river and black she oak long term project

[DeadStar]

I have wanted a few native trees but there is slim pickings from the closest bonsai nursery. So with my copy of Bonsai with australian native plants by D & V Koreshoff under my arm (to tell the truth, it was in my wifes handbag ). We went to a natives nursery and I brought heaps of black she oak and river she oak in tube stock.

I got the idea from a post about putting gnarly bends in young river she oak with the idea of have something to work with in the future. I got to bending, twisting and I only snapped half of them

With the black she oak I just put some movement into most of them and left 2 to grow as they were.

The nursery man said they all should be repotted now, so tommorow I will get some soil and mix it up with my recent kleensorb delivery.
Should I get some native potting mix or will they be fine in debco bonsai mix?

[trident76]

Gday.
I have a number of casuarinas grown from seed that I have growing in a standard potting mix bought in bags from a local nursery. It is not 'bonsai' or 'native' mix, and the trees are growing nicely. I have wired some curves into a few as you have done too. Many are in 6 inch pots, with some in large polystyrene boxes that are fattening up rapidly.
Luke

[Rory]

Always good to see people starting stock with natives, especially casuarina.
I used debco bonsai soil mix a long, long time ago when I didn't have a car to get to a bonsai nursery....and I definitely don't recommend it. They may have changed their mix since then, but back then it was heavy, didn't drain well, and promoted rot and fungus in everything. If you have a bonsai nursery near you, I highly recommend getting soil mix from them instead.

Allocasuarina littoralis (Black Sheoak), does not tolerate heavy mixes which doesn't drain well. Don't overwater these, you'll kill them. You also have to more careful about leaving these on a hot and windy day.

Casuarina cunninghamian (River Sheoak), is much more tolerant of heavy mixes that don't drain well. So too is Casuarina Glauca. They can tolerate overwatering but try not to. Great stock, very hardy for most conditions.

[Neli]

I put a seedlings 1cm trunk last year in the ground ...and wired it...it is now 5 cm. I even layered them this year and removed huge layers...Cuttings also grow so easy.
Watch the wire...in a month or less it will bite hard in ....look at the wire marks on mine.
I just slit the packet on the sides...and now both packets are in the ground.

[DeadStar]

Gday.
I have a number of casuarinas grown from seed that I have growing in a standard potting mix bought in bags from a local nursery. It is not 'bonsai' or 'native' mix, and the trees are growing nicely. I have wired some curves into a few as you have done too. Many are in 6 inch pots, with some in large polystyrene boxes that are fattening up rapidly.
Luke

Thanks, I might give the natives soil a miss then

Always good to see people starting stock with natives, especially casuarina.
I used debco bonsai soil mix a long, long time ago when I didn't have a car to get to a bonsai nursery....and I definitely don't recommend it. They may have changed their mix since then, but back then it was heavy, didn't drain well, and promoted rot and fungus in everything. If you have a bonsai nursery near you, I highly recommend getting soil mix from them instead.

Allocasuarina littoralis (Black Sheoak), does not tolerate heavy mixes which doesn't drain well. Don't overwater these, you'll kill them. You also have to more careful about leaving these on a hot and windy day.

Casuarina cunninghamian (River Sheoak), is much more tolerant of heavy mixes that don't drain well. So too is Casuarina Glauca. They can tolerate overwatering but try not to. Great stock, very hardy for most conditions.

Thanks for the growing tips. I have been researching soils since posting and there are a lot of options I will see what products I can source within a resonable distance from home and make up a batch in the next couple of day

I put a seedlings 1cm trunk last year in the ground ...and wired it...it is now 5 cm. I even layered them this year and removed huge layers...Cuttings also grow so easy.
Watch the wire...in a month or less it will bite hard in ....look at the wire marks on mine.
I just slit the packet on the sides...and now both packets are in the ground.

Mine are a few years off from from even thinking about doing air layers but its always inspirational to see other peoples progress on their trees.
I might have to look for somewhere to make a grow bed for some trees

[DeadStar]

Links to the two posts that inspired me to start this project

River sho oak seedling twisting
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=1321

Black she oak
viewtopic.php?f=61&t=429