[WANTED] Acacia [Pycnantha?]

[Jarad]

As most of us have partners that have very specific wants for bonsai trees. Mine originally wanted a wattle tree, I was wondering if anyone has some stock, or bonsai they were looking to relieve themselves of.

Or would I be better to have a wonder around the nurseries?

[kcpoole]

Check out the forestry commission nurseries.
The one in Castle hill recently was taken over and have not been to check it out yet but they used to have a good website with available stock.

Ken

[Jhalkhoree]

The Cumberland State Forest Nursery which has been taken over by Plant Plus Nursery definitely have a several varieties of Acacia. I was there last Sunday and I must say Plant Plus has increased their stock level and you will definitely find what you are looking for. Tube stocks are reasonably priced.

All the best.

[Jhalkhoree]

Sorry forgot to mention, the Plant Plus Nursey is in Castle Hill..

Cheers

Jay

[Jarad]

Thanks guys, I will get myself out to Castle Hill.

[shibui]

There are lots of Acacias to choose from Jarad. The ones I see most often as bonsai are the prostrate varieties. There are some really great A. howittii bonsai around Canberra and a few now in Melbourne. Also look for A. cardiophylla 'Gold Lace', A. pravissima 'Kuranga cascade' and A. cultriformis 'Austraflora cascade'. They are quite vigorous and grow quickly but seem to be easier to shape because they are naturally prostrate. You should be able to find some of them in general nurseries around your area. A search shows Sydney Wildflower nursery has a good range but not sure where that is in relation to your place.
The prostrate forms must be grown from cuttings and, fortunately, most acacias are relatively easy to grow from cuttings.

[Rory]

Jarad.... if they still have them, have a go with Acacia Parramattensis. I got one from this council nursery at Castle Hill a few years back. This beauty is very hardy, and can be overwatered, underwatered, has beautiful teeny tiny foliage, and develops aged bark young. They lend themselves well to bonsai life. They used to have howittii, decurrens, spectabilis, and a host of others to choose from. Something like 14 different types by memory. Basically, look for ones that are hardy, small leaved and good ramification. Read the label and compare them with conditions in your area. And it doesn't hurt to ask a staff member what they recommend depending on where you live and conditions around your home. They should at least know basics, but again, they didn't seem as knowledgeable at all as previous staff when I talked to them quite a while back. The previous staff were really good and came with a lot of experience, so I don't know about current staff.

They used to be $3.50 per seedling, and gets cheaper as you buy more. Just be careful with their stock though.... because its tempting to get some fat based developed stock, but in those tiny little seedling tubes, they end up being SERIOUSLY root bound and with a host of problems. It was a rooky mistake I used to make. But best to get youngish ones that aren't clearly pot bound and roots are easily worked with. Also, acacia can be very prone to scale, and in the past I have seen their stock occasionally infested with it. Take a close look at the trunk, as you may notice on closer inspecting.... a lot scale that is same colour as trunk and well camoflauged, thus being littered with it.

Also, don't be afraid to go nuts and try other varieties that take your interest. Go for a gander at their eucalyptus / melaleuca / casuarina stock. Some nice varieties to work with. Their info boards behind each stock is well worth reading, and tells you in what conditions they will thrive, like half sun, full sun, heavy soil conditions, medium, light, etc etc. A 1 minute read can save you losing years work on stock that is doomed to die from your conditions. Most of the Eucalyptus like at least half day sun, same as the Mels, but the casuarina can tolerate less sun depending on where you are. If you get a lot of sun, don't be afraid to experiment with Banksia. They are a bit harder to care for but worth the effort. Spinulosa is a beauty to try. And a little bit of 'patience' advice to a rooky is.... don't buy very advanced stock unless you know that species will grow in your area and thrive with your hand at the wheel. You can just get a seedling of it and see if it takes after a year or two.

[Jarad]

Thanks Neil and Rory,

The list of plants at the Sydney Wildflower Nursery is phenomenal! But being 2 hours away from me I will have to go on a nursery field trip and visit both places.

It would appear that the best suited Acacia for bonsai appear to be the ones that are harder to find...

I really like the A. Cardiophylla and A. Parramattensis and it's surprising how bushy the foliage can get.

The link below is to a street view of a tree that recently helped feed my fondness of Acacia (I think it's an Acacia)
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-33.365 ... gIpHHg!2e0

[Rory]

That is not an acacia. That is a weeping willow. I drive home past that from work every day.

http://www.google.com.au/search?q=salix ... CAgQ_AUoAQ

[Jarad]

That is not an acacia. That is a weeping willow. I drive home past that from work every day.

http://www.google.com.au/search?q=salix ... CAgQ_AUoAQ

... Looks like I need to learn more about trees

After seeing so many Howitti bonsai I assumed it was just a large one of them.

[Rory]

All good. Acacia Howittii is great material to use. It is hardy and very easy to grow. Naturally weeps with pendulous branches, you just have to prop it up in the first 5 years of growth, cut-back / grow / cut-back / grow, and eventually develop a trunk, then the branches naturally weep. Have never had any issues with them here on the coast.

[GavinG]

Hi Rory - any information on how long the A. parramattensis can be expected to live? I know some Acacias grow and die quickly, others last.

Gavin

[Rory]

Hi Rory - any information on how long the A. parramattensis can be expected to live? I know some Acacias grow and die quickly, others last.

Gavin

Hi Gavin,

I hope u r well mate. So far, I know they live to 4 years old. In 10 years time if it's still alive, then I know it lives to 14. Seriously though gav, I don't know. I wish I had bought more, cause the nursery didn't have any more the last time I went back to buy more. The specimen I purchased at the time was the test subject to see if it does well in my area and conditions. It turned out to be perfect for all the right reasons. The nurseryman at castle hill at the time didn't know it's longevity. He said he thought it was more than 15 years but other than That I could tell he was just guessing. The new nursery didn't even have a section for them so either they are growing from seed again or have ended their shelf life.

I highly recommend them and luckily I was quite discerning on this specimen I purchased for its naturally unusual turns. The species is very hardy, tolerates lack of water well, can't be over watered... Within reason, and makes a great stock for a bonsaist of all levels. It shoots all over the place making it easy for branch placement and I have tested it harshly with extreme repotting and in early summer, spring and autumn. It is the superman of acacias, and after testing different acacia found this to be most suitable as a species.

[dansai]

It's an interesting question Gavin and one fraught with uncertainty. There was a time when Aussie natives were considered unsuitable for bonsai because they are short lived. Something I was told even a few years ago. I think with regular repotting and root pruning practised in bonsai I think some species could actually live longer than they would naturally.

I posed the question on longevity of natives a while back. viewtopic.php?f=6&t=14698 My thoughts are that if root pruned to create new feeder roots we would get much longer from even short lived acacias.

[GavinG]

Yes, there's a lot of "we've got no idea" in using natives as bonsai - lots of fun to have. Hopefully forums like this can collect what we know as it comes up.

I don't think we can expect the same longevity as bonsai from the fast-growing coastal species as we do from the inland species that have long recorded histories, but we also have to think - is a tree that lasts for 40 years as a bonsai OK? It is for me, I'm 60, and I've got my three howitii bonsai going gangbusters, but if we want those monumental old trees like the best in Japan, we'll need to choose our species for that.

According to the Hornsby City website A. parra should last 25 years - let's see how it goes. Photos of how those compound leaves sit on a bonsai please?

Gavin