whats the best fertilizer for casaurina

i use guano on mine but i just wondered if there was something better i could be using

Something with NPK and trace elements.

well have you got any and what do you use, casuarina actually produce their own nitrogen so in theory do not need any but in practice do respond to a light feed but a high nitrogen feed will kill them and i just wondered what people found to be best

but a high nitrogen feed will kill them

Huh? This is the very first I've heard of that! I've never grown them, but have been close to quite a few peolpe who have down in Florida and they never, ever mentioned that bit. Trees usually just don't use what they don't need and in the case of bonsai, let the excess flow out the drainage holes.

I use a slow release fertiliser specifically formulated for australian natives (including Casuarina & Allocasuarina) it has the highest nitrogen rates of any of the product range & I have never had any problems with using it on either genus. I used to use pelletised chook poo & likewise never had any problems.

I went & looked on the bucket, NPK is 21.8:0.7:7.2..... It has been questioned on another forum but despite the lowest Phosphorous levels of any I also use this on my non-native material with no loss of health or vigour, but it does produce nice short internodes

thanks matta

I grow torulosa, littoralis, cuninghamii and equisetifolia here in south east australia. my casuarina get the same ferts as the rest of my collection. Seasol power feed liquid, blood and bone solid and a fert called seamungus which is pellets with a chicken manure base but also contain fish meal and blood & bone. The main thing is to feed and water them plenty and often. Casuarina hate drying out i lost a really nice old one here in august which is late winter for us, it dried out.
Craig

There are many types of casuarina. Some don't like to be too well fed. I basically use Osmocote Plus for Natives and vary the amount of feed according to my experiences with that particular type. I have lost a few after I increased the feeding regime.

CJ

Just wanted to say thank you guys.
I just got the equisetifolia to grow and I can factor in what has been typed.
Later.
Khaimraj

thanks for the response , the reason i made this post is i just killed a casuarina by increasing the nitrogen, i had a tree that i jokingly called my 500 baht <$10> tree, it was cheap and had many faults but it was the first one i bought and when i wanted to test how they react to different feeds or pruning etc i tried it on that one first,but i gave it a small amount of high nitrogen feed that i use on the gassiow and it was dead in less than a week .

I wonder. I bet there was another cause. What was the high N feed called? And what is a "gassiow?"

JimLewis wrote:

but a high nitrogen feed will kill them

Huh? This is the very first I've heard of that! I've never grown them, but have been close to quite a few peolpe who have down in Florida and they never, ever mentioned that bit. Trees usually just don't use what they don't need and in the case of bonsai, let the excess flow out the drainage holes.

I thought they were illegal to propagate in Florida?

I thought they were illegal to propagate in Florida?

Not in pots. Many folks in South Florida (I lived way up north in zone 8) grow Casuarina bonsai.

Hi John.

For my Late reply. I am using guano, and occasional follar fertilizer spray.

Casuarina is a very tough tree once you got it kickin'. I think Jim is right, there maybe another cause for your tree's death. Buy again another established casuarina ( the cheap one) and use the same fertilizer that you thought killed your tree, Well see, But I bet it wont die this time...just a thought.
My Thailand holiday was great, hope to see you and do more bonsai in my next trip.

regards,
jun

hi jun, glad you enjoyed your visit, but i know 100% it was the fertilizer that killed it. it was urea and it burnt the roots, i used it on the gassiow <phyllanthus taxodiifolius beille > with no problems, my local trader used it on all his gassiow, but i saw him yesterday and he,s stopped using it as well . our rain season has started early this year as well so there is lots of new material being collected so i can replenish my stock . regards john

John,

Urea! oh no!
We never use urea here on bonsai, it is very difficult to control and yes most of the time it will burn the roots. I thought guano killed your tree.


regards,
jun

Guano is the feces and urine(urea) of seabirds, cave-dwelling bats, and seals.

Hi ...
For me i use any kind there will be no such thing as BEST ...but moderate feeding and lesser dosage as recommended in the lable is my guideline... Just remember treees are like human being,its a living thing. I'm sure with your loving care it will strive well.
Regards,
Alex.