Redesigning an Acacia - Pierneef Style

[@Dononcall]

Your use of close-up shots was very helpful.

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Glad to hear it!

[@gerritdevos4707]

I Terry, I followed your advice and ordered the book. Received it yesterday afternoon, thanks for you and your team`s great service. The moment I started paging thru the book I realized that this should be one of the first tools you should buy when starting with bonsai. This is a great practical book with wonderful illustrations. I just love the logical way the author used to bring his message to the reader. Thanks for your good advice.

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

My pleasure Gerrit. It’s a great book and I think every bonsai enthusiast should have a copy. It’s a big help when working with new material and you are looking for inspiration or ideas.

[@TheBonsaiZone]

I really enjoyed the video Terry and you did a great job on the tree giving it a more consistent style! I'll have to look for the book also!

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Very kind of you Nigel! If you can’t find a copy I do sell them. In fact I showed my copy which the author signed for me, but the one on sale now is a revised edition which is even nicer.

[@tangledtanuki]

@@TerryErasmusbonsai is that on your site? Do you ship internationally?

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

@@tangledtanuki yes we do but as our countries’ postal system is in a shambles we only ship with DHL express. Due to the cost of this, for this item we would suggest a few books are ordered at the same time for instance on behalf of a club or something.

[@tangledtanuki]

@@TerryErasmusbonsai I've sent you a message through the site. Looking forward to hearing from you

[@fredmanfv]

Beautifully styled Terry. I love Acacia and really enjoyed watching you transform this tree. Well done 👍

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Thanks so much Freddie!

[@Martin-jt3zu]

Oh nice, so cool to see a Bonsai professional working on Acacia. Such a "local" tree. Highly unlikely to see this on the European/ USA channels.

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Thanks Martin. Indeed, the species is very local! Very popular in SA. The style though is not so uncommon. In fact I have seen many Brazilian Rain trees styled similarly, I wonder if Charles Ceronio had any influence in places like Florida etc as he was invited to demonstrate overseas quite a number of times to my knowledge.

[@OddBonsai]

That's a great transformation. I think the new look fits better.

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Thank you. I think so too.

[@litsnombre6390]

that's one of my favorite bonsai tree style the Pierneef

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Awesome. It is a very natural and distinct style to be sure.

[@bravofoxable]

Wow! That is an amazing result. I bet the customer did not recognize his own tree hahaha. Incredible job Terry, well done 👍🏻 👊🏻

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Thank you Frans! No, he did not recognize it :)

[@michaelasachon112]

I am so impressed by the end result, looks amazing.

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Thanks so much Michaela! It’s been repotted since and also further styling done. Looking even better now.

[@rynocordier2068]

WOW , Amazing work Terry

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Thanks Ryno!

[@MrLouwrensminnie]

Thank you for a great lesson, Louwrens

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Thank you Louwrens! 🙇🏼‍♂️

[@Sulaiman.galant]

Another great video Terry, lovely transformation.

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Thank you Sulaiman!

[@1Mutton1]

What a massive improvement. Really like it now.

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Thank you, that’s very kind to say.

[@bobbysteig5346]

Very tasteful and appropriate styling on this tree. Here in the US a similar style is found on naturally growing and styled Bald Cypress trees and is known as 'flat top'

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Yes Bobby. Thanks for pointing that out. I have seen that. It’s different to our flat top version though, the canopy is much smaller. The acacia, I believe, require a larger canopy in an effort to reduce moisture loss under the hot sun from the soil around the root zone.

[@bobbysteig5346]

@@TerryErasmusbonsai I agree, the Bald Cypress are shaped more by hurricane winds and flooding and as you say, the Acacia more by their need for root cooling and moisture retention. I do however find the look to be most pleasant. You managed to achieve a controlled wildness with your styling that brought to mind the Bald Cypress Incredible actually that two trees growing in such disparate conditions can grow in such a similar habit

[@robynnelapp5565]

Absolutely love the restyle

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Glad you like it!

[@bulebonsaibatam1758]

Very drastic change for the better.

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Thank you, yes I agree!

[@wesleyphillips3211]

Wow that should be one happy client :), great job Terry!

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Thank you Wesley!

[@rossisbonsaiandavocados5785]

Lovely Burkei! Love what uve done with it!

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Thanks so much!

[@africanpirate972]

Great it certainly looks cleaner - also some nice ideas I can use on my trees. Thank you

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

So nice of you

[@tangledtanuki]

Great little explanation of the style. Now I'll be hunting for some Acacia here in Israel. Will have to plan a trip south towards the desert

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Sounds great! I’m sure you will have some wonderful specimens growing in the wild in Israel. The Acacia is an important tree in Biblical history.

