English oak bonsai care

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English oak, also known as pedunculate oak, common oak or truffle oak, is a hardy, deciduous, large-headed tree.

It has lobed leaves (3-6 pairs of wavy lobes) that are short-stalked and alternate. The leaves are blunt at the margins and are dark green on the top and pale green on the underside.

The leaves grow in clusters. In spring, they are bright green, then gradually change to light and dark greens, and then, in autumn, they take on a rich, bronze-gold color.

Grayish black / Grayish brown in color, the bark of the tree develops deep furrows as it matures.

Before we proceed with how to care for an English oak bonsai tree, lets answer some common questions some bonsai growers have.

Can you bonsai English oak?

Yes. English oak can be grown as an exquisite bonsai. However, a few things need to be kept in mind before you finalize on this tree. This tree is a little challenging to train. Although this tree makes for a great bonsai, it will only look best with a reasonably sized trunk, which takes time to develop. Furthermore, the leaves of the tree are big and leaf pruning does not guarantee smaller leaves. Generally, English oak bonsai is suitable for broom or informal upright style bonsai.

Is English oak fast growing?

No. It is a slow growing tree. You will need 4-5 years for the English oak bonsai to gain a good trunk thickness.

Can an oak bonsai live indoors?

No. Oak bonsai does not make a good indoor bonsai tree. These deciduous trees are only used to make an outdoor bonsai tree. Usually tropical and subtropical trees can be kept indoors as a bonsai.

Can you make an oak tree into a bonsai?

Yes. There are many varieties of oak and some of them can be grown as bonsai. Not all oak tree varieties can be used to make bonsai because of the size of their leaves and the arrangement of their shoots. Some of the varieties are:

• Quercus agrifolia: Also known as California live oak or Coast live oak. Zone 8.
• Quercus alba: Also known as White oak. Zone 3-9.
• Quercus cerris: Also known as Turkey oak or Austrian oak. Zone 5.
• Quercus chrysolepis: Also known as Canyon live oak or canyon oak or golden cup oak or Maul oak. Zone 7.
• Quercus coccinea: Also known as Scarlet oak. Zone 5-9.
• Quercus dentata: Also known as Daimyo oak or Japanese emperor oak. Zone 4-8.
• Quercus dumosa: Also known as California scrub oak. Zone 9-11.
• Quercus ilex: Also known as Holly oak or evergreen oak or holm oak. Zones 7-10.
• Quercus ilicifolia: Also known as bear oak or scrub oak. Zone 5.
• Quercus macrocarpa: Also known as Mossycup oak or bur oak. Zones 3-8.
• Quercus myrsinifolia: Also known as Japanese Evergreen Oak or bamboo-leaf oak or Chinese evergreen oak or Chinese ring-cupped oak. Zone 7.
• Quercus palustris: Also known as Pin oak or Spanish Oak. Zone 7-8.
• Quercus petraea syn. sessiliflora: Also known as Sessile Oak or Cornish Oak or Durmast Oak. Zone 4.
• Quercus phellos: Also known as Willow oak. Zone 6-9.
• Quercus pubescens: Also known as Downy oak or Pubescent oak. Zone 5-8.
• Quercus rubra: Also known as Red oak or Northern red oak. Zone 5-9.
• Quercus suber: Also known as Cork oak. Zone 8-10. Read : Cork oak bonsai tree for more details.
• Quercus vaccinifolia: Also known as Huckleberry Oak. Zone 5.
• Quercus virginiana: Also known as Live oak or Southern live oak. Zone 8-11.
• Quercus serrata: Also known as Konara Oak or Jolcham oak. Zone 4-8.

Read more about other bonsai trees species in : Types of bonsai tree

Best location to keep English oak bonsai tree

You can place the English oak bonsai tree in full sun or partial shade outdoors in summer.

It is recommended to move bonsai to a frost-free greenhouse or shed in areas with long periods of cold winter weather.

IMP: Refer to do bonsai trees need sunlight for more indoor and outdoor bonsai location ideas. Also, refer sunlight requirements for indoor plants for more indoor gardening ideas.

Propagation of English oak bonsai tree

In autumn, plant the acorns in pots or on a prepared plot in the garden. This can be done in autumn.

Almost always the sowed acorn will germinate in spring.

Protect the sown acorn from rodents.

Watering English oak bonsai tree

You should water your bonsai every day from spring until autumn, increasing the amount of water in summer. Do not let the bonsai soil dry out. You can use tap water.

Keep soil a little drier over the winter but never let it dry out completely.

English oak bonsai will also benefit from regular misting in the summer.

Read watering bonsai tree for more details.

Wiring English oak bonsai tree

Branches can be wired in the spring or summer if necessary, but most of the shaping can be achieved with pruning rather than wires.

The leaves of the tree are large. Make sure that you do not trap leaves under the wires.

A wire can be left on a branch for up to a year.

Read : Detailed guide on How to wire a bonsai. This guide will also tell you what precautions to take while wiring.

Pruning English oak bonsai tree

When to prune English oak bonsai tree?

How to prune English oak bonsai tree?

English oak bonsai should be pruned in early spring, before new buds start to open.

In the fall, before the wood hardens, prune new shoots if necessary.

Ensure that undesirable suckers are removed from the base of the trunk or around the scars on pruned branches.

Oaks do not grow vigorously, so pinching out is not necessary. You should only pinch the growing buds at the tip of the plant after growth has stopped in midsummer.

It can also be totally or partially defoliated to produce a new crop of small leaves (every 2-3 years). This can be done in early summer. However, note that this process does not always produce small leaves.

Invariably these leaves will also become even larger.

Read how to prune a bonsai to know about the right technique of pruning and more about defoliating a bonsai tree.

Repotting English oak bonsai tree

When to repot English oak bonsai tree?

Young English oak bonsai tree should be repotted every year. Mature bonsai trees older than 10 years can be repotted every second or third year.

Early spring is a good time to repot the tree.

Prune no more than 20 percent of root. Do heavy pruning in the spring at repotting time before new buds are about to burst.

When repotting, shorten the tap-root gradually, leaving a good root system behind.

English oak bonsai planted in a shallow pot have a high chance of dying. The tree should be planted in a deep bonsai pot.

Use a free draining, moisture retentive bonsai soil.

You can also use sharp sand, loam, and peat (or garden compost) in the ratio of 1:1:1.

Please check out how to repot a bonsai to know everything about repotting and root pruning a bonsai.

Must Read: Bonsai Soil Recipes

Must read : Choosing the right bonsai container

Feeding English oak bonsai tree

These plants do not need a lot of fertilizing. In the spring and late summer, apply a general fertilizer. Feed every other week with balanced liquid fertilizer.

Use low- nitrogen feeds.

Read more about bonsai fertilizer and its application.

Diseases and pest of English oak bonsai tree

There are a number of diseases that can affect them, such as mildew, gypsy moths, borers, skeletonizers, leaf miners, anthracnose, wilt and oak leaf gall. There are also times when branches die back for no obvious reason.

A leaf gall is unsightly, but it is not dangerous, and the best way to get rid of it is to remove it completely.

Leaves with fungal mildew should be removed and burned, and the tree should be sprayed with a suitable fungicide.

You should prune the branches back to healthy tissue if your tree suffers from dieback.

Our comprehensive guide: How to identify and treat bonsai pests and diseases is a great resource for you to see all the organic and inorganic remedies you can use.