Water Gum (Tristaniopsis laurina) as Bonsai

BonsaiJamie · Post by **BonsaiJamie** » August 24th, 2012, 4:05 pm

Has anybody on here had any experience or have any advice on growing a Water Gum as a Bonsai Tree?
Ive rescued a nearly dead 2m tall Water Gum from the nursery at work a while back. I pretty much just chopped the trunk a fair way down and now it is started to throw heaps
of new growth. Here is a picture, do you think theres any potential for this Tree?

bodhidharma · Post by **bodhidharma** » August 24th, 2012, 4:25 pm

Hi Bj, most trees have potential but i have never heard of this gum before. It looks like it is backbudding well and i would be considering your new leader about now. I would need to see the other side but it looks like there is a leader there to be used. Cut it down to the new leader and wire it into place. Judging by the tree in the background you have some experience so it is just a matter of getting to it. There is heaps of info about gums on our wiki and i would be perusing that first.

GavinG · Post by **GavinG** » August 24th, 2012, 4:58 pm

They make very good bonsai, and are tough as guts. If you look on the Canberra Bonsai society website, under Native Show Gallery (I think) you will see a couple of very good Water Gum bonsai by Ray Nesci, who gave a talk at the last Native Plants as Bonsai Symposium. I don't have one, but I suspect that if you treat them like Lilly-Pillis (do the search) they'll be fine. Good luck,

Gavin

Chad · Post by **Chad** » August 24th, 2012, 5:18 pm

From a hort point of view, they will send up those suckers from the base, they are a very hardy tree and you could cut it down to almost the ground and it will re shoot. I dont have one but have seen quite a few good ones

Post by **kcpoole** » August 24th, 2012, 5:23 pm

Ray has a few and they are spectacular. One of which was on his calendar a few years ago and last year i think won as part to the ANBA show in Canberra.

They are quite quick to grow and are tough as nails, the foliage give lovely colour and reduces very well. They take wire extramely well and of the australian Natives they have to be one of the best of all. Recommended a a starter tree for everyone.
Back shoot onto bare wood as well.

I reckon that everyone should have at least one on their benches,and i have 2

Ken

Scott Roxburgh · Post by **Scott Roxburgh** » August 24th, 2012, 5:51 pm

Search is your friend:
viewtopic.php?f=25&t=10362&hilit=Tristaniopsis&start=15

kcpoole wrote:I reckon that everyone should have at least one on their benches,and i have 2

Pics or it didn't happen!

Post by **kcpoole** » August 24th, 2012, 8:59 pm

Scott Roxburgh wrote:Search is your friend:
viewtopic.php?f=25&t=10362&hilit=Tristaniopsis&start=15

kcpoole wrote:I reckon that everyone should have at least one on their benches,and i have 2
Pics or it didn't happen!

Is that a challenge

I thought I had already created some threads for them, but maybe a server crash took them

Nah probably just me being slack

As I said i have 2 that I have had for a while, The both came from riverview nursery in West Ryde,
the first in 2008, and the other in 2011, so not long

They have both had several trunk chops and the roots have been hacked back hard to get rid of the twisted wrapped ones.
Now just trying to build the branching and apex which will take only a few years.

Both trees are and will be Shohin size

Ken

BonsaiJamie · Post by **BonsaiJamie** » August 25th, 2012, 9:04 am

Cheers for your input everyone. Ill have a go at giving him the ol' chop n wire, and ill put up some pics later when im done.
Thanks for the pics too Ken, they both look awesome. Great inspiration for what you can do with these. What sort of medium are yours growing in?
When I Eventually repot, should i keep going with the 50-50 mix of searles premium mix and coarse sand ?

Post by **kcpoole** » August 25th, 2012, 1:00 pm

Thanks for the compliment

they have a fair way to go still but they will not take that long now. They both have shoots all over the trunks so will get plenty of branch options to use where I need them.
These like all my trees are in my Diatomite / Zeolite (2/3 1/3) mix

Ken

matlea · Post by **matlea** » August 25th, 2012, 6:15 pm

Looking good. Does this species have any issues with die back? Am thinking of giving these guys a go... Love the new foliage colour an bark on these.

Post by **kcpoole** » August 25th, 2012, 6:16 pm

matlea wrote:Looking good. Does this species have any issues with die back? .

Not as far as I know, i certainly have not had any.

Ken

matlea · Post by **matlea** » August 25th, 2012, 6:20 pm

....good news... All the more reason to give them a go!

bonborn · Post by **bonborn** » September 6th, 2016, 12:15 pm

Just reviving this topic. When can I do some root work on watergums. Is now a good time being spring.

Post by **kcpoole** » September 6th, 2016, 1:46 pm

I do mine in mid to late spring. Like most natives, they prefer to be root pruned thru the warmer months

Ken

bonborn · Post by **bonborn** » September 6th, 2016, 2:27 pm

Thanks Ken. Will wait in that case.

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