Casuarina help with bad budding on deep ridged bark

[Josh]

Hello all.
I picked up a few of these casuarinas (ID anyone) a while ago. They were about 6-9 foot high and in 7inch pots. They had grown through the bottom of the pot, through the weed mat and had large roots going into the ground. The nursery owner didn't want the weed mat damaged so I had to cut the roots off at the pot. I bought 4 casuarinas and two Eucalyptus sideroxylon and paid $2 each for them as he thought they wouldn't grow. I cut large amounts of foliage off back to stubs. I potted three of them and the fourth never quite got around to doing anything with, it has sat in the same tub of seasol I soaked them in when I first got them ( I know, I should change the seasol )

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This one below I cut back hard an re potted. I didn't expect it to live as there wasn't many roots at all left in the pot except for a couple of big ones that had to come off. I guess I almost turned it into a cutting It started to die back but has finally started budding. The buds are all above where the really deep rough bark starts. I'm wondering will it bud back down on/in the rough bark.

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[Josh]

Arghhhh It won't let me upload any more pics As soon as I work out why I'll post the rest of the pics and ask the question I planned to. So frustrating and yes they are resized

[Josh]

Oh I hate computers

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I have done searches and people say cut them back hard they will back bud. How hard can you cut them back and will they back bud on/in the really deep ridged bark.

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I don't plan on doing anything to it just yet except letting it grow out but I want to know how hard can I cut it back and still get buds. Am I better letting it grow then remove the top leaving a couple of branches then doing the same again until I get it down.

Thanks
Josh

[Josh]

Dimensions are 1 metre high and 10 cm at the base.

[Boics]

Hi Josh.

My Casuarina's have always been happy to back bud even from deep fissured bark when cut back.
If it were me I'd cut back to the lowest branch on each tree and see what happens.

I presume that they will back bud lower than the lowest branch and you can continue to reduce.

The only disclaimer is that my experience is based on my tree's (which are cas. Torolusa) and during warmer months.
Not sure how this procedure will go heading into winter.

P.S. I wouldn't be surprised if your tree's are indeed Torolusa.

[shibui]

Most trees will produce buds from the highest remaining part of the tree (because it wants to get tall again?) Lower buds fail to develop when you leave the tree tall.
Your trees have now wasted a lot of energy making new buds high up. You could try cutting them again but maybe safer to let them grow a bit and regain strength before cutting shorter. For future reference they should sprout from anywhere on the trunk if you cut hard.

I would be surprised if these are A. torulosa - Bark does not seem to be corky enough. Leaf arrangement is one defining feature but you will need a magnifying glass to see it.

[g.raft]

Hi Josh, I've got a black sheoak similar to the stock you have in trunk size/bark development and I cut it back to a bare trunk with no growth or branches about six inches above soil.......it didn't shoot buds in a time frame that I thought it might, I kept waiting.....I think it's dead I thought to myself . Continued to water but with no real expectations of a revival, but bugger me about 4 months after chop it shot a single bud up from the cut between the bark and cambrium.....amazing

So maybe the suggestion of gradually cutting down might be the best course of action

[Jason]

Nice material Josh, that bark looks awesome!

Am watching the thread with interest, as I've recently got myself a Sheoak as well

[Josh]

Hi Josh.

My Casuarina's have always been happy to back bud even from deep fissured bark when cut back.
If it were me I'd cut back to the lowest branch on each tree and see what happens.

I presume that they will back bud lower than the lowest branch and you can continue to reduce.

The only disclaimer is that my experience is based on my tree's (which are cas. Torolusa) and during warmer months.
Not sure how this procedure will go heading into winter.

P.S. I wouldn't be surprised if your tree's are indeed Torolusa.

Thanks Boics, I plan on waiting til spring before I do anything to drastic. I've got other trees to keep going in the meantime. Thanks for the info.

Most trees will produce buds from the highest remaining part of the tree (because it wants to get tall again?) Lower buds fail to develop when you leave the tree tall.
Your trees have now wasted a lot of energy making new buds high up. You could try cutting them again but maybe safer to let them grow a bit and regain strength before cutting shorter. For future reference they should sprout from anywhere on the trunk if you cut hard.

I would be surprised if these are A. torulosa - Bark does not seem to be corky enough. Leaf arrangement is one defining feature but you will need a magnifying glass to see it.

Thanks Shibui, They are alive so I figure it's not wasted energy (but I know what you mean). When I got these I really didn't think they would live. I cut 90% of the foliage off and 95 % of the roots off. The guy laughed at me taking them, but I figured for a couple of bucks, what the heck. I didn't know if they would back back on bare wood or needed foliage to bud so probably went a bit easy with the pruning. I am amazed they have recovered like they did. I will let them grow out a bit now and get soem vigor again then prune back harder. Thanks for the info on budding on old wood.

Hi Josh, I've got a black sheoak similar to the stock you have in trunk size/bark development and I cut it back to a bare trunk with no growth or branches about six inches above soil.......it didn't shoot buds in a time frame that I thought it might, I kept waiting.....I think it's dead I thought to myself . Continued to water but with no real expectations of a revival, but bugger me about 4 months after chop it shot a single bud up from the cut between the bark and cambrium.....amazing

So maybe the suggestion of gradually cutting down might be the best course of action

Thanks g.raft. My biggest problem with these was the fact they were severely pot bound and I cut everything off to get them out of the ground, so they weren't real healthy after doing that to them. The last in the photo had almost no real roots except a couple of biggish roots, noe feeder roots at all. If they were healthy and vigourous and not root pruning heavy and foliage pruning I'd probably be more game to cut hard. Cheers, thanks

Nice material Josh, that bark looks awesome!

Am watching the thread with interest, as I've recently got myself a Sheoak as well

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Thanks Jason, The photo doesn't really show the bark properly. On the last one I can put my finger inside the bark and not be able to see it at all from the side. These make great trees and I think they have a variety of styles that work well for them. I'll keep updating on how they go.

Thanks everyone for the info. What I love about bonsai is every time you get a new variety, the lessons start all over again

Josh

[Rory]

Any update on this one Josh

[Josh]

Any update on this one Josh

I did cut these back and they are budding lower. Nothing much to show. I'm in Adelaide this week for the royal show, sorry can't take any photos but they are budding lower no problems.

Josh.