URGENT ADVISE NEEDED

[alpineart]

I'm not here to argue with anyone , i simple collect trees usually with full permission from the land owner/holder or the powers too be .I test different methods for my own purpose ,not to satisfy any other individual .Why do i do this , because i can .Yes i loose the odd collected item but this is due to my unconventional methods .Info on this site is not "MUST DO" otherwise how are we to continue to learn .All information is good information , take what you need and leave the rest ,and remember If it doesn't sit comfortable with you simply ignore it .Cheers and happy Bonsai .Alpine

[Graeme]

Eggs act tilly Mate and well said. (insert Smiley of hands clapping)

[bonscythe]

Also, while I agree with not removing plant material from the bush willy nilly, guys, dont come down on Loretta to hard on this occasion. Would you chastise someone for removing Murraya from the bush? How about Pyrocantha from the Victorian country side or Olives from Adellaide Parks (or just about anywhere else in Australia)? I find nothing wrong with removing "weeds" from anywhere and that is what these things all are. Guys, these things are weeds and lets not make any mistakes about that. They have been given "elevated" position simply because they are an Australian weed, instead of the introduced weeds that are spreading through our bush.

I don't believe I chastised anyone, just pointing out what is ethical and what is not, by law. The OP was not a target, was merely concurring with Damien Bee.
I'm quite sure that Pyracantha's were orginally brought from Asia and the Olives from Africa by humans, if not that's a long travel time for a bird to hold on to a nugget.
So you don't believe in 'weeds' or the fact that they are harmful to Australian plants and their diversity? That's great, I (and many others) believe that they exist and are decreasing biodiversity by out-competing natives for habitat.
If there's no such thing a weeds, let's remove the Casuarinas and plant Willow along the river banks, get it over and done with.
Yes, Casuarinas can act as weeds in other countries but growing in their home land, they are not a weed, just an effective native tree.

[craigw60]

The best place to find casuarina tubestock is from a native regeneration nursery. I bought a couple of trays of them earlier this year they cost about 70c each, otherwise I am sure its possible to buy seed online. casuarina equisetifolia would be a fantastic species for you to grow Loretta, this species is widely used for bonsai throughout the tropics and make the most incredible bonsai.
Craigw

[Dumper]

Thanks John...would planting it in Diatomite be ok
Loretta

If Diatomite is akaline. that it should be fine.

[Pup]

Just to confuse the issue where the tree were purloined from was it a swamp? or even a dry river, creek bed if so they are more likely to appreciate a acid soil more so, than an alkaline one.

Graeme I also believe, that when you say it works for me try it. As we have such diverse micro climates in this great big land of ours.

Alpineart I admire your philosophy of trying then passing on the information. That way you know it works, not reading about then passing it on.

I have in the past, made the statement about Melaleucas, shooting better from a break of the wood than a cut. This is something I read in the book by Vita and Dorothy Koreshoff on Natives. I have tried it it works that is why I say it can be done.

Cheers Pup

[Loretta]

[quote="Pup"]Just to confuse the issue where the tree were purloined from was it a swamp? or even a dry river, creek bed if so they are more likely to appreciate a acid soil more so, than an alkaline one.

Were actually asking Pup, or maybe you were just emphasizing the questions we should be asking ourselves to begin with which is a very good point. I purloined the tree from the beachfront...growing in very sandy soil so it was easy to pull out. A lot of leaf litter and typical beachfront conditions. Obviously would be quite salty, so what kind of mix would it require?? See, I didn't give this a thought when I pulled it out, so have I already commited this tree to a certain demise???
Loretta

[Greth]

Cas seed grows quite well just in seed raising mix or potting mix for starters. Just had one batch of seedlings come up and will start another soon.
I don't take cas from public land, I do take known weeds (as in the olives and pines around here)
The soil bacteria of cas are not the same thing as the fungus of pines, yes I have actually worked on both in a laboratory greenhouse setting, but both are so closely associated with the roots, including inside cells, that barerooting won't upset them greatly. If you want to be especially kind, collect the sediment from your seasol bath and save it to add to the potting mix.
in the wild there are many cas which enjoy freedraining soils, but as I have found with my airlayer trees, they don't mind sitting in water either! Mine sat for 5 months while the layer was underway and grew like billy-o. Someone suggested it as a method of encouraging low shoots and backbudding, which worked quite well.

Not picking up any cas just yet from my own land even. The Landcare man is coming here next week to advise us on revegetation and it would be a bad look to have gaping holes in the small stand of revegetation trees I have here!
On the plus side he is also going to help me out with identifying the other trees on the place and advise with seed collection etc, so I hope to be able to grow identified eucs as well, maybe get hold of seed of other local varieties, like Callitris!