[@BASSCHALLENGESA]

Thanks Terry! Great video! I have two Acacias and this was extremely informative!

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Thanks Hugo, I am so glad!

[@arnopienaar8111]

Bravo

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Thank you!

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Excellent tutorial, and that is a really lovely acacia!

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Thank you very much for your positive feedback! I am glad you enjoyed it.

[@hanspeter6198]

Great video. Thanks terry!

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

You are most welcome Peter!

[@-ChrisD]

Great great video!

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Many thanks Chris!

[@-ChrisD]

@@TerryErasmusbonsai Well, thank you for sharing!! I'm very glad to have found your channel.

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

@@-ChrisD thank you so much!

[@sabikmercuriobravo5976]

Very good video, nice explanations! I only recomend that if you can speak up a little bit more about the cultivation process of the species that you are working with. Can you tell me where can i get the book of Mr. Ceronio, here in my country (México) i can not get it, maybe to download from the web but i don't know where!

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Thanks for your comments. I am sure you will understand that I cannot cover all the information possible for any given species, rather it would be better to make multiple videos dealing with specific aspects. I will try to do this. I am not sure where you can get the book. I do sell it but as we only ship with DHL express internationally, the shipping will cost more than a single book. If you can get a few people together and order then it might make it worthwhile.

[@gerritdevos4707]

Thanks Terry. Now I know I will never have a bosai with thorns. I dont even like roses because of the thorns. Do you have a video on a Peperboom?

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Ha ha. Well as a South African you might want to consider an acacia, even if only one for your collection seeing as we have so much inspiration around us. Sorry but I don’t have a video on the peperboom.

[@Bonsaifly]

That tree turned out very beautiful. Nice work :)

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Thanks so much!

[@louiebodenstaff6772]

Looks awesome!

[@umashank49]

Dramatic transformation. I have a query. to bend heavy branches, you make a cut and make way for bending. I have seen you doing this for swamp cypress also. Can this be followed for all species of trees.

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Thanks for commenting. It is called a wedge cut. I cannot comment on "all species" however you can certainly do it with many including pines, maples, swamp cypress etc Anything which will allow you to bend the cut branch without it snapping too easily, and also will heal afterwards and fuse at the cut point.

[@Art-inventions]

Terry is there nursaries in SA that can export acacias to the usa for me?...thank you great video.

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

You can contact me at [e-mail] with your permit and I will check if we can comply to the requirements.

[@kombiblyer]

Hi Terry, thank you , very helpfull!I'm in Constantia in Cape Town and was wondering when the right time would be for restyling my Acasia galpini...Our climate here is a little colder than the rest of the Western Cape and mine normally only starts getting new leaf growth in Late October...I'm not replanting this year though...so just some major pruning and restyling...

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Thanks Heine. Do major pruning in late spring when leaves harden off. Energy is at a peak then so hard pruning then will produce a lot of back budding.

[@skamcpt]

Watching this because i won an Arcacia Bonsai on auction at the Tygerberg Bonsai Club yesterday. i have one already but the got yesterday has not been maintained and needs to work so i need some inspiration lol . i know im going to have to cut back alot but just not sure if im able to achieve the Classic look of the Acacia's in the wild. (just read your blog on this tree as well now)

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Thanks Shadley, congrats on your winnings. Acacia in the Pierneef style is fairly easy to achieve but sure it sometimes requires a bit of harsh cut back. However it’s better to make the difficult decisions early on than to waste years and then make them.

[@skamcpt]

@@TerryErasmusbonsai i can confidently say i've overcome my fear of cutting back lol they grow back. i think that is everyone's fear at the beginning.

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Better to have that fear than be fearless. I’ve seen many trees ruined by pruning too aggressively too. The trick is to have a balance.

[@skamcpt]

@@TerryErasmusbonsai thanks for that advise.. i'll keep that in mind.

[@oussamachaachoui3727]

Beautiful tree and nice work like allwase

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Thank you as always for watching and commenting!

[@oussamachaachoui3727]

@@TerryErasmusbonsai i like your explanation You are from saouthAfrica ?

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

@@oussamachaachoui3727 indeed I am. The most beautiful place in the world, Cape Town!

[@oussamachaachoui3727]

I'm in the most beautiful place in the world TUNISIA 😆😅😉

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

@@oussamachaachoui3727 well it’s great that we are both happy where we are.

[@craigarmstrong7564]

Thanks so much for this video! It gave me so much crucial information that I was looking for. One question though, when should I defoliate my acacia bonsai? It lost all of its leaves during winter, but over the last month or two it has seriously bounced back with loads of leaves. So I was now looking to do some pruning and shaping. Did I miss the opportunity to do the pruning and shaping? Should I have done it when it lost all of its leaves. Or do I cut off the leaves now? Or should I shape without defoliating.

