AusBonsai

Hey Guys I just picked up a couple of these. I was thinking i would get a few cuttings and try out a bunjin/ literati style. I would love any input/ ideas people have. I am gunna go an have a play on photoshop, thanks any advice appreciated : )
Woz

this is a really slap dash paint job, the yellow section whould be jin in the future maybe??

hey woz,

i like your ideas, and the subtle movement in the trunk. i did something quite similar to this on a 'bull oak' yesterday.

ill post that one on another thread 2nyt.

im guessing here, but... it's in a 6 inch pot, so that makes the tree... 72cm

maybe the trunk's a bit skinny for the height.

i reckon you need to maybe put a bit of movement in the trunk, and either let it grow for a season or two, or style it like you have in the virtual, but shorter.

Hi Woz - good to see you posting and being a part of the forum.

Literati is perhaps one of the most difficult styles to pull off and I can't help wondering why you decided to start here. If it is because of the height of the tree that you have bought, I would pose a couple of questions for you:-

Will this species shoot back on old wood? What final height do you want for this tree?

I agree with Aaron on the height issue combined with the fairly straight trunk - not very interesting. If the species will shoot back then my suggestion at this early stage would be to reduce the height of the trunk to just above the first branch and see what happens.

You will require a lot of time and patience with this hobby and with this tree in particular.

What side of Brisbane do you live? pm me if you don't want to make it public.

Jon

G'day Woz,
How's this one looking now? Did you end up doing what you planned in the virt or did you come up with something else?
S.

Hi guys,

I was weeding beneath a mature specimen of this tree the other day, really quiet beautiful. The foliage is similar to the Casuarina, but slightly finer. The bark is quiet different, in that it is very smooth.

It is in the family "Casuarinaceae", therefore very closely related to the Casuarina, but it is not one itself. There is another plant closely related to the Gymnostoma called a "Ceuthostoma". I really want to find this tree, and bonsai it ofcoarse

Please keep us updated with this tree Woz, i'm really interested in how it goes in bonsai culture.

JayC

My casurina is currently going rather nicely and I am about to do some work on it hopefull over this weekend. As you can see I didn't follow my original vert idea but I think overall I am satisfied with the direction it is heading. Its has just budded some very cool little flowers. I think if I can find some more of these I would grab them, the bark texture I am extremly fond of and the strong green of the foliage as well.

I am going to lose that upper branh on the left, wire down one of the branches slightly higher up and the work on defining the apex...
here is a really quick bang up vert.. I will hopefully get some pics up shortly after I have done some work on it : )

by the way I am always open to critiques and advice so if you have any on this tree please feel free to let em flow

Woz wrote:by the way I am always open to critiques and advice so if you have any on this tree please feel free to let em flow

Nice tree and I think it will be interesting to see how they perform in the future.

As for yours I think you need to give it much more movement in the trunk. Literati is not meant to be just a straight or slight curve. Get some wire on it and bend.
If the trees have straightish trunks, they will genearlly have large well defined shari to add interest

Do a search ofr Literati styled pines on the 'net and have a look at them all and try to emulate them if you can.
Check this page for a few sketches and you will see what I mean. http://www.bonsailearningcenter.com/Tip ... bunjin.htm

Ken

Thanks for the update Woz!

It looks good in the new pot and the planting height is okay but I feel that the rock needs to be planted lower to make it look more stable. At the moment it looks like it has just been 'placed' there. If it were lower then it would give the appearance that it has always been there. Maybe put it on a slight angle too while you at it.
I'd like to see much more movement put into the trunk which should be pretty easy to do while it is at this stage. I think you are on the right track with your virt and look forwards to watching this one develop.

Regards,
Steven