Oak is a member of the beech family, consisting of evergreen or deciduous trees. In Georgia, seven species are found: Hartwisia oak, Imereti oak (Quercus imeretina), marsh oak, Pontic oak (Quercus pontica), Georgian oak, high-mountain oak, and Choroha oak. Oak grows very slowly, adding height for another 80-100 years. Its roots grow deep into the soil. It can live up to 800 years. It thrives in sunlight and warmth.
All bonsai styles can be created from oak except for the bunging style (文人木).
Location: A sunny spot with good air circulation. Shaded branches may dry out. It is advisable to protect from frost at temperatures below -5°C.
Watering: Water moderately during the growing season, the soil should not remain constantly wet.
Fertilizer: Start applying fertilizer after the leaves emerge, once every two weeks. Only during the growing season.
Pruning: Pruning of branches should be done at the end of autumn or early spring. During the early stages of formation, trim new shoots and remove terminal buds in areas of vigorous growth. Pruning for shape maintenance is done as needed during the growing season.
Complete leaf removal weakens the tree and may cause some branches to dry out. Reducing leaf size can be facilitated by infrequent repotting and removing terminal buds before they open in the spring. Try to trim all large leaves. Leave leaves on weak-growing branches untouched. In spring, from newly grown shoots, leave only the smallest of the 4-5 leaves, and trim the rest. The leaves on new growth will be smaller in size.
Wire Frame: Due to the hard branches, forming an oak using wire bending is somewhat difficult and risky. It is better to use pruning or alternative methods to wire bending for shaping.
Repotting: Trees under 10 years old should be repotted annually, while mature bonsai should be repotted every 3-4 years. Repotting occurs in spring, when the buds begin to swell.
Propagation: By seed, cuttings, or root sprouts. Seeding occurs immediately after the cone matures.
Note: Creating bonsai from oak is quite challenging, beginners are advised to refrain from this task.
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