Blackwood - perhaps my guitar gently weeps.
- MJL
- Aussie Bonsai Fan
- Posts: 2840
- Joined: October 26th, 2014, 8:47 pm
- Favorite Species: Maples, Elms, Cedars and Pines
- Bonsai Age: 7
- Bonsai Club: Waverley Bonsai Group & Yarra Valley Bonsai Society
- Location: Melbourne
- Has thanked: 424 times
- Been thanked: 643 times
Blackwood - perhaps my guitar gently weeps.
Here's a little group I haven't posted before but I am staggered at their durability and how they bounce back after a significant cutback.
These are Australian Blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon). I am not sure about the trees longer term viability as bonsai because I am not sure the leaves will reduce. I nearly entered them in the Natural comp but decided on other group.
Here is where they were when the natural competition started (below) after a little while, I did this to them (below) Then I did this to them (about a month or so back) Are here they are today after I added one more that I had kept as a single. I basically dug a whole with my finger and added one to the front left - when I did the trim noted above. My guitar is probably weeping because it is an Australian-made Maton acoustic guitar..... made of Blackwood!
These are Australian Blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon). I am not sure about the trees longer term viability as bonsai because I am not sure the leaves will reduce. I nearly entered them in the Natural comp but decided on other group.
Here is where they were when the natural competition started (below) after a little while, I did this to them (below) Then I did this to them (about a month or so back) Are here they are today after I added one more that I had kept as a single. I basically dug a whole with my finger and added one to the front left - when I did the trim noted above. My guitar is probably weeping because it is an Australian-made Maton acoustic guitar..... made of Blackwood!
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Tending bonsai teaches me patience.
- MJL
- Aussie Bonsai Fan
- Posts: 2840
- Joined: October 26th, 2014, 8:47 pm
- Favorite Species: Maples, Elms, Cedars and Pines
- Bonsai Age: 7
- Bonsai Club: Waverley Bonsai Group & Yarra Valley Bonsai Society
- Location: Melbourne
- Has thanked: 424 times
- Been thanked: 643 times
Blackwood - perhaps my guitar gently weeps.
I probably need to get out more - well... no sh!t Sherlock- I am in Melbourne but ... I mean get out more ... in bonsai context.
Why? Well... I think many may think this group is a waste of time but I am finding this is a really fun little group. Fast growing, thickening up, bloody resilient to my mis-treatment.... but absolutely no leaf reduction ... so pretty pox in terms of a Shohin-group ... I don’t care though. Indeed, I reckon one day that I’ll put this in a club show bench a few weeks after hard cutback with juvenile foliage! Cheating ... probably
I cut it back again this morning ...
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Why? Well... I think many may think this group is a waste of time but I am finding this is a really fun little group. Fast growing, thickening up, bloody resilient to my mis-treatment.... but absolutely no leaf reduction ... so pretty pox in terms of a Shohin-group ... I don’t care though. Indeed, I reckon one day that I’ll put this in a club show bench a few weeks after hard cutback with juvenile foliage! Cheating ... probably
I cut it back again this morning ...
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Tending bonsai teaches me patience.
- Keep Calm and Ramify
- Aussie Bonsai Fan
- Posts: 960
- Joined: April 1st, 2017, 11:50 am
- Bonsai Age: 0
- Location: Newcastle NSW
- Has thanked: 408 times
- Been thanked: 452 times
Re: Blackwood - perhaps my guitar gently weeps.
This looks interesting - two types of leaf? The juvenile the flatter. Wanna take a close up pick of the leaf? (it will give you something to do!! )
- MJL
- Aussie Bonsai Fan
- Posts: 2840
- Joined: October 26th, 2014, 8:47 pm
- Favorite Species: Maples, Elms, Cedars and Pines
- Bonsai Age: 7
- Bonsai Club: Waverley Bonsai Group & Yarra Valley Bonsai Society
- Location: Melbourne
- Has thanked: 424 times
- Been thanked: 643 times
Re: Blackwood - perhaps my guitar gently weeps.
Hi KC&R,
Juvenile first. Then mature.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Juvenile first. Then mature.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Tending bonsai teaches me patience.
- Keep Calm and Ramify
- Aussie Bonsai Fan
- Posts: 960
- Joined: April 1st, 2017, 11:50 am
- Bonsai Age: 0
- Location: Newcastle NSW
- Has thanked: 408 times
- Been thanked: 452 times
Re: Blackwood - perhaps my guitar gently weeps.
Thanks mate - I not familiar with this plant and I do like a good Acacia. Keep up the progressions.
