To the Group:

I have 5 oak trees (red oak, not totally sure) I started from seed and
they are more than 4 years old. When they were less than 3 months old
I trimmed the tap root and this is all I have done. Presently they
range in height; 8" to 14" inches and with the exception of one, they
all are simply straight trunks and are presently budding (leaves are
probably and inch long) with 3 and 4 leaves at the top of the trunk.
One, however, has two branches, it looks exactly like a Y with budding
leaves on each of the branches of the Y and they are about 1/2" in
size. They are currently (Feb 14th - Maryland) kept indoors, in the
summer I keep them outside. I believe they need to be pruned but I
can't seem to find clear instruction in terms of how and when
exactly. Any suggestions would be appreciated and of course, I assume
responsibility for any outcome per anyone's suggestion(s). The 5 of
them appear very healthy at this time. Help!

On Feb 14, 2:54*pm, Allen wrote:
To the Group:

I have 5 oak trees (red oak, not totally sure) I started from seed and
they are more than 4 years old.
One, however, has two branches, it looks exactly like a Y with budding
leaves on each of the branches of the Y and they are about 1/2" in
size. They are currently (Feb 14th - Maryland) kept indoors, in the
summer I keep them outside. * I believe they need to be pruned but I
can't seem to find clear instruction in terms of how and when
exactly.
Allen,
First of all, red oak, or any of our Northeastern oaks, are not
considered good bonsai material. You may learn something by practicing
on them, but they won't become bonsai.
Do not keep hardy trees indoors at any time. During the winter, they
need to be kept dormant in a cold sheltered spot, like a garage or
enclosed porch.
In the future, when you have seedlings or young trees, a straight
trunk is not desirable unless you are planning a formal group
planting. You need to wire some curves into the trunk before it gets
too stiff. Outside of that, your trees don't need much pruning yet.
On the one that is Y shaped, you need to cut off one top so that you
have a single trunk. Cut off the stronger top.
Join the nearest bonsai club. There are several in Maryland. Join the
Internet Bonsai Club. I will send you the link after I finish this.
Get some bonsai books out of the library.
Iris

The URL for Internet Bonsai Club is http://ibonsaiclub.forumotion.com/
Iris

my garden centre sells those

oaks are tough...why i don't know..only thing i can come up with is that they are free spirits and dont want to be tamed

On Mar 16, 12:32*am, lee benoit lee.benoit.
wrote:
oaks are tough...why i don't know.

It's not that mysterious. The genus Quercus, in fact most of the
hickory-beech family, Fagaceae, are successful, long-lived, old-growth
forest trees. They are wind-pollinated. so they do not depend on
insects. They have edible nuts, which helps them get spread around.
They are very slow growing and have extremely hard, dense wood. This
makes them valuable for timber, but is probably part of the reason
they are poor bonsai material. An exception is English oak, Quercus
robur, which is a popular bonsai subject in Europe. In this country,
the live (evergreen) oaks are used for bonsai, but their growth habits
are entirely different from Northern oaks. Japanese & European beech
are used for bonsai, but American beech is not very suitable.
Many of our best bonsai species, including Scots pine, are considered
noxious invasive weeds outside their home country. This usually means
they are very tough and fast growing, and withstand the vicissitudes
of bonsai culture.
Iris