Re: MY LARGEST CASUARINA

Poink88 Mon Feb 27, 2012 2:06 pm

Robert that is awesome work.

Question on the tubes...what advantage does it offer vs growing on a tile? I know these trees will require such huge tile but I recon a heavy plastic will work well especially if placed in a mound before setting the tree on and let the roots, cascade down (maybe combine it with the brick wall temporarily). I imagine it will forma great nebari in just a few years and digging will be easy as well. Your thoughts?

Robert Steven Mon Feb 27, 2012 2:18 pm

Poink88 wrote:Robert that is awesome work.

Question on the tubes...what advantage does it offer vs growing on a tile? I know these trees will require such huge tile but I recon a heavy plastic will work well especially if placed in a mound before setting the tree on and let the roots, cascade down (maybe combine it with the brick wall temporarily). I imagine it will forma great nebari in just a few years and digging will be easy as well. Your thoughts?

Thanks Poink..I am afraid I don't really get your point. Can be more specific ?

cosmos Mon Feb 27, 2012 4:14 pm

Hi Robert
Thanks for sharing this awesome casuarina. I just love this species since I have read your article on bonsai focus some years back. I have planted many casuarina trees in the ground and yes they do really grow fast. About the method to enlarge the nebari by directing and growing smaller roots into tubes; when the roots reach the desired size what exactly do you do? You just cut back the grown root to fit into the pot again and then it will grow new feeder roots from its cut end?

Thanks again
Cosmos

Poink88 Mon Feb 27, 2012 4:36 pm

Robert Steven wrote:
Poink88 wrote:Robert that is awesome work.

Question on the tubes...what advantage does it offer vs growing on a tile? I know these trees will require such huge tile but I recon a heavy plastic will work well especially if placed in a mound before setting the tree on and let the roots, cascade down (maybe combine it with the brick wall temporarily). I imagine it will forma great nebari in just a few years and digging will be easy as well. Your thoughts?

Thanks Poink..I am afraid I don't really get your point. Can be more specific ?

Since your tubes are going to the ground anyway, I am assuming the roots eventually go in the ground and you cannot move the pot. If that is the case, why not plant it in the ground and use the tile method, where you force all the roots to spread outward (instead of downward) to form a nice nebari. In this case though since it is so big, use a heavy plastic on a mound (like a hill) on the ground and put the the plant on it. the roots are now forced outward and down at the outer parts. Put the bricks/block around and backfill. When you are ready to dig up, just remove the blocks, cut the roots which should be all at the perimeter. No need for a training pot. I will try to make a sketch later if it will help.

theBalance Mon Feb 27, 2012 6:06 pm

what a superb tree - I would just love to see a dwarf's door in there and i'm back to fairy land
also 10x for the info on the roots technique

Robert - can you upload pic of the tree from other sides ?

Robert Steven Tue Feb 28, 2012 1:01 am

HI Balance, I will post the back side after I am back home. I am now at the airport leaving for China.

Hi Cosmos..here will also answer you question..
Poink, now I get your point. There are two main reasons of doing so with the pipe :
- Casuarina is quite sensitive in repotting, so I prefer to do it this way, so as soon as I got the desired size, I just cut and done. Although if I need to change the pot, I will not disturb too much the fine-roots system because the whole thing is casted to the pot shape and size as I wished.
- I can use the display pot from the beginning, train the ramification and foliation at the same time; so when the nebari is done, the whole design is done as well. I can simply pot it slighly deeper to cover the cuts of the large surface roots.

cosmos Tue Feb 28, 2012 6:04 pm

Thanks Robert for your clarification. So the large surface roots that are cut will in time grow feeder roots as well?

Cosmos

Robert Steven Wed Feb 29, 2012 2:16 am

cosmos wrote:Thanks Robert for your clarification. So the large surface roots that are cut will in time grow feeder roots as well?

Cosmos

Yes，Cosmos. TQ

priya uthama Wed Feb 29, 2012 5:50 am

Robert Steven wrote:Just to share with you my largest casuarina. In train for more than 10 yesrs, most of the branches were trained from new buds as you can still see the healing scars.

