Holm Oak Bonsai Care

Holm Oaks are an evergreen tree. Their latin name is Quercus Ilex, maybe you recognise the word Ilex? It means Holly.

The Holm Oak leaves are a similar shape to Holly leaves, which is where it gets its Latin name from.

I have been growing a Holm Oak from seed for a few years. You can follow its development in my Holm Oak Bonsai Progression.

What Is The Natural Habitat Of A Holm Oak Tree?

The Holm oak is native to the Mediterranean area. Although it can be found growing all across Europe and even in the UK.

It can actually survive in a wide range of climates.

What Soil Do Holm Oak Bonsai Need?

Holm oak bonsai like a free draining soil, they do not like to sit in water. They will get root rot if they are sat in wet soil for too long.

I use my standard mix of equal parts Perlite/Molar Clay/ Compost and have had no problems using this. So long as your soil is free draining everything should be fine.

(For more info on soil read – A General Guide To Bonsai Soil)

How Do you Water A Holm Oak Bonsai?

Holm oak bonsai do not like to be too wet, but should be kept slightly moist at all times. You want to water just as the soil is about to dry out. If you are using free draining soil you will be able to keep them moist with out being too wet and sat in water.

They will be able to handle some drought, since they are used to hot Mediterranean summers, but this does not mean you should let this happen to your bonsai. Bonsai are a little more delicate and it is not worth the risk, so just keep them moist at all time and your tree will be happy.

(For more info you can read –How To Water A Bonsai)

How Much Sun Light Does A Holm Oak Bonsai Need?

Holm Oak bonsai trees can take full sun and should be positioned to get as much as possible.

Being a Mediterranean tree, they like a lot of sun and can handle it with no problems. I live pretty far north and I just give them full sun, but they could certainly do with more than I can provide.

How Hardy Are Holm Oak Bonsai?

Although Holm Oaks are from the Mediterranean they are hardy in the UK down to at least -5°C (23°F) when planted in the ground. They may suffer damage at the branch tips at this temperature, but will survive.

I have left my holm oak bonsai tree out all year and it is in a pot. I don’t think it really enjoyed the frost, but it has always managed to survive with no problems. However, my area only drops below zero for a couple of hours at most and it would not get as low as -5°C here.

If you live in an area with a more extreme winter, I would consider giving it a little more protection. The tree will need a cold period, so shelter it somewhere cold but protected from extremely low temperatures such as shed or unheated greenhouse.

(For more info you can read – Working Out How To Over Winter Bonsai Trees)

How Often Do You Feed A Holm Oak Bonsai?

I feed my Holm Oak bonsai once a month during the growing season with an all purpose fertiliser. This will be more than enough to keep the tree healthy.

(For more info you can read – Do You Need To Use “Bonsai” Fertiliser?)

How Do Holm Oak Bonsai Respond to Pruning?

Holm Oak bonsai a can be pruned back to 2 or 3 leaves on each branch.

They will respond well to pruning and will push out new growth form below where you have pruned. This will allow you to build ramification pretty easily.

You can hard prune them, but they don’t really like this. They take their time to reshoot and often the shoots that come are not great. If you can avoid hard pruning you tree will be much better off for it. This means you need to plan how you develop your tree a little more than most, but this shouldn’t cause you too many problems.

(For more info you can read- How To Prune A Bonsai Tree)

Repotting A Holm Oak Bonsai

Holm Oak bonsai should be repotted in spring as the new buds start to swell.

I have not experimented with pruning the roots as my tree is still very young and slow growing and it hasn’t need much work yet.

In general, oaks do not like extreme root work, so I would advise to not go too crazy. Also the fact that I have had this tree for a number years and it hasn’t filled the pot would suggest they grow their roots very slowly, so they are not going to like any dramatic chopping. Treat these carefully and go slow.

(For more info you can read – How To Repot A Bonsai Tree)

Wiring A Holm Oak Bonsai

Holm Oak bonsai can be wired with no problems. You will probably need to wire some shape into the tree as the growth can be quite straight. However, a lot can be achieved through clip and grow.

(For more info read – Why Do We Wire Bonsai?)

What Is The Leaf Pattern Of A Holm Oak Bonsai?

Holm Oak bonsai have an alternate leaf pattern. They are also everygreen, so you will not get much change throughout the year.

What Pests Does A Holm Oak Bonsai Suffer From?

Holm oak bonsai are generally pest free, but can suffer from aphids at times.

Just check your trees regularly to see if any problems are forming and deal with anything you notice.

Can You Propagate A Holm Oak Bonsai?

Holm Oak bonsai are easily grown from seed. which is where I got mine from.

Usually oaks are not very good at rooting from cuttings or air layers. I have not tried myself, so can not give you a definite answer but the general consensus is you shouldn’t bother with oaks. Growing from seed is your best option, or digging one up (which can be tough too, as they like to have their roots messed with) .

What Is The Growth Rate Of A Holm Oak Bonsai?

Holm oak bonsai are slow growing in the UK. They grow faster in their native Mediterranean climate, but even there they can be slow to develop.

Basically the more light they get, the quicker they will grow. If they left in ground they will reach about 20m tall, so they may be slow, but they can get big if left for long enough.

Should You Get A Holm Oak Bonsai?

Holm Oak bonsai are quite slow growing and would not be favoured by a beginner.

I have not had any issues with them and they are easy to care for, but they are slow to develop and you will go along time without working on them.

Oaks are also not the most forgiving tress, so you need to be careful with the work you do, which is not ideal for a beginner. They are still cool trees and if you end up with one, then you will enjoy it, but I would suggest you aim for a different species that is more suited to bonsai before picking this spercies..

you can read more about – Are Holm Oak A Good Tree For Bonsai?