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

It’s deciduous so it’s natural for it to lose leaves in winter. Pruning before it starts growing would have been good but you need to prune during the growing season once the new growth has hardened off or has extended too far from the profile. Defoliation is not necessary if you are developed branch structure.

[@thegreenmanalishiyamadori371]

I wonder if this is a honey locust,Sir???

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Thanks for the comment but I confess that I have no idea what a "honey locust" is?

[@thegreenmanalishiyamadori371]

@@TerryErasmusbonsai Now, the botanical Name of Honey locust is Gleditsia triacanthus as well as a Black locust is a Pseudoacacia robinia

[@gholtzhausen]

I enjoyed the video. Thanks for sharing. Is there a recommended length of that you should leave a branch to reach? Also, when would it be recommended to prune an Acacia? You also mentioned in the video for a branch not forking, is is ideal to trim that branch short in order to grow a fork?

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Thanks for watching. Not a recommended length in cm or mm no, but I would suggest that you grow a branch when your goal is thickening of the branch, to as long as is necessary in order for the branch to just about get to the thickness you need and then you cut it back. How far back will depend on where in the structure it is, you need to allow a reasonable distance for ramification to occur and still remain within the future outline of the tree. If you are referring to branches that you simply want to increase ramification on then you would allow them to grow till there are at least 8 - 10 pairs of compound leaves, then cut back to 2 or 3. You need to cut a branch in order to get it to fork as buds will form near the cut.

[@gholtzhausen]

@@TerryErasmusbonsai thanks for the response. Apart from cutting off the buds, is there anything else I need to keep in mind to have more branches and leaves?

[@antwonevis5249]

The tree turned out amazing! Wasn't expecting it to look this good. I have a question I would like to ask you, if you don't mind. I recently bought my first big bonsai. It's 36 years old and has never been grown in professional acacia/bonsai soil, it's only ever been grown in normal ground soil. Next spring I would like to pot it up in a round bowl, but I have never repotted a tree this old. So I was just wondering if you think I should take it to a bonsai nursery and ask them to help me or what? Genuinely asking. Thank you!

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Thanks for the compliment. When changing soil to a completely different soil it might be safer to change the front half and leave the back totally intact. Two years later go back and replace the soil on the back of the root ball and leave the front alone. This process is less dramatic and stressful on the tree and especially older specimens. If you feel uncomfortable doing it yourself then yes for sure, find a good local bonsai nursery and have them assist you. Good luck!

[@antwonevis5249]

@@TerryErasmusbonsai thank you. I was pondering yesterday about 1/2 old half new soil like you just said! Thank you again for your advice!

[@antwonevis5249]

@@TerryErasmusbonsai HI Terry, sorry to bother you again, I just have another quick question regarding my tree we spoke about in previous comments, now that we're deep into winter I was wondering if I should defoleate my tree, because just a autumn was starting I got a nice little green house (keep the frost off) and it was dropping its leaves then but when we moved it into the house it stoped and has kept almost half its leaves. So I was wondering if it is getting its winter 'rest' with the leaves still on or should I remove them?

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

@@antwonevis5249 you can remove them

[@antwonevis5249]

@@TerryErasmusbonsai Cool thank you so much for answering so quickly!!!! You should enjoy the rest of your weekend with you wonderful family.

[@arnoldmmbb]

Acacias are very underestimate as bonsai, they are really cool trees

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

They are easy and fast to grow from seed too. In South Africa I wouldn’t be surprised if almost every bonsai enthusiast has one.

[@vlozity]

what is the scientific name of this Acacia. i think this is different from the Acacia in my country here in Asia.

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

It used to be called Acacia galpinii but now the name was changed to Senegalia galpinii as apparently ONLY the Australians have Acacia trees according to them :(

[@vlozity]

@@TerryErasmusbonsai we have this... Acacia confusa (Small Philippine Acacia) is a species of tree in the family Fabaceae. They have a self-supporting growth form. They are native to Taiwan, China, and The Philippines. They have compound, broad leaves. the thing is, the specie here have large leaves. so back in the very early 80's it was not part of the our local bonsai community as a bonsai material. recently locals have been trying to make bonsai out of them. I am oldschool and still consider them unusable

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

@@vlozity you can defoliate them and the leaves reduce easily.

[@vlozity]

@@TerryErasmusbonsai Unfortunately that does not apply to our acacia. If you are familiar with Philippine Mango trees, the leaves are large and dont reduce that much, the leaves dont look scale even at 5 feet tall.

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

@@vlozity ah ok. Then I agree with you. Sometimes it is better to look for more suited material. The effort is not worth the result.