Another 2 years and it will done..
casuarina:

everytime i come to visit your workshop.
and while crossing a small river, I always stop to admire the casuarina you have.

luarrr biasaaaa cheers

Robert Steven Wed Feb 29, 2012 8:01 am

Hi Pri, so you know where I put this tree... Very Happy

cosmos Wed Feb 29, 2012 8:28 am

Hi Robert
In your article you mention that one can take cuttings of casuarina. I was going to try to take large cuttings (diameters of say 8 to 10cm). Will I succeed with such large cuttings? I usually put such large cuttings (of other species like olives) in 50% perlite and 50% pumice. Will this be also good for the casuarina cuttings?

Thank you again for showing your tree and for sharing your extensive knowlege on this species.

Cosmos

Robert Steven Wed Feb 29, 2012 9:13 am

Yes, it will work, Cosmos. Good luck...

hungbonsai Wed Feb 29, 2012 10:16 am

excellent, good ears you robert
thank

hungbonsai Thu Mar 01, 2012 3:09 am

very good board

shannon Thu Mar 01, 2012 5:00 am

Robert,
I'm keen to start collecting this species and also ground growing them as you have shown in your photo's, can you please confirm the species of Casuarina you use? Is it Equesitifolia?

Thanks

Shannon- Australia

Robert Steven Thu Mar 01, 2012 1:58 pm

Thanks Hung.

Shannon, yes, it's equisetifolia. Good luck,...

john5555leonard Sat Mar 03, 2012 3:11 am

hi robert if casaurina are sensitive to root pruning is it a problem with the field grown ones when they are first lifted and put into a pot, do they lose many ? . regards john

Robert Steven Sat Mar 03, 2012 5:14 am

John，Casuarina is not that sensitive when as a material, but becomes more sensitive the more it closes to a finished bonsai...

marcus watts Sat Mar 03, 2012 6:46 am

Robert Steven wrote:John，Casuarina is not that sensitive when as a material, but becomes more sensitive the more it closes to a finished bonsai...

hi Robert
Do you think this is because the bonsai techniques used on them are making the trees weak ? ie - the very hard foliage pruning that forms the 'pads' is completely unnatural to the true growth the tree wants to make.

Over the past two or three years i have observed several former 'show standard' trees of various species that are now weak, poor and with branches that have died. I think these trees were kept too neat and over pruned every year, rather than being allowed to grow free and strong. It is almost like the tree needs rest years to help survive the showing years maybe.

Amazing trees growing there - the fact there are 1000's of large material trees surprised me - is the demand that large there or do they export lots?

Thanks as usual,

Marcus

Robert Steven Sat Mar 03, 2012 6:57 am

Hi Marcus,

Despite all bonsai need sometimes "to rest", let them grow in certain period instead of keep them hard prun, I don't believe this is the case with Casuarina. I think it's more due to certain physiological reason on their fine roots system of which, honestly I don't know why. As as long as we don't disturb too much on the roots during repotting, the are OK.

Casuarina has big demand in Indonesia, and they are also exporting to Malaysia..not only for bonsai, but also as garden decorative plants.

cosmos Sat Mar 03, 2012 10:37 am

Hi Robert
When I take the large cuttings do I leave some of the 'leaves' or do I defoliate?

Thanks again.
Cosmos

Robert Steven Sat Mar 03, 2012 4:56 pm

Hi Marcus, totally defoliate it. Good luck...

Randy Tue Sep 23, 2014 9:52 pm

hi robert, i've got a casuarina materials collected from upland they have a simple bended trunks, i've got it bare root, what advice can you give for this plants to survive.

Guest Wed Sep 24, 2014 1:52 am

Randy wrote:hi robert, i've got a casuarina materials collected from upland they have a simple bended trunks, i've got it bare root, what advice can you give for this plants to survive.

Randy,
Hi!
I hope you won't mind me answering your question.
bare rooting a casuarina will lessen its chance of survival. the best season to dig casuarina in our country is in the months of April and early May.
Placed the newly planted yamadori in a shaded area, covered with plastic and never move the tree until they are stable.

regards,
jun Smile

kauaibonsai Wed Sep 24, 2014 5:36 am

that's a beauty, robert

best wishes, sam

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