AusBonsai

Lookn good buddy its very healthy.

Rory wrote:That can't be right? Are you sure about the timeframe between photos? That has literally not put on any growth at all in 8 months!

I'd be checking the roots aren't possibly being eaten / rotting or something being up with them.
Does it get very little sun? I am assuming you might have uploaded the wrong photo, because even the needles are almost identical to the 2 photos.

When did you repot it? I'm guessing autumn/winter. In Victoria I would definitely not be repotting a Casuarina in late autumn or at all in winter, as they can sulk badly after this. I cut back and repotted 2 littoralis' in winter this year (1 hr north of Sydney weather) and they still have not put out a single needle/shoot of growth yet but just remained dormant. About 15 or so others have all shot since repotting in winter except these 2.

I wouldn't be repotting a Casuarina every year no. Probably once every 2 years or more depending on how old/vigorous it is.
Usually if you let the foliage go bushy you get really good root growth.

Even the moss is the same!!
Don't know how you've managed it Boics, that is quite a feat.

It must be a different photo. Ones on a stand, the other on a cement block or similar although looking at the tree you would never pick it! What's the fertilising rageme been like over the last 8 months?

Cheers,
Pearcy.

Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk

Ha Ha.

There is definitely no mistake here.
The photo simply doesn't reflect much in the way of change.
There has been constant needle plucking up top and I'm letting the bottom branches go as advised - but they are slow.
I also think that the photo's are taken at the end of the main growing season and before it has kicked in (now).
The tree get's seasol on a fortnightly basis, charlie carp, and various other ferts every other week.
I've recently moved house and it gets morning sun now as opposed to the arvo sun..

Boics wrote:My experience mainly comes from this tree being a Torolusa:

viewtopic.php?f=56&t=18000&hilit=casuarina

I generally pinch twist at a join to remove any unnecessary length or to promote ramification.
I find when growth is new is the best and they break quite readily and neatly.
If you leave too long then it's harder to break and sometimes a "core" remains which can be unsightly.
When new I can simply grab groups of leaves at a time and harvest quite readily...

Hi Boics...

How is this Casy going? Any photo updates?

Do you get much growth on these over winter in your area?

Ours are all in full steam at this time of the year

Yes it's interesting Rory - even in frosty Canberra mine are in full-on growth. I'm not sure when they stop for a breath. That's so long as the roots haven't been disturbed in cool weather - then they're dodgy.

Gavin

GavinG wrote:Yes it's interesting Rory - even in frosty Canberra mine are in full-on growth. I'm not sure when they stop for a breath. That's so long as the roots haven't been disturbed in cool weather - then they're dodgy.

Gavin

Hi Gav, yes I find the same for me with the roots. If there is no root disturbance (as long as the tree is exposed to full sun) I find it will grow very strongly all throughout the year, even in the heart of winter. For an otherwise healthy tree, from my experience its only the lack of sun (regardless of the season) that slows down their growth.

If I've cut the roots while there are still cold nights, then it may or may not badly hamper the growth - sometimes up to 3 months in the worst case.
The most amazing delay I saw was a trunk chop on a torulosa in late Autumn (no disturbance of the roots), and it sulked for about 3 and a half months before it finally shot. I thought it was dead and left it alone.

They are definitely the strongest and most reliable all-year round growers of any genus I am growing. From my experience with the natives I grow, the only species that comes close to Casuarinas winter growth rates are some of the Leptospermum and Melaleuca that I'm growing....those being Leptospermum flavescens cardwell & scoparium, and Melaleuca bracteata.