English Oak (Quirky Quercus Robur) progression

[Patmet]

This is an English Oak bought from a good bonsai buddy of mine locally. It was in the lost interest/neglected section of stock. Funnily enough my wife actually chose this to try and get started in bonsai. It wasn't something that interested me. Her pursuit in bonsai was short lived, so it ended up becoming another of my projects.
Over the last few years I have slowly become more interested in the tree.

It's not a conventional deciduous styling, but I think it has it's charm. I call it the Quirky Quercus - (What a genius). First thing was just getting it growing and healthy again. I've struggled to know what to do with it to improve the design, so I've been growing strong and cutting back hard to create more options. This winter I decided I needed to cut back to bare bones to create more taper in the upper trunk, and really start to improve the primary structure.

I'm a bit fuzzy with all the dates but here it is from purchase in Jan 2020 to winter 2023.

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January 2020, just purchased for $10

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Spring of 2020, starting to get healthy and ponder what to do with it.

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Some time spring/summer 2020

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Spring 2021

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Winter 2022

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Spring/summer 2022

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After pruning 2022

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Smaller flush after pruning

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Winter 2023 before work

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Winter 2023 after work. Back to bare bones.

[TimIAm]

You've done great work with the branching. Will be interesting how you show off the great bones on this one with Quercus leaf size.

I assume it has already put a flush of growth out this Spring?

[Patmet]

You've done great work with the branching. Will be interesting how you show off the great bones on this one with Quercus leaf size.

I assume it has already put a flush of growth out this Spring?

Yes that's what I'm keen to find out. The first flush this year was huge leaves as there's zero ramification now. I'm fairly confident that as the tree ramifies more and more the balance of energy will reduce the leaves considerably.

I've recently cut back the first flush quite hard and this is where it's at today. I've left the lower branch alone to push more vigour down there.

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[Patmet]

This is how it is currently, after I think the 3rd flush of growth for this growing season. You can see the leaves have reduced a decent amount as a result of cutting and growing. I've also been fertilising heavily as I'm trying to get maximum growth.

There's some powdery mildew on there, as it always gets when we have rain in summer. I never wet the leaves when watering this in summer due to how susceptible it is to powdery mildew.

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[Albo]

Looking good.
It looks to have thickened a decent amount in the trunk since you started with it.

[Patmet]

Since the last update, this got a repot in winter. Potted down into a shallower and wider terracotta pot to start the transition to bonsai pot. Also in my bonsai refinement substrate now of pumice lava and pine bark.

I took it to a workshop with Scott Martin in October where I got some good advice and we rotated the front position slightly to the right. After the trim at the workshop I've fertilised heavily, and boy did it put on a second flush. I've just gone through and cleaned it out again to remove shoots I don't want and keep the top from getting too dominant while I build branching in lower branches.

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Before Scott Martin workshop.

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After workshop.

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The second flush.

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After another prune.

[Trevor.S]

That's a lovely looking oak.