Cork Oak (Quercus Suber)

The Cork Oak is a tree that it’s cultivated since many centuries ago in Europe and Africa to extract their cortex which is used to produce wine taps. It can get up to 25 metres of height.

Cork Oak bonsai cultivation guide

How should I water it?

As any mediterranean tree, the Cork Oak, stands very well dryness, but we have to bear in mind that a pot has limited resources.

We will water abundantly, letting the water come out through the drainage holes and letting the first layer of substrate dry between waterings.

Should I leave it in full sun?

The cork oak is a Mediterranean tree that is used to receiving many hours of direct light without having other trees to shade it, so we must try to simulate these conditions.

Should I worry about putting it under shelter during the winter?

Although cork oaks can withstand cold temperatures, we must put them under cover if they drop below zero degrees. A greenhouse may be our best option to avoid sources of heat inside the house, such as radiators. If we have no other option than to bring it into the house, we can mount an LED panel if we do not have a sufficiently lit window.

How often do I have to fertilize?

We will fertilize during the growth phase, avoiding the flowering phase, this usually coincides from spring to autumn. We recommend slow release organic fertilizers.

When and how should you prune?

We can prune before the tree becomes active in late winter, before spring budding begins.

Can I pinch the tree?

Throughout the year we can pinch the tip of the branches leaving a minimum of two leaves, thus preventing the tree from drying out the entire branch.

When and how to wire?

We can do it throughout the year. We must watch that the wire does not stick because it can cost us a lot to remove the marks.

When do I have to transplant and how often?

The Cork Oak is a tree that generates few roots, which leads us to lengthen transplants a lot. We will always wait for the tree itself to ask us seeing that the roots do not fit in the pot and push the substrate out of it.

What substrate or soil should I use?

The Cork Oak is not a delicate tree in terms of substrate, but it will be ideal if it is a substrate that drains well if we do not want to have root rot problems.

Our recommendation is 100% akadama or a combination of earthworm humus with gravel or pumice.

How can I propagate it?

The easiest option is the germination of acorns.