots.

Trees can be picked up in Alameda, CA, anytime, or at the US National Bonsai Exhibition in Rochester, NY, on Friday, September 10th. Shipping is not available at this time.

The sale is live now – check out the trees at the Bonsai Sales page.

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Filed Under: Bonsai Development Tagged With: Coast Live Oak

Previous Post: « A visit to John Thompson’s garden
Next Post: Committing to an approach graft – separating the roots »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Theo Van Schalkwyk says

    August 6, 2021 at 4:23 am

    The new growth’d colour is pure decadence! I also prefer the alternative front of this tree. Oaks are great trees and I’m glad to see more of them these days. As a South African I find it hard to relate to conifers in general (we have 7 species of native conifer in total in SA and nowhere are they the dominant species in the landscape). But these oaks, olives, etc. does remind me of our hills and valleys.
    Thanks for a high quality blog that is always easily digestable and thanks for also sharingyour thought process.

    • Jonas Dupuich says

      August 6, 2021 at 8:48 am

      Thanks, Theo – I really appreciate it! I hope to get a chance to see the South African natives one of these days – it’s a place I’d love to visit!

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