English Oak, #2324

Acquired at the SBBK Show 2023 for $2.

Oak trees prefer an airy place in full sun during the growing season.

Water the oak thoroughly when the soil gets dry, but avoid constant soil wetness. Water less in winter but never let the rootball dry out completely.

Apply solid organic fertilizer once a month or use a liquid fertilizer every week during the growing season. Don't feed with very high nitrogen which would cause large leaves, long internodes and increased susceptibility to insects and mildew.

Hard pruning is done in early spring before the buds open. Strong terminal buds can also be removed then. New shoots are cut back leaving two leaves. Don't defoliate oaks completely because it would weaken them too much, but you can remove the largest leaves now and then. Trim the upper parts of the crown attentively because they grow stronger than the lower branches.

Plan

Allow new leader to grow thicker, clean up transition.
Encourage lower branches, wire radially, allow tips to orient upwards to grow & thicken branches.
Curious if new branches harden off to clip end to send hormones to back bud or grow tertiary branches. Wire movement in branches.
When more mature: confirm which season will allow tertiary branch cut-back to 2 leaves and encourage ramification.