One of the best things about working with cork oak bonsai is that you can cut almost anywhere on the tree and expect new buds to pop. The buds don’t always appear where you want them, but there are usually enough to work with.

A year ago I repotted the cork oak below and then let it grow freely for the remainder of the growing season. Here’s what the tree looked like mid-March.

Cork oak

Because the tree had a number of large branches near the top of the tree with poor branch division (long internodes), I decided to cut back the top of the tree in order to improve the branch structure.

After pruning

I left the lower branches alone as cork oaks have strong apical dominance and I want the lower branches to thicken. I wired the slender branches to add movement.

After wiring

Just six weeks later the tree was covered with new buds.

New growth – 18.5″

The following photos offer a good example of where to expect new growth when pruning cork oaks.

If you leave foliage on the upper branches, it’s common to get lots of new buds.

New shoots among old leaves

Branch junctions are another common spot to expect new growth.

New shoots at branch junction

Oaks aren’t always picky about producing branches that emerge from the tops of branches so you may find a surprising number of buds emerging on the undersides of branches.

Buds on the underside of the branch

On the plus side, it’s relatively easy for cork oaks to produce new buds on the trunk, even if there’s a lot of cork on the tree.

New growth on the trunk

Every once in a while, you’ll find a perfect distribution of shoots that can provide great options for styling once the new growth hardens off.

Great distribution of new buds

I’ll let the tree grow freely for the next few months and look to wire and prune again in either summer or fall.

One Day Left: Pacific Bonsai Expo Submission Period Closing Soon!

For everyone who submitted trees to the 2024 Pacific Bonsai Expo – thank you! We’ve received some fantastic submissions this year and are super excited to see the trees in persona

And if you haven’t submitted, you have until midnight on April 30th – tomorrow! – to submit trees at the jury. Learn more about the process on the Expo website.