[SYANBS] - ShaneVE - Leptos and Casuarina/Allocasuarina

[ShaneVE]

Here we go!
More like a FYANBS for me, but hey, better late than never.

Leptospermum Lanigerum and Madidum have been planted. I googled germination tips and saw that one site suggested the lanigerum may benefit from smoke treatment, so I gave it a trifecta. First, I put it in the opposite side of the bbq and smoked some collected leaf and bark. Then I got the ash and salted it on the seed after I had filled the tubes with seed raising mix. Then I grabbed all the leaves and bark that had been burnt and chucked it in a bottle of rainwater, and let it soak for 24 hours, then filtered the particles out and watered the lanigerum seeds with it. Sand sprinkled on top to snuggle the lepto dust in.

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Both lepto/gaudium varieties are from Living Green & Feeling Seedy, as well as the Allocasuarina.

After taking this photo I remembered I wanted to use the bog method to water them, but my tray has holes. 40 tubes out, plastic sheet in, 40 tubes back in.

Also I remembered seeing this tree near my house back in Nov, so this weekend I went and collected some 'fruit'

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. The fruit is kind of wooly, so maybe it's more lanigerum.

... Allocasuarina Torulosa and Casuarina Cunninghamiana to follow shortly

[ShaneVE]

Finally got around to planting the casuarina cunninghamiana and allacasuarina torulosa on Friday. As per previous, 20 tubes of each, this time with somewhere around 5 seeds in each tube, otherwise same recipe.

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[ShaneVE]

No signs of life on the leptos so far.

The Cunninghamiana's on the other hand, jumped at the chance to pop up. Literally a week between planting and signs of germination!

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Pretty happy with that but now I need to define a goal for the comp. Obviously time is critical here on what I can develop before 2030. Most progression posts on casuarinas are a much longer timeframe.

[Promethius]

I reckon a year or two may not be too noticeable in the end - the torulosa in particular might bulk up quickly. Good luck!

[Raniformis]

I reckon a year or two may not be too noticeable in the end - Good luck!

Yeah you could go next season no worries, particularly with vigorous species, plenty of root space and a light medium you can thump should see them catch up. I'll probably go again, lost my laevigatum to the wind and a rat took particular liking to my continentale.

Laevigatum and lanigerum were a lot slower to germinate here, not sure if it's the seed I collected or they generally take their time. Either way, I pretty much had seedling from all species popping up throughout the entire season.

Hopefully more people jump on board next season, it's not about winning, it's about learning and keeping each other motivated.

[ShaneVE]

I reckon a year or two may not be too noticeable in the end - Good luck!

Yeah you could go next season no worries, particularly with vigorous species, plenty of root space and a light medium you can thump should see them catch up. I'll probably go again, lost my laevigatum to the wind and a rat took particular liking to my continentale.

Laevigatum and lanigerum were a lot slower to germinate here, not sure if it's the seed I collected or they generally take their time. Either way, I pretty much had seedling from all species popping up throughout the entire season.

Hopefully more people jump on board next season, it's not about winning, it's about learning and keeping each other motivated.

Sounds good to me! I'm keen to grow some Gaudium Laevigatum. So far none of my lepto seeds have germinated. Marcela had a great G. Laevigatum at the BSV meetup, and rycemans twisty lepto would have to be one of my favourite bonsai! Sensing a large void in my life, I have collected seeds over the weekend so I will see what comes of them.

[ShaneVE]

1 month on and the casuarina cunninghamiana are going hard, with the Allocasuarina Torulosa getting some momentum as well.

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One of the seedlings has sprouted a bunch of little leaders, rather than one big one. I'm curious to see what it does.

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I've tried to not let the water run dry on these, so far 27 of the Torulosa have sprouted, and 70 of the Cunninghamiana.

The lepto seed has not happened though.

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Whats next? Anyone able to give me an outline/schedule on developing Casuarina? I'd hate to miss crucial moments.