After a collecting hike yesterday I found an area at the top of a ridge
with a number of native oaks. They are all about 2-4 feet high with 2-4
inch trunks that have had their tops broken at some point. It is an
area dominated by oaks about 10-15 feet tall. I have always heard oaks
are notorious for long tap roots and being uncollectable. The small
trees are also within suckering distance, 20-30 feet from a large tree.
Is there any use in trying to collect any of these oaks or is there
something to look for in a collectable specimen?
Brian in Tucson Zone 12

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Oaks in the UK rarely sucker. You are right about the tap root though.
If you reduce the top considerably they usually transplant successfully.
I've not had a failure from three very large collected specimens (4" to
8" trunks). The trick was to dig around at a good distance from the drip
line of the canopy, then undercut and sever the tap root. All of mine
then went into the growing beds in the ground for a few years of
recovery and slow refinement before potting up.

Your success will depend really on any differences between Q robur,
petraea and American oaks.

Cheers

Kev Bailey
Vale Of Clwyd, North Wales

Subject: [IBC] Collecting Oaks

After a collecting hike yesterday I found an area at the top of a ridge
with a number of native oaks. They are all about 2-4 feet high with 2-4
inch trunks that have had their tops broken at some point. It is an
area dominated by oaks about 10-15 feet tall. I have always heard oaks
are notorious for long tap roots and being uncollectable. The small
trees are also within suckering distance, 20-30 feet from a large tree.
Is there any use in trying to collect any of these oaks or is there
something to look for in a collectable specimen?
Brian in Tucson Zone 12


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--- Brian Berggoetz wrote:
After a collecting hike yesterday I found an area at
the top of a ridge
with a number of native oaks. They are all about
2-4 feet high with 2-4
inch trunks that have had their tops broken at some
point. It is an
area dominated by oaks about 10-15 feet tall. I
have always heard oaks
are notorious for long tap roots and being
uncollectable.

Yes, but,.....

I had volunteer oaks sprout in my yard. When they
were small, the tap root was as long as possible. As
the tree aged it put out horizontal roots closer to
the surface. To be safe, you can dig down next to an
oak root, nick it, put rooting hormone on it, re-bury
and come back in a couple of years.

Kitsune Miko

************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by Jarbas Godoy ++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++