[Rory] Allocasuarina torulosa

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Rory
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[Rory] Allocasuarina torulosa

Post by Rory »

• Species name : Allocasuarina torulosa
• Original height of stock : 49cm
• Obtained : Bonsai World, 51 Watagan Forest Drive, Jilliby NSW 2259
• Date purchased : Wednesday 18th May 2016
• Cost of stock : $16
Torulosa1.jpg
Torulosa2.jpg
Torulosa3.jpg
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Rory
I style Bonsai naturally, just as they would appear in the wild.
Central Coast, NSW
Bonsai: Casuarina Leptospermum Banksia Phebalium Baeckea Melalueca Ficus

Growing Australian natives as Bonsai: viewtopic.php?p=289480#p289480

Buying and repotting Native nursery material: viewtopic.php?f=78&t=30724

Growing tips for Casuarina as Bonsai: viewtopic.php?p=244995#p244995

How to reduce moss from the trunk without damaging the bark: viewtopic.php?p=295227#p295227
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Rory
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Re: [Rory] Allocasuarina torulosa

Post by Rory »

I hope the board doesn't mind, but I received some assistance from General Grevious to assist with the initial cutting...

You want some Casuarina sushi?
IMG_8632a.jpg

With the help of this cunning warrior I have only really trimmed this stock. This required good dexterity and fine motor skills, so considering General Grevious can manipulate 4 light sabers simultaneously and not slice off any of his arms, I figured he was the best choice. For those curious, General Grevious is made entirely out of Lego.

This tree doesn't have a lot of body to it so I will promote a leader upwards and also perhaps style it as a leaning tree. I like how this is starting out and so far and am looking forward to developing the branches.

I have chosen not to repot just yet as although I have never had a problem repotting Casuarina over winter, I choose not to at this time. The main reason for this is that occasionally they can just sulk until Spring if you cut back the roots hard. Thus combined with cutting back branches, it can lead to die back. So instead I will keep the pot full of roots probably until about October - November.
I realize that reducing the head of hair on the tree will decrease its ability to access light for strong growth, but I am not interested in increasing the trunk size obviously. Instead I am merely encouraging the tree to produce more shoots. In my opinion the optimal time for a trunk chop on a Casuarina is usually November, but as this comp is 18 months I have decided to chop now and start the new shoots early.

I have purposely left a fair amount of foliage on, as the tree wont get a lot of sunlight over the next few months. Once the tree is in full swing again in about Spring sometime I will cut back hard and reduce most branches to stubs. With most Casuarina I find that it is best to leave at least 1 or 2 shoots on the branch if possible. If you are cutting in Spring and the branch is about almost 5 or 6 mm then you should be sweet, but if it is thinner than this I wouldn't take the risk of cutting back with no growth on it until spring. Otherwise you are at the mercy of the "Die-back gods".
IMG_8635a.jpg
IMG_8634a.jpg
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Rory
I style Bonsai naturally, just as they would appear in the wild.
Central Coast, NSW
Bonsai: Casuarina Leptospermum Banksia Phebalium Baeckea Melalueca Ficus

Growing Australian natives as Bonsai: viewtopic.php?p=289480#p289480

Buying and repotting Native nursery material: viewtopic.php?f=78&t=30724

Growing tips for Casuarina as Bonsai: viewtopic.php?p=244995#p244995

How to reduce moss from the trunk without damaging the bark: viewtopic.php?p=295227#p295227
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Re: [Rory] Allocasuarina torulosa

Post by anthonyW »

Good man for sharing your knowledge Rory thats what its all about.

Excellent stock for $16 wow,wow,wow...ooh I can see a nice tree in there, good luck my friend,I'll be watching this one with interest.

cheers Anthony
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Re: [Rory] Allocasuarina torulosa

Post by kcpoole »

I think Rory has gone Looney, and the comp has only just started! :lol:
Nice to get stuck in and work to the plan

Ken
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Re: [Rory] Allocasuarina torulosa

Post by melbrackstone »

That is an impressive bit of stock. I've got to say another wow!
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Rory
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Re: [Rory] Allocasuarina torulosa

Post by Rory »

I noticed new shoots growing fast, as Spring is pretty much early here it seems. So I had no concerns doing a repot now.
The reason I am leaving more of the trunk on this for now is that I am waiting to see what new shoots appear before I make my selections and cut back again.

It has some movement for such a little guy. I will allow it to shoot up a bit more in preparation for spring.
At this stage I actually like the 3 branches starting from the same point. The trunk is quite thick compared with the shoots, so I am not concerned about bulging at this stage. I plan to maintain the branches quite short to stop any bulging from developing.

