AusBonsai

Pup wrote:Grant the one I have is a nursery specimen. I traded it with John Oldland a few years back.
I am still learning what I have found is they like water.
Also wiring is a problem on old wood better to use the turn buckle or guy line method.
The reason I say guy line protecting the wood IE clear plastic tubing. Then bend the branch to the position you want and tie it off.
Here is a pic see if you can see the fishing line holding the top forward.

P1020048.JPG

I believe this one is preissii.

Hey Pup,

Your photographs look a little yellow. Is that the color of the tree or have you got some different color lights when you photograph?

You probably won't believe this story, but I promise it's true. A friend of mine who lives on The Ridge above Queanbean invited me to dig up some Calitris on her property, as she had a lot of seedlings. I think it was in Spring. Well, when she saw me carefully labouring to dig up a neat rootball, she assumed that the work was to heavy for me, took the spade out of my hands and hop! whipped it out of the ground. Holding it by the neck, she walked me back to the house, pausing here and there to point out other plants, and all the soil fell away from the roots. She wrapped the treelet in a plastic bag and then proceeded to serve tea and talk. I must have got home about 90 mins later. Although I strongly doubted that the Calitris woulld survive, I still planted it in good soil, in the garden. Of course all the foliage turned brown and the thing quickly looked stone dead. For some reason, I still kept watering it, and after a few months it suddenly showed a green shoot. That was about 10 yrs ago. It is now over 3 m. high. It's dark right now, but I'll try to remember taking a photo of it tomorrow. It's got some interesting branching. By the way, it's a green Calitris, but I have no idea which species.

Lisa

Grant after your comment on the colour I went and had a look. Then decided to take a pic.
So here they are it appears a lot yellower in the first pics.
I took them under natural light very sunny day. To days pics about an hour ago, also one of it when I first got it.
Funny enough I traded a Chinese elm Shohin for it.

I like what you have done with it. It is much better now and has matured well.

Gday folks!

Having seen both Pup's and Grant's rather well-developed Caillitris specimen, I thought I'd better get to work on mine.

FlyBri wrote:Hmmm. Maybe give it a year or 20... And some more wire. And maybe a turnbuckle or 3.

I've wired it to within an inch of its life, turnbuckled my little heart out, and styled the thing as a 'mallsai' Juniper... It's still a stick in a pot, but at least now it's a bendy stick in a pot...
Please be as brutal as necessary.

Thanks.

Fly.

Looking back at the original photo I think you have done great work with very ordinary material, and you managed not to snap anything. Great job.

I like the view from your first photo after the work although it is still too tall I feel. The Juniper treatment/style may not end up suiting the material but we will see in a few years time. In the wild they seem to have straightish trunks and then the branches go every which way. However most Callitris bonsai I have seen have been a bit boring so your styling may be spot on.

Keep it well fertilised and in full sun and you should get some budding back as well.

Grant

Grant once it barks up (I think its about 7 to 10 years) it should look pretty ok.

I have answered this twice and each time I submit it kicks me off so I have to log on again

Pup wrote:I have answered this twice and each time I submit it kicks me off so I have to log on again

Well this got though so lets see what happens.
Fly as I said twice I like what you have done so far. I agree with Grant about the amount of foliage and the best view.
I find they respond well to pruning thinning out slowly slowly. Pinch pruning as in soft foliage conifers like Shimpaku or Chamaecyparis.
They like water as you will notice mine has pushed up so it will get re potted when we get back.
As I said nice start in a decade or so It will be nice Pup

Asus101 wrote:Grant once it barks up (I think its about 7 to 10 years) it should look pretty ok.

Agree with that and probably quicker than that. My Callitris is about 11 years old now and looking older than that.

Pup wrote:

Pup wrote:I have answered this twice and each time I submit it kicks me off so I have to log on again

Well this got though so lets see what happens.
Fly as I said twice I like what you have done so far. I agree with Grant about the amount of foliage and the best view.
I find they respond well to pruning thinning out slowly slowly. Pinch pruning as in soft foliage conifers like Shimpaku or Chamaecyparis.
They like water as you will notice mine has pushed up so it will get re potted when we get back.
As I said nice start in a decade or so It will be nice Pup

I hardly ever tip prune anything with fingers. (This includes Junipers, Chamaecyparis and now Callitris) I let the growth elongate and then carefully cut out the thicker tips with scissors. I have always done this and found that the apex doesn't get over heavy from the constant finger tip pruning.

Slightly controversial but it works for me.

Grant

Grant Bowie wrote:I hardly ever tip prune anything with fingers. (This includes Junipers, Chamaecyparis and now Callitris) I let the growth elongate and then carefully cut out the thicker tips with scissors. I have always done this and found that the apex doesn't get over heavy from the constant finger tip pruning.

Slightly controversial but it works for me.

Grant

Grant, my philosophy is if it works, then pass it on. It works for you so thanks for the heads up.
I will try it out on one of mine to see how I like it. Pup

Just thought Id add one of mine I have been working on for a couple of years on and off.

I tend to be a little less conventional in style.

This is the one I am trying to remove the -ve taper.

Peter

PeterH wrote:Just thought Id add one of mine I have been working on for a couple of years on and off.

I tend to be a little less conventional in style.

This is the one I am trying to remove the -ve taper.

Peter

That looks Fabulous! Can't wait to see it in the flesh. Any other photos?

Grant,

These are from last year.
I have had this and a couple of others for some years. I bought them from one of the club shows some years ago. I think they were Nancy Ss she had collected at the Wagga AABC. ( The only one I have been to. )

I’ve never done much with them due to the reverse taper.

Peter