hi, I wanted to have info on how I can grow a bonsai oak starting from the seed. Above all I would like to know with which seed.

Dear Carmine,

oaks are bonsai suitable even for beginners, because they tolerate the climatic conditions of our country quite well, both in summer and in winter, and therefore you will not have to look for a particular place for your plant, but you can safely leave it outdoors for everything the arc of the year. But on the other hand, many oak species have very large leaves, and it is difficult to encourage the growth of minute foliage, and pot-grown oaks tend to be affected very easily by fungal diseases, such as powdery mildew rust and scab, against which periodically do treatments with cupric fungicides. But wait a minute, you still don’t have an oak tree; oaks are medium-sized trees, very elegant, widespread in nature in Europe, Asia and North America; There are many species of oak, and before you think about how to get the seeds, you will need to decide which type of oak you prefer, because an holm oak and a red oak at first glance don’t have much in common. In addition to personal tastes, it is not easy to find acorns of the type we have chosen: some oaks also grow in our woods, or are used as road trees; for this reason it is very easy to find holm oak acorns in autumn, probably along the streets of your city, or even quercus coccifera, or quercus robur. Some species of oak on the other hand are not easy to find in nature or in our cities, for example the red oak is a typical tree of the woods of North America, and the easiest way to get an acorn is to buy it (provided that one of your neighbor does not have one in the garden, you never know). So, the ways to get acorns are varied: many online shops and bonsai shops sell acorns of various species, and many oaks are present in Italian parks and gardens, as well as in the woods. Acorns ripen in late fall, so the best time to try planting an acorn is just between the months of October or November: put them in a pot, as soon as they rest on damp ground, and keep the pot outside, so that it feels the winter cold and the humidity of the air. Usually they germinate without major problems, but only as long as the leathery sheath that encloses them is lightly filed, in order to favor the penetration of water. You can sow acorns even in spring, but in this case you will have to leave them in the refrigerator for a few weeks, or they will germinate with difficulty. Once the seedlings have been obtained, place them in large pots, but only after having shortened the tap root, in order to obtain an enlarged root system over time; and then for a few years keep the taproot shortened every year, and prune the young plants so as to form them into bonsai. The art of creating a bonsai from seed takes a long time, and therefore you will have plenty of time to buy some good manuals on bonsaiism and to attend some exhibitions, in order to “get your eye” on the shapes you like the most and on the styles. most used.