Trees for bonsai (oak)

Oaks are evergreen or deciduous trees of the beech family. Seven species grow in Georgia – Hartwiss oak, Imeretian oak (Quercus imeretina), floodplain oak, Pontic oak (Quercus pontica), Georgian oak, high-mountain oak and Chorokhi oak. Oak grows very slowly and is still gaining height at 80–100 years of age. Its roots grow deep into the ground. It lives for 800 years. It loves light and warmth.

Oak can be made into bonsai of every style except Bunjingi (文人木)

An article about bonsai styles

Location: a sunny spot with good air circulation. Shaded branches may die back. Below -5°C it is best to protect the tree from frost.

Watering: water moderately during the growing season; the soil should not be constantly wet.

Fertilizer: start fertilizing after the leaves come out, once every two weeks, and only during the growing season.

Pruning: cut branches in late autumn or early spring. In the early stages of styling, shorten new shoots and remove the terminal buds in areas of strong growth. Maintenance pruning as needed during the growing season.

Removing all the leaves weakens the tree and can cause some branches to die back. Leaf size is reduced by infrequent repotting and by removing the terminal buds in spring, before the buds open. Try to cut off all the large leaves. Leave the leaves on weakly growing branches untouched. In spring, of the 4–5 newly emerged leaves, keep only the smallest and cut off the rest. The leaves on the new growth will be smaller.

Wiring: because the branches are stiff, styling an oak with wire is somewhat difficult and risky. It is better to style it by pruning or to use alternatives to wiring.

Repotting: repot trees under 10 years old every year, and older bonsai once every 3–4 years. Repotting is done in spring, when the buds swell.

Propagation: from seed, by layering or from root suckers. Sow the acorns as soon as they ripen.

Note: creating a bonsai from oak is quite difficult; beginners would do better to steer clear of it.