Bulging on Casuarina usually develops on 2 or more branches from the same point when they are allowed to grow long, and even more so if the trunk is not very old.
Cas1c.jpg
Cas1b.jpg
Cas1a.jpg
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Rory
I style Bonsai naturally, just as they would appear in the wild.
Central Coast, NSW
Bonsai: Casuarina Leptospermum Banksia Phebalium Baeckea Melalueca Ficus

Growing Australian natives as Bonsai: viewtopic.php?p=289480#p289480

Buying and repotting Native nursery material: viewtopic.php?f=78&t=30724

Growing tips for Casuarina as Bonsai: viewtopic.php?p=244995#p244995

How to reduce moss from the trunk without damaging the bark: viewtopic.php?p=295227#p295227
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Re: [Rory] Allocasuarina torulosa

Post by Sammy D »

Very nice trunk there Rory. Looks like this one could be a strong contender :-)
A stick in a pot is better than no stick at all. Remember even the best bonsai started as a stick.
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Re: [Rory] Allocasuarina torulosa

Post by Rory »

Thanks for the comments guys.

I ended up buying about 6 other trees from Bonsai World that day that I could have used. I find it difficult to say no when I find so much good material that I purchased all the ones I liked. I got a few banksia that have stunning trunks on them too.

There were quite a few Casuarina and Kunzea in particular with amazing trunks, but I didn't submit these to the comp as I felt they might just be best suited to the next size up, instead of shohin.
Rory
I style Bonsai naturally, just as they would appear in the wild.
Central Coast, NSW
Bonsai: Casuarina Leptospermum Banksia Phebalium Baeckea Melalueca Ficus

Growing Australian natives as Bonsai: viewtopic.php?p=289480#p289480

Buying and repotting Native nursery material: viewtopic.php?f=78&t=30724

Growing tips for Casuarina as Bonsai: viewtopic.php?p=244995#p244995

How to reduce moss from the trunk without damaging the bark: viewtopic.php?p=295227#p295227
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Rory
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Re: [Rory] Allocasuarina torulosa

Post by Rory »

This one hasn't really powered on but it is still growing, albeit a little slowly. I plan to either use one of the top shoots as the new leader, unless a better shoot presents itself in the next month.
Torulosa1.jpg
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Rory
I style Bonsai naturally, just as they would appear in the wild.
Central Coast, NSW
Bonsai: Casuarina Leptospermum Banksia Phebalium Baeckea Melalueca Ficus

Growing Australian natives as Bonsai: viewtopic.php?p=289480#p289480

Buying and repotting Native nursery material: viewtopic.php?f=78&t=30724

Growing tips for Casuarina as Bonsai: viewtopic.php?p=244995#p244995

How to reduce moss from the trunk without damaging the bark: viewtopic.php?p=295227#p295227
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Rory
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Re: [Rory] Allocasuarina torulosa

Post by Rory »

This tree has been a little slow to develop but in the last 4 weeks it has started to produce new growth everywhere so I wont really do much other than let it develop strongly over the next 4 weeks and reassess then. I have given it a much sunnier position and only trimmed the growth to produce better ramification. Obviously you would be wise not to cut this back much at all because it is still building up its health. The more foliage it has in the strong growing season, the more options you will get in a quicker time frame.

Because of the slower growth on this one I haven't been able to take advantage of cutting back other areas for ramification because there is a greater chance of die-back. Thus I will wait till the branches thicken more. It does have a lot of potential.... but patience is the key.


BEFORE
Tree3-Before.jpg


AFTER CUTTING BACK CERTAIN AREAS
Tree3-After.jpg
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Rory
I style Bonsai naturally, just as they would appear in the wild.
Central Coast, NSW
Bonsai: Casuarina Leptospermum Banksia Phebalium Baeckea Melalueca Ficus

Growing Australian natives as Bonsai: viewtopic.php?p=289480#p289480

Buying and repotting Native nursery material: viewtopic.php?f=78&t=30724

Growing tips for Casuarina as Bonsai: viewtopic.php?p=244995#p244995

How to reduce moss from the trunk without damaging the bark: viewtopic.php?p=295227#p295227
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Rory
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Re: [Rory] Allocasuarina torulosa

Post by Rory »

There isn't much to report as I have just been fertilizing, watering and letting it grow. I have cut back a few of the older shoots to encourage some ramification. And a few select shoots were removed to stop any bulging that would have resulted.

