MY LARGEST CASUARINA

Robert Steven Sun Feb 26, 2012 2:06 pm

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.. bounce

Guest Sun Feb 26, 2012 2:18 pm

What on earth is that Robert!!!!

this is just so mind blowing. I saw this tree before somewhere in it's wild form, I didn't realize this is so beautiful. This is the best casuarina I have ever seen.

regards,
jun Smile

bucknbonsai Sun Feb 26, 2012 2:23 pm

AMAZING! Im trying to learn more about the lignan technique, was that used to produce those branches with such heavy taper within the branch? Hard to believe you have only been working on it for 10 years, was it a cattle pruned bush or something when you found it?

Robert Steven Sun Feb 26, 2012 5:42 pm

Thanks Jun.

Bucknbonsai,
Yes, all of my bonsai's ramification are trained with Lingnan technique. Fortunately, Casuarina grows very fast if you don't disturb the apical meristerm, that's why you still see some of the branches are in growing stage..that's the way to obtain the desired size.

Here is how most of the Casuarina material look like, mostly are cultivated, grow in the ground, not yamadori...

In Madura Island, there is one nursery with hundreds hecters of Casuarina cultivating ground, thousands of pre-bonsai materials...

This is another one I am still training the ramification and nebari...

Orion Sun Feb 26, 2012 7:12 pm

Very powerful material. The above ground containers are interesting, they almost look like brick in the one photo. The last one looks like some type of rolled material, do you know what they are made of?

anttal63 Sun Feb 26, 2012 9:31 pm

Hey Robert Love this tree you are working on !!! Great to see you guys growing serious material... Would love to come and see some time !!! cheers

Sam Ogranaja Sun Feb 26, 2012 10:54 pm

Wow.....just wow. Gorgeous tree!!! Very impressive Robert!

~Sam

Robert Steven Mon Feb 27, 2012 2:52 am

Thanks Antonio and Sam...

Orion wrote:Very powerful material. The above ground containers are interesting, they almost look like brick in the one photo. The last one looks like some type of rolled material, do you know what they are made of?

Yes Orion, instead of using training pot, they use bricks so the roots can grow into the ground for faster growth, and it's much easier to remove.
On the last picture, I use the fibre-glass sheet to make the rolls, but you can also use PVC pipes... This method will help to obtain large nebari in very short time.

reg-i Mon Feb 27, 2012 4:32 am

Robert , can you explain the fiberglass or pvc pipe method? do you fill them with soil and extend them?

Robert Steven Mon Feb 27, 2012 6:52 am

reg-i wrote:Robert , can you explain the fiberglass or pvc pipe method? do you fill them with soil and extend them?

You simply select the roots which you want them to grow thick, then direct them into the pipes, fill the pipes with soil; then let them grow into the grown through the pipes...
The reason I use the fibre-glass sheet that formed into rolls is so that they are easy to be open the removed.

After you obtained the desired size, then just cut and that's done.

Ebbtide Mon Feb 27, 2012 7:51 am

wow that's quite a nebari. do you think this technique will work for species in colder climes?

Robert Steven Mon Feb 27, 2012 8:12 am

Ebbtide wrote:wow that's quite a nebari. do you think this technique will work for species in colder climes?

This is simply a horticultural thing, I believe it works on any species anywhere...and I think this is the best way to obtain massive nebari and you can grow the surface roots as thick as you wish...

Andrei Darusenkov Mon Feb 27, 2012 9:22 am

Excellent tree and very innovative technique!

Many thanks!

bucknbonsai Mon Feb 27, 2012 1:46 pm

That looks like a fun technique. In colder climates where the trees need to be moved in winter, would an option be to keep the roots that are fat enough cut back so they stop thickening as much, and then let the ones you want to thicken just circle around inside the pot? Or could you pull the ones you want to thicken up out of the pot and into a tube just for the summer and then in call cut them back and tuck them into the pot in the fall. Would this second option be to much disturbance and actually be counter productive?

Robert Steven Mon Feb 27, 2012 1:53 pm

Then why don't you just put them in a very large training pot instead of on the ground so you can move the whole pot into the garage?... Laughing

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

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