Okay, I have a little dilemma with this recently purchased Cunninghamiana. -> Where to cut and what to cut <- Thought I might pose this little query out to the members here for thoughts.
This is the gallery of the different side profiles:
gallery/album.php?album_id=525
Cas Cunn Cut Test - Not sure what to do here.
If I cut at purple and blue, I have a kind of straightish middle which will look a bit okay if you grow it much taller.
If I cut at the orange, (which I'm leaning towards), then I may get a stack of new growth to choose from under the cut to work with.
If I cut at the red, I will produce a more tapered look, but then I run the chance that the pink potential branch will end up being the new leader and may not bud back between the red and the potential pink branch which would be devastating to lose that tapered area from pink up to red.
I haven't had much experience with taking massive cuts like these on cunninghamiana. I have done it 3 times on fairly thick stock, but not as thick as this. I lost one, and the other shot from everywhere, and the 3rd shot sporadically.
Casuarina Cunninghamiana Advice
- Rory
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Casuarina Cunninghamiana Advice
Last edited by Rory on December 22nd, 2013, 11:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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
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How to reduce moss from the trunk without damaging the bark: viewtopic.php?p=295227#p295227
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
- kcpoole
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Re: Casuarina Cunninghamiana Stock
You should be able to cut back to at least the red line, but I would go even lower to the first shoot on the right and use that as the leader. Tile the tree to the left at the next repot, and use your pink as the first branch
Ken
Ken
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Re: Casuarina Cunninghamiana Advice
cut it back to the pink line. I guarantee it will re-sprout again. I just did this myself.
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Re: Casuarina Cunninghamiana Advice
Okay, I've cut the top off, but I left enough for 2 leaders to grow, so depending on which one goes okay, I may cut a little more off, but for now, just leaving 2 leaders to see. I couldn't cut below the red line, because the other shoots are just dead twigs coming off, and are not living.
Have bent down the 1st branch on the left in preparation.
Have bent down the 1st branch on the left in preparation.
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
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
- Rory
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Re: Casuarina Cunninghamiana Advice
Yeah, tilting the tree is a definite improvement, and if the top leader dies back, then i'll cut further down. Thanks for the suggestions.kcpoole wrote:You should be able to cut back to at least the red line, but I would go even lower to the first shoot on the right and use that as the leader. Tile the tree to the left at the next repot, and use your pink as the first branch
Ken
Thanks for the help. The only problem is if I had cut it back to the pink line, it would just be a stumpy toad stool, I prefer to have some tapering at least, as its at least 1cm thicker below the pink line than above.Brian wrote:cut it back to the pink line. I guarantee it will re-sprout again. I just did this myself.
Last edited by Rory on December 23rd, 2013, 12:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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
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
- Rory
- Aussie Bonsai Fan
- Posts: 2809
- Joined: January 23rd, 2013, 11:19 pm
- Favorite Species: Baeckea Phebalium Casuarina & Banksia
- Bonsai Age: 24
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- Has thanked: 22 times
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Re: Casuarina Cunninghamiana Advice
Some fresh growth is coming out of the woodwork - so to speak - and I'm happy with the look. Hard to tell from this pic, but the new leader is thickening very quickly and would be just over half a cm already. For now, I think I'm just going to let the leader grow till it reaches the moon, then start to cut back and grow again etc.
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
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
- Rory
- Aussie Bonsai Fan
- Posts: 2809
- Joined: January 23rd, 2013, 11:19 pm
- Favorite Species: Baeckea Phebalium Casuarina & Banksia
- Bonsai Age: 24
- Location: Central Coast, NSW
- Has thanked: 22 times
- Been thanked: 459 times
Re: Casuarina Cunninghamiana Advice
This one has had a repot and the roots pruned. I have potted it with a slant now.
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
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