Fertilising Casuarina

[craigw60]

I would really like to push my casuarina bonsai on a bit wit some heavy feeding does any one know what to use and how heavily they can be fed ?

[Steven]

G'day Craig and welcome to AusBonsai!

I have a couple of Allocasuarina and a few (50 or so) Casuarina in various stages of training and in numerous different potting medium. I have found that they respond well to any native friendly fert. Miracle Grow for Camellias and Azaleas (and natives), Charlie Carp, Dynamic Lifter, Osmocote Native etc. All ferts have been used at the full recommended dose. Miracle Grow and Charlie Carp have been used fortnightly and Dynamic Lifter has been 'generously' placed on top of the soil/medium and has been mixed in with some as has Osmocote. (not all at once obviously)

FYI, about 8 weeks ago I vigorously bare rooted (by hose) some 12 month old Casuarina cuttings and potted them into various organic and inorganic mixes. To my surprise all have survived and are now pushing out new growth!

I look forwards with eager anticipation to hearing anyone else's experiences with this wonderful species!

Regards,
Steven

[craigw60]

thanks Steven I will try using some of the organic plus I have which is dynamic lifter with blood and bone plus seaweed. I pot all my trees in sieved pine bark and 2-7mm diatomite. The pine is sieved to about the same size as the diatomite (spelling ?).We have a relatively short growing season here in Olinda so I try to push the natives on as much as possible while they are moving.

[rayfam5]

Hi there, Feeding should have started a while back when the warmth first began. I would have lightly trimmed(pulled) each of the branchlets where the new grown would begin and divide. I only feed with native liquad fertilizer. and power/seasol liquids. soaking methods is the best and its the only method I use. During the summer be careful not to dry out if the soil is kept away from the dry side than you will receive continual growth and new growth. shorten longer stems and you will get new growth. IF you dry them out they will stop. But don't keep them soaked. Care needed when wiring; snaps easy.
I have a few. one is 20yearsold which is a corcky type 'uarina
beautiful subject. try to get hold of a purple variety they are really yummy to work with.

cheers

peter

[Jarrod]

I too find this interesting. I have some young seedlings that I want to push hard in the first few years of there lives. Hadn't thought about dynamic lifter before but Iight give it a go. I was already using most of the other stuff so this will be the only addition. My situation is very similar to Craigs though I probably get a longer growing season.

[Kunzea]

Hi Craigw60
Good question. I agree with others about almost anything goes as long as you stay within the suggested concentrations and feed about fortnightly. Overdoses just burn roots and make plants very unhappy.

There are three commonly grown casuarinas in the SE of the continent: river, rose and black she-oaks. There are several others that are also grown but seem much less common. The three common ones pretty much respond well in the same way. I usually look on them as the 'maples' of the northern world bonsai - they take severe pruning without batting an eye by resprouting from everwhere, and response to root work seems pretty robust also. I've had a couple people say they are difficult and won't try them again, but they are very much in the minority.

Good luck with yours.
Kunzea

[craigw60]

Thanks everyone got some great advice. I don't understand why casuarina are not in every bonsai collection in australia they are such great material and much admired in so many other warm countries.