Hi Mic this site is indeed for that but you stated you wished to remove part of the trunk which simply isn't possible, you can obviously cut the tree back but if I remember correctly this was not a baby oak so it would be hard to bonsai. Might be better talking to a bonsai group?

We were trying to help Mic, so I'm sure we are all sorry if you were upset by any of the replies. I certainly thought you were talking about a mature oak tree not a bonsai. But if it is after all a big tree you mean it might be a good idea to discuss what you are thinking of with a qualified tree surgeon who could advise you what's possible in line with keeping the branches that you want. Its a big decision and you need to get it right.

Sorry, Mic. I've been offline for a few days, or I might have answered the first question, assuming that I realized that it concerned a bonsai. I understand what you want to do, but it would be a difficult operation, with a low probability of success. Your best chances with cutting the middle out of the trunk and grafting the stump and crown back together lie in a young tree with a small caliper--less than 1 cm. If that is true, you could use whip grafting techniques. You would want to prune the top back fairly severely, first, to reduce evaporation while conduction from the roots is impared. The second aid is to work very quickly--grafting oaks depends on the operation taking less than 2 minutes from cutting to wrapping. Also, I would transplant--preferably before the operation--to a large training pot, to encourage rapid trunk growth this summer. Be aware that even if the tree lives, it is likely to be unthrifty for years, and to develop an unattractive scar at the graft. With many species of oak, you will also have more trouble than usual with root suckers for the next several years.
All in all, I would consider it a bad gamble. Please consider just cutting off the top, and re-training a broom crown at the lower level. Another possibility would be to put the tree in a large training pot, and allow extensive shoot growth--to be pruned off later--to pump up the trunk caliper. It can be potted up in a larger show pot later, with the proportions that you want, at a larger scale. I hope that this helps.

How tall is this oak tree please.

Well, I must say, what a game this is. I have read all 3 of your questions/comments Mic1664, and all the responses you have received.
Far from our being perfect, I think the thing you can say is people on here seem to be very patient and rather too polite. Have you considered that perhaps it would have been best to post your original question with more information as to precisely what you wanted to do, the size of the tree involved, and why you wanted to do it? Not to mention how you thought you were going to do it.
Even though I've read everything, I still have no idea how old the oak tree is, where it's growing, how tall it is and the girth of its trunk, nor even whether its a bonsai already - seems to me lack of information from you is the problem rather than any responses being unhelpful.
That said, we have a member on here called Noseypotter, who has a bonsai expert as a neighbour - perhaps you should contact him directly, preferably with a fully informational question, to get a more expert answer.

If we cannot be polite on here then what is the point to all this??? I too have read all the responses and questions on this thread and I think some of them were very rude. tut tut. Surely if someone has not 'worded' a question to your liking then just be 'patient' and try to read into that question the correct way to answer. Maybe we should treat people just the way we would want to be treated. Well done Tug. in answering the Q. so precisely.

I don't think they were rude so much as humorous, Grandmage, but I guess it depends on your mindset whether you are amused or not.

It does depend on how you read them I agree, but sadly this thread was misinterpreted, poor Mic.

Your first question...........

"Hi I want to reduce an oak tree's height. Is it possible to remove a section from the middle or lower part of the trunk to achieve a smaller tree,"

Your second "question"................
"Sorry i did not realise that i was amongst such perfect people. I Love Bonsai and i was hoping some one out there could help in my desire to keep the top half of a tree i have but reduce it to a Bonsai size. It was a serious question. Save the dig's obviously im not as cleaver as you lot"

At this point the word bonsai comes up at last, but it would appear that this tree is not a bonsai yet. I thought that the answers you got were reasonable given the information you had offered.
Sadly you lacked the common decency to reply to those who did respond, and instead went on the attack with this...........
"Thanx all you perfect gardeners, No its not April!!! I was hoping you could help or at least give some advice. I am a keen Bonsai person and wanted to know if i could reduce the height of an oak tree. That would allow me to keep the perfect broom branch formation. I did think this site was for gardeners to help and advice ?"

My conclusion - I doubt that you're going to fit in here and you would probably be better off elsewhere.
Congratulations - this is the first time that I've "lost it" here, and I've done it publicly! So to the hard working staff and mods of GoY, I apologise.

Mic - I accept bad spelling and the difficulty that some have in expressing themselves on forums, but I cannot accept your aggressive rudeness. Sorry, but that's how it is.

Gawd, Meanie, don't hold back will ya, say it like it is, lol!

I'm sorry Bamboo, but this has wound me up. I know that I'll be getting my wrist slapped.
I hope that you're not offended............

Not really - I don't care enough to be offended, frankly, it is, if nothing else, entertaining. The problem is that the question, as you said, was badly put. Most people when they realise we've been led up the garden path by their badly phrased question apologise and then give better information. Mic took the other route, I'm afraid.. got defensive and attacked. Each to his own, I guess... and we're not being paid to do all this on here, are we, after all.

Thank you, Grandmage. I'll admit that some of the answers seemed rude to me, too, but the questions also could have been more informative. My experience in childhood should have taught me better, but I have to admit that it has taken me more than forty years to learn not to make fun of people. Lord have mercy on me, when I backslide! : /

TugB I do not think anyone was making 'fun' of Mic. Had he asked a clear question, or indeed amplified his question he would have received different answers. Did you actually read his original Q which says nothing about bonsai?

Wow Meanie never known you blow a fuse before :-)

Tug - don't backslide!

MG - I would usually do it in private, but its done now. Simple good manners would have probably bought a different response.

Lol Meanie!

OK I do apologise for not being totally uninformative in my question. But as a newbie did think the question was quite simple. Anyway, please let me start again. I have a number of Oak trees 4-5 feet each, planted in the ground for now, the ramification of the top half of the tree's are wonderful and could be worked to be a wonderful Bonsai tree in years to come. I want to reduce the the height. The trunk's could be shortened by up to 15inches. The trunk's are fairly straight and roughly 1 inch thick.

I have received a full answer from a couple of your more knowledgeable people from which I'm very happy.

I thank them

I'm glad you found the information you needed, Mic1664.

Me too.
Sorry about my rant earlier, we got off on the wrong foot.

I've just spoken to Mike again and as per my reply on your second question, he feels that you would be better off starting from an acorn. He does point out though that he has never bonsai'd an oak, and tends to specialize in the small to medium bonsai classes.

I don't think any of us meant to be rude Tug -I know I didn't. I thought originally we were talking about a mature tree and couldn't bear the thought of cutting the top off. I am so glad I was mistaken. Anyway I'm glad you got helpful information in the end Mic and wish you every success with your project..

Sorry about calling honest responses rude, too! : ]
MG, I did see the original question, and that's why I put in the proviso about realizing that it was about bonsai. No offense intended all around! : )
Mic, I did think of one other possibility, but I don't know how practical it is: does anyone else know how oaks react to air layering?