AusBonsai

Are these buds still there?

Looks like there’s still life.
Hopefully it will sprout yet.

Grant

Sorry for late reply it's been a busy month.
Here's some pics from the other day:

SquatJar wrote: ↑January 10th, 2023, 2:05 am Are these buds still there?

Thank you for taking the time - I didn't even see those! I think they're still there but looks dry.

At least she has company.. I'll clean out the pot and do a very late post-mortem when spring comes - for now I need the height for her friends.

It's been a very interesting ride growing Cassy in Sweden. I have learned so much from this little plant alone.
The two best things that came out of it was:
1. Finding bonsai as a hobby/lifestyle! It is an amazing way to spend your time and I hope I can do it from here on out...
2. Finding this wonderful forum! I've never come across a friendlier group of people on the internet. Always willing to share knowledge and insight - you guys rock! Thank you for all the knowledge, tips and encouragement along the way - it felt like a group effort

I'm still going to hang around here and I still think Casuarina is an amazing species to work with.

Casuarina cunninghamiana if it is in excellent health, is a very hardy tree,

Having said that, I have lost a few after trunk chopping because they had been constantly cut back and were not in good health.
I have also lost a few from trunk chopping too late in Autumn.

If a casy has just started to come good after a period of ill health, I would not advise trunk chopping for at least a year or more.
I haven’t been paying close attention to this thread sorry.

Casy cunninghamiana sometimes does not do well from a trunk chop without strong sun afterwards. I also have lost a few because we had months of cloud and rain after a trunk chop, and the new growth just withers and dies. But I’ve probably grown over 300 casuarina and it’s not that common but it does happen.

Going forward, I would suggest a few pointers:
Routinely work your roots during the strongest summer time.
Only trunk chop a casy in the height of your summer heat….Never as you’re approaching winter.

Your material with the healthy photos over the years shows that it can be done with your grow lights, so try again, but don’t trunk trunk chop if it’s only just recovering from a period of ill health and try to chop the trunk sooner in its life but when you do, try to leave more foliage below the trunk chop so it retains foliage to speed up the recovery and feed the new growth.

Everyone always says Cunninhamana is super hardy. But I’ve seen the flip side and realized if they are sun starved or root bound, trunk chops can kill them. I have lost many littoralis from these problems too. Many years ago, occasionally when I’d purchased amazing Casuarina material from nurseries they have died after I trunk chopped because the roots were too compact and I had cut back too late in Autumn when I first started out.

Also…. The other flip side is…. Casuarina when it’s trunk chopped can remain dormant for a very long time before they finally shoot. I think the longest time was almost 5 months.

Good luck.

Thanks a lot Rory! What you're saying all makes a lot of sense and fits the description of why my Cassy (probably) won't make it. I've referenced your growing notes many times during my Ripley's lifetime. Apart from being rootbound --> repotted ---> not recieving abundant sun + autumn approaching I was a bit too eager to make the long awaited chop before putting her inside again. Should have chopped the crown and let her be until brimming with health. Hindsight... I'll keep growing and hopefully keep growing

John Naka said” Grow a lot, kill a lot, Learn a lot”

I cofirmed the death of Ripley, my first bonsai, a while back: Still lots of root growth! I'd say pumice + Cassy = I learned so much from this first tree (and this forum) and now I have lots of trees Still Casuarina will always be dear to me!

If you can get them, Allocasuarina (same family) torulosa and A. littoralis both have corky, interesting bark that develops early. Keep trying!

Gavin

I'm back baby!

A generous local club member actually had several young Casuarinas that he had been over wintering in a cool greenhouse - and he gifted me one!
She's about 40 cm from pot.
He has cut it back a couple of times. It has a minor inverse taper part. Planted in a mix with lava, pumice, akadama type stuff. I'm thinking the original plan still goes - fatten up with increasing up-pottings and then chop hard (BUT when vigorous!).

I've let her stay out in wet and cool (but not freezing) autumn here and tomorrow she's coming with me to live at my work place; North facing window with an additional grow light (the full spectrum bar Ripley had). So I'm expecting her spring will kick in soon.

Thoughts, ideas etc always welcome