I’ve been preparing a cork oak for its initial styling for two years now.
In winter of 2018, I worked on the roots and planted the tree in its current container. This past February, I reduced the branches that I didn’t plan to use in the final design (see “Refining cork oak” for details).
The tree responded well to the work and was full when I brought it in the workshop for styling last week.
Cork oak
The next step was to remove any unnecessary branches. Here’s what the tree looked like after removing these branches.
After pruning
I wired the tree starting with the lower branches and worked my toward the top, shortening each branch after moving it into position.
The main goal for wiring at this stage is to create movement in the branches and to suggest something close to the final silhouette.
After wiring – 28″
I plan to repot the tree into a bonsai container towards the end of winter. This gives me a little time to think about what kind of container will work best. Glazed? Unglazed? Oval? Rectangle? Unusual? Conventional? Oaks work will in a variety of containers so I’m looking forward to seeing what I have in the garden that might work.
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