Photo source How to care for a cork oak bonsai : Buy bonsai online
Large trees are almost always not possible in small gardens, even if they are very beautiful. But what about in miniature? Have you thought about having a cork oak as a bonsai? Do you know how to care for a cork oak bonsai?
If after seeing the images on Google of cork oak bonsai you were impressed by its size and above all you would be encouraged to have one, What if we helped you with care?
Contents
The most important care for cork oak bonsai
Source: Bonsai Niwa
Caring for a cork oak bonsai is not difficult. They are quite hardy trees but that doesn’t mean they don’t need extra help to improve their health and grow well. Therefore, here we give you the keys:
Location
If you know the cork oak, you will know that The ideal location for this plant is outdoors and in full sun. In the case of a cork oak bonsai, although it is best to place it outdoors and in full sun, everything will depend on how hot it can be in your area.
You mean you can’t put it inside? No, but if you’re going to put it there, put it in one of the sunniest windows in your home and make sure it gets several hours of direct sunlight.
Temperature
You won’t have a problem with high temperatures, as this tree tolerates them quite well. But the problem may be in low temperatures.
If the temperature drops below -2 degrees Celsius, then you can suffer a lot, not to mention the jellies.
If it drops too low, it will have to be placed in a greenhouse because indoors, with the heating, it can be difficult to maintain its health.
Source: Facebook of José Luis Pitarch Ávila
To land
The substrate of the cork oak bonsai is a very important point because this species is quite delicate in terms of the ground to be exploited.
We recommend using a substrate that drains very well (with akadama) and also be very nutritious (worm humus, for example).
Keep in mind that you are not going to transplant it very frequently, because it develops few roots and as long as it does not fill the whole pot, you should not change it. But you should also know that the first 15 years is when it grows fastestthat’s why many experts recommend transplanting it every 2-3 years or so.
In this case, not only will you have the fact that the roots come out from below, but you will also notice that they push the soil upwards, pulling it out of the pot.
Flower pot
At this point we want to leave you with some details about the pot you should use for cork oak bonsai. Always use an unglazed pot. It is true that a glazed one is more beautiful, but it can harm the health of your plant.
Watering and humidity
The cork oak is a water-loving tree. For this reason, your soil should always be moist. Only when you see the first layer starting to dry out should you water again.
In general, in summer it is watered between 4 and 5 times a week (3-4 if the hot temperature is not very high); and in winter once a week in general.
However, as we always say, it will all depend on where you live, climate, temperature, etc.
As far as humidity is concerned, the cork oak bonsai does not need this aspect. Actually, it is not recommended to pour water into the cup, because it can cause the appearance of pests and diseases that would harm the health of the plant.
Subscriber
One of the cork oak bonsai care is for the subscriber. We recommend using a solid to make it slow release. It is recommended to make two subscriptions per year, one in the spring and one in the fall.
Of course, if when you go to use it in the spring you notice that it is already flowering, it is better not to add it because it is not recommended (in addition to the fact that it can burn the flowers).
Size
Before it begins to germinate in the spring, it is recommended to prune it, to activate it after winter. This way you will germinate it faster.
Wiring
Wiring is one of the typical care in bonsai because with this you can direct the branches as you wish. It is convenient to use anodized aluminum wire and care must be taken to change it so that the tree does not absorb it (as this can damage it).
You can do the wiring throughout the year.
Source: Kingii Bonsai
pinched
Another exclusive care for bonsai is pinching, which helps trees not to completely dry out the branches. In the case of cork oak, there are three types of pinching:
- Tender sprouts: It is done at the beginning of germination in order to have a good density (no more leaves on one side than on the other).
- Long shoots: which is practiced on the most beautiful shoots to improve their growth and vigour.
- Pinching with defoliation: This is done when the bud already has between 6 and 8 leaves, so that the end is squeezed to defoliate the rest.
With the wiring, these two treatments are very important, and sometimes difficult to achieve without the tree suffering, especially if you are a beginner. We therefore recommend that you watch several videos before doing anything.
Plagues and diseases
Pests are not common in the case of cork oaks. But the same is not true for diseases. In fact, there are two you should be very careful of because they can kill the tree in no time. We talk about the “dry oak” and root rot.
To avoid this, it is best to keep on hand (and use occasionally) a fungicide based on Fosetil AI. We are not going to tell you that with this you avoid problems, but at least you are going to make it more complicated.
Multiplication
Like the cork oak in a normal plant, the cork oak bonsai You can only breed it through the acorns it has. To do this, you must germinate them before and after a few weeks a new seedling will be born.
As you can see, taking care of a cork oak bonsai is not difficult, but it has some peculiarities that you need to know so that nothing happens to your plant. Do you have any other questions? Tell us and we will help you.