Casuarina Glauca

[quodlibet_ens]

I picked up this tubestock from work today. At first sight I liked the look of the long thin trunk with a hint of foliage at the top -- from base to tip it's 600mm. I am thinking of styling it as 'literati'. Any suggestions at this early stage on what I should be doing beyond putting it in a larger pot?

Cheers



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[shibui]

You can cut it anywhere. These sprout new buds very easily, even from older wood.
Otherwise, it is a very young, undeveloped seedling. You can develop almost anything with it.

[Rory]

From my experience this is the best and hardiest of all the Casuarina species I have grown.

I concur with everything shibui says. You don't have to worry about over watering the tree either, they will grow in just about anything. They naturally grow well in inundated areas, (so the soil can be slow draining or well draining), they grow well in either soil. Just don't let the soil become bone dry for a few days. You can cut back hard any time of the year, but if you cut it in winter it might lie dormant for a few months, which can frustrate a novice. Right now is the best time to repot and work the roots. Make sure you also remove the top soil and take a good look at where the roots are coming out radially, otherwise with tube stock, the roots often grow down then come back up and out without you realizing it. With the thickness of your trunk and the size of that tube, the roots shouldn't be too hard to deal with.
So take it out of the tube and use a spray setting on your hose (not jet) and work the roots apart.

You might find that with Casuarina tubestocks the trunk below the soil doesn't develop as well as the trunk above the soil line, and it may have reverse taper. But cross that bridge if you come to it.
Ease apart the roots, and place the seedling into a pot. Grow it hard for a few years in a decent size pot, then cut back low on the trunk. Repeat this for a few years after which you can let the trunk go long if you still want. Even though Literati style is tall and delicate, it still needs a good strong trunk. Also, casuarina in particular can thicken up high very easily when in the 'growing phase in a grow pot', so if you don't have at least a bit of taper in the base of the trunk, you might find it gets top heavy very quickly.

Also, FYI... if you cut the trunk hard on Casuarina glauca down low, wait until it is about 1.5cm - 2cm thick if you can. Otherwise the new shoots often cause the tree to bulge at the cut. If you wait until the tree is about 1.5cm - 2cm, then it has a very low chance of bulging because the new shoots don't have much effect on the largish trunk. But once you trunk chop, choose the new shoots that you want to develop early on and remove the others so it doesn't bulge. I usually leave about 3 shoots, so in case a caterpillar eats a few or you knock one off, then you still have a few left.

But for choosing what I feel is probably the best choice of material for Australian bonsai of all time.

Keep it in full sun if you can and the growth will explode. They will tolerate very heavy shade and are the most tolerant of low sun, but try to give it as much sun as possible. Fertilize with Osmocote slow release fertilizer pellets, and if you have the money they love Powerfeed for natives once a week or once a fortnight at full strength. Keep an eye out for suckers that develop at the base. In my opinion these trees look beautiful with multi trunks if you let them develop.

[quodlibet_ens]

Rory and Shibui, thanks so much for your advice!

It was really by fluke that I saw the Glauca. I was grabbing the last of the Cunninghamiana tubestock we had at work for a landscape I'm planning on, and I just happen to catch my eye on this one. As soon as I saw it I thought 'literati'.

Thankfully I get a discount on everything at work, so I already have a range of fertilisers handy. It might be hard to tell from the photo, but the trunk is already about 1cm thick, so with your recommendation, Rory, with regular fertilisation and full sun, I might see how it is at the end of summer before I look to cutting it down. It might just be worthwhile leaving it until next Spring depending on its growth?

I'll keep the thread updated with pictures on growth etc. I'm quite excited about this one.

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[cre8ivbonsai]

Great info above, all I'd add is get some wire on and movement in the trunk now even if looking toward literati

[NAHamilton]

But for choosing what I feel is probably the best choice of material for Australian bonsai of all time.

Any chance you could elaborate a little on this please Rory? I've got a few different types starting out but this is the first time I've come across this one. A search shows a few being used but I'm curious as to why you regard it so highly.

Thanks,
Nigel

[matlea]

I have two of these which I put in the ground. They went from what you have there to having a trunk of an inch or so in one year. Have just cut them back.
I agree with Rory, sort out the roots early.

[Rory]

But for choosing what I feel is probably the best choice of material for Australian bonsai of all time.

Any chance you could elaborate a little on this please Rory? I've got a few different types starting out but this is the first time I've come across this one. A search shows a few being used but I'm curious as to why you regard it so highly.

Thanks,
Nigel

Aesthetically it is quite similar to cunninghamiana but it is more to do with the resistance and growth of the tree.
I used to think cunninghamiana was the gun, but it's dislike of strong shade and prefernce of well draining soil leaves me to conclude that glauca is the hardiest.

In low sun, full sun or strong shade it grows very well.
You can over water it and it still grows strong.
You can put it in any soil medium.
And it has an amazing tolerance for drought.

All other species of casuarina would not flourish if subjected to all the above conditions.

Cockroaches are not the only species to flourish after a nuclear war.

[quodlibet_ens]

Great info above, all I'd add is get some wire on and movement in the trunk now even if looking toward literati

Even if the trunk will be cut at some point in the future you would still recommend wiring it at this early stage?

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[cre8ivbonsai]

Great info above, all I'd add is get some wire on and movement in the trunk now even if looking toward literati

Even if the trunk will be cut at some point in the future you would still recommend wiring it at this early stage?

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I would, any movement down low increases your options later, just don't forget to remove the wire before it cuts in. Do be careful though, it will snap easy this young!

[quodlibet_ens]

Great info above, all I'd add is get some wire on and movement in the trunk now even if looking toward literati

Even if the trunk will be cut at some point in the future you would still recommend wiring it at this early stage?

Sent from my SM-N915G using Tapatalk

I would, any movement down low increases your options later, just don't forget to remove the wire before it cuts in. Do be careful though, it will snap easy this young!

Okay, brilliant! I'll post a picture of the wiring job.

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