- Matt S
- Aussie Bonsai Fan
- Posts: 756
- Joined: February 21st, 2015, 8:57 am
- Favorite Species: Olive
- Bonsai Age: 30
- Bonsai Club: S.A. Bonsai Society, Victorian Native Bonsai Club
- Location: Adelaide
- Has thanked: 538 times
- Been thanked: 441 times
Re: Blackwood - perhaps my guitar gently weeps.
I grew a large forest of these once. They thicken and bark up quickly on the trunk which was the main feature, and I was able to reduce the leaves by constantly trimming the new growth, but you have to keep on top of it and there were always a lot of shoots coming from the base of branches. Cutting back hard caused the foliage to revert to juvenile but it was really just patience to get the foliage under control. Usual thing - the more fine branches the more leaves there are spread over the same area and therefore the tree responds by producing smaller leaves. Just keep on doing what you're doing already - building some movement in the trunks and main branches and worry about the foliage later. The trunks look good so far!
Matt.
Matt.
-
- Aussie Bonsai Fan
- Posts: 559
- Joined: April 29th, 2016, 3:44 pm
- Bonsai Age: 4
- Bonsai Club: SA Bonsai Society; VNBC
- Location: Adelaide
- Has thanked: 521 times
- Been thanked: 199 times
Re: Blackwood - perhaps my guitar gently weeps.
Agree with Matt S, the bark is really nice. I had one which escaped into the ground and it thickens and barks up quickly. I actually lost it when I separated and root pruned it, however, I had taken two layers off it as a precaution. Layers are now shooting profusely and I'll add some pics to my layers thread once I repot them (or maybe before if I get some time).
- Raging Bull
- Aussie Bonsai Fan
- Posts: 835
- Joined: January 3rd, 2017, 9:29 am
- Favorite Species: Pines
- Bonsai Age: 5
- Bonsai Club: Gold Coast-Tweed
- Location: Gold Coast Qld
- Has thanked: 81 times
- Been thanked: 198 times
Re: Blackwood - perhaps my guitar gently weeps.
Hi Mark,
I don't know about your acacia, but many Aussie acacias, i.e. wattles, are not very long-lived. The average, if there is such a thing, is only a few decades. They'll probably outlive you & me, but on the bonsai timescale it's not very long.
Cheers, Frank.
I don't know about your acacia, but many Aussie acacias, i.e. wattles, are not very long-lived. The average, if there is such a thing, is only a few decades. They'll probably outlive you & me, but on the bonsai timescale it's not very long.
Cheers, Frank.
- Sno
- Aussie Bonsai Fan
- Posts: 1200
- Joined: January 16th, 2011, 12:26 pm
- Bonsai Age: 0
- Location: Crackenback NSW
- Has thanked: 494 times
- Been thanked: 620 times
- Contact:
Re: Blackwood - perhaps my guitar gently weeps.
Acacia melanoxlyon , aca Blackwood live for about 100 years . Looking good Mark , if you have them , your grandkids are going to love this .
I’ve got one which are started from a 2 m tree , they don’t heal from a big trunk chop so it will need some carving . I think mine has caught a virus because the leaves have a deformity .
I’ve got one which are started from a 2 m tree , they don’t heal from a big trunk chop so it will need some carving . I think mine has caught a virus because the leaves have a deformity .
-
- Aussie Bonsai Fan
- Posts: 559
- Joined: April 29th, 2016, 3:44 pm
- Bonsai Age: 4
- Bonsai Club: SA Bonsai Society; VNBC
- Location: Adelaide
- Has thanked: 521 times
- Been thanked: 199 times
Re: Blackwood - perhaps my guitar gently weeps.
Hey Sno,
Like this?
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
- Sno
- Aussie Bonsai Fan
- Posts: 1200
- Joined: January 16th, 2011, 12:26 pm
- Bonsai Age: 0
- Location: Crackenback NSW
- Has thanked: 494 times
- Been thanked: 620 times
- Contact:
- MJL
- Aussie Bonsai Fan
- Posts: 2840
- Joined: October 26th, 2014, 8:47 pm
- Favorite Species: Maples, Elms, Cedars and Pines
- Bonsai Age: 7
- Bonsai Club: Waverley Bonsai Group & Yarra Valley Bonsai Society
- Location: Melbourne
- Has thanked: 424 times
- Been thanked: 643 times
Re: Blackwood - perhaps my guitar gently weeps.
No virus here - touch wood!
Nothing really to say other than this is fun to keep cutting back. I keep this is an inch of water.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Nothing really to say other than this is fun to keep cutting back. I keep this is an inch of water.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Tending bonsai teaches me patience.