The leader has finally started to thicken. And a few new shoots at the rear of this view, have started to appear above the first bend so that is always a plus.
Tree1.jpg
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Rory
I style Bonsai naturally, just as they would appear in the wild.
Central Coast, NSW
Bonsai: Casuarina Leptospermum Banksia Phebalium Baeckea Melalueca Ficus

Growing Australian natives as Bonsai: viewtopic.php?p=289480#p289480

Buying and repotting Native nursery material: viewtopic.php?f=78&t=30724

Growing tips for Casuarina as Bonsai: viewtopic.php?p=244995#p244995

How to reduce moss from the trunk without damaging the bark: viewtopic.php?p=295227#p295227
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Rory
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Re: [Rory] Allocasuarina torulosa

Post by Rory »

Tree1.jpg
I haven't worked on my trees in quite a while. This has just been cut back and not much else, just letting it do its thing over winter.
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Rory
I style Bonsai naturally, just as they would appear in the wild.
Central Coast, NSW
Bonsai: Casuarina Leptospermum Banksia Phebalium Baeckea Melalueca Ficus

Growing Australian natives as Bonsai: viewtopic.php?p=289480#p289480

Buying and repotting Native nursery material: viewtopic.php?f=78&t=30724

Growing tips for Casuarina as Bonsai: viewtopic.php?p=244995#p244995

How to reduce moss from the trunk without damaging the bark: viewtopic.php?p=295227#p295227
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Rory
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Re: [Rory] Allocasuarina torulosa

Post by Rory »

It has started to push out a bit of new growth with Spring approaching and the weather getting warmer. This one has shot forth quite a few leaders from the apex so I will allow them to grow. I never cut all the shoots and leave one leader, as this can open a world of hurt. If the remaining leader is eaten or damaged, Casuarina can die-back if all the new apex growth is removed. Therefore I recommend leaving at least 3 new shoots as a minimum until they get to about 3 or 4mm thick.

With the sun getting higher in the day now, it is going to really give this little guy some strong growth. It should produce quite a good number of options towards the top.
Unfortunately over winter, we get very little sun for about 5 weeks or so, so it has grown very slowly over winter.

It would be silly to cut the roots and place into a bonsai pot now. I will wait until the end of the comp to do that, as it will slow down the growth somewhat. It is not a good idea to repot or cut roots on a Casuarina before November.
Tree2a.jpg
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Rory
I style Bonsai naturally, just as they would appear in the wild.
Central Coast, NSW
Bonsai: Casuarina Leptospermum Banksia Phebalium Baeckea Melalueca Ficus

Growing Australian natives as Bonsai: viewtopic.php?p=289480#p289480

Buying and repotting Native nursery material: viewtopic.php?f=78&t=30724

Growing tips for Casuarina as Bonsai: viewtopic.php?p=244995#p244995

How to reduce moss from the trunk without damaging the bark: viewtopic.php?p=295227#p295227
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Rory
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Re: [Rory] Allocasuarina torulosa

Post by Rory »

Spring is now in full swing with my comp entries.

I plan on cutting back again probably about mid-late October to promote more ramification.

This tree has done exactly what I wanted it to do. Leaving it alone has allowed it to shoot like crazy and given me a plethora of options.
I gave this tree one of the sunniest positions in the backyard in the hope that the internodes remain very short. This will allow the tree to hopefully keep its small scale when I do the final cut, style and repot.

I'll do the final cut back and repot in late November.

Image
Rory
I style Bonsai naturally, just as they would appear in the wild.
Central Coast, NSW
Bonsai: Casuarina Leptospermum Banksia Phebalium Baeckea Melalueca Ficus

Growing Australian natives as Bonsai: viewtopic.php?p=289480#p289480

Buying and repotting Native nursery material: viewtopic.php?f=78&t=30724

Growing tips for Casuarina as Bonsai: viewtopic.php?p=244995#p244995

How to reduce moss from the trunk without damaging the bark: viewtopic.php?p=295227#p295227
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Rory
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Re: [Rory] Allocasuarina torulosa

Post by Rory »

I have only just potted this one up a few days ago and cut it back. I should have done this before November but life sometimes gets in the way.
Hopefully it will present a new flush before the comp ends for its final presentation.

This one is well under the 25cm height so it has a very easy-going future ahead of it. It was placed into a Pat Kennedy pot and I'll now wait for new growth before I trim it back again.

Image
Rory
I style Bonsai naturally, just as they would appear in the wild.
Central Coast, NSW
Bonsai: Casuarina Leptospermum Banksia Phebalium Baeckea Melalueca Ficus

Growing Australian natives as Bonsai: viewtopic.php?p=289480#p289480

Buying and repotting Native nursery material: viewtopic.php?f=78&t=30724

Growing tips for Casuarina as Bonsai: viewtopic.php?p=244995#p244995

How to reduce moss from the trunk without damaging the bark: viewtopic.php?p=295227#p295227
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