Acacia bonsai seedling update, Nov 2016

The first pruning of my Acacia seedlings to get them under way as bonsai trees! Check out the playlist section of the channel for previous videos of these trees.

[@Wardothatguy]

I declare this make the Bob Ross of bonsai

[@dyllan6303]

I am from South Africa and your germination technique of clipping the tip off has helped me. I have a hobby of growing indigenous trees and planting them in barren areas, your technique has helped me speed up the process. thanks Nigel!

[@TheBonsaiZone]

That's great to hear Dyllan!!! Great work you are doing!!

[@nickygirl695]

just started considering looking into how to grow/maintain a bonsai tree and I ran into your channel. I just learned a lot, thanks for your videos!

[@christiaanvandewetering609]

Hi Nigel, I live in South Africa and I started my first bonsai this week. I used Acacia seeds and 60% success in germination. Thanks for your videos I really enjoy them.

[@heresjaimerz]

Hows your bonsai doing?

[@AWK007]

@@heresjaimerz i think he got bored and gave up lol

[@heresjaimerz]

@@AWK007 mine sadly didn't make it haha

[@AWK007]

@@heresjaimerz oh sorry :( i'm thinking about starting but have like no idea what even this thing is saw some seeds the other day so maybe i will give a chance idk looks kinda hard

[@heresjaimerz]

@@AWK007 It needs alot of care, and I kinda forgot about it. The only plant I can keep care of is cacti, only have to water like once a month.

[@MRMIKEYGB]

They really grew quick. I recall your excitement when you received them. 😎

[@TheBonsaiZone]

I'm still excited, I love growing trees from seeds!

[@AntOninPortequoi]

yeah, you're right nigel, it is like a baby that you take care about, and you see him getting older from seed to tree.. amazing,i am just germinating an apple tree seed for a bonsai

[@TheBonsaiZone]

AntOninPortequoi Thanks AntOninPortequoi, you are right, it's like raising babies, except they don't leave for college!

[@AntOninPortequoi]

ahah right, i have a question..my apple seed has geminated ,now i want to put it in a pot, a green thing is out now and I'd like to know if I did right to put the seed beneath the soil and recover completely the seed(even the green part) ...do I have to let the green little green thing out of the soil ?

[@Leafeco]

I have some Red Maple, Silver Birch and Mountain Pine seeds that I can't wait to start growing. I will be watching your videos over and over to give them the best start! Love your addition at the end about supporting bulk food stores. I'm a Zero Waster myself so I buy in bulk and bring no plastic into my home. All the best Nigel!

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Thank you and all the best to your little seedlings this spring! Stay green!

[@desertplantsofavalon]

Your Acacia seedlings look so wonderful pruned :-) thanks so much for sharing Nigel and sending you an abundance of love and happy growing from Ireland for a fantastic Wednesday ahead XXXX

[@TheBonsaiZone]

I have a bonsai meeting tonight, what more could I wish for on a Wednesday! I'm going to create a desert landscape, similar to the quiver tree forests of Namibia. I'll be checking your channel out for ideas! Thanks and best wishes.

[@VaughnGolden]

good progress so far. just want to add. you got one of the most temperamental acacias there. its possible to grow fever tree but die back is a reality. so always cut 1 to 2 nodes further away to accommodate that. In south africa we do root work along with our tropicals in the summer and then full shade until they recovered.

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Thanks Vaughn, I'm new to Acacia bonsai's, keep the tips coming!

[@KentStutz]

Thanks for the videos, Nigel. I have just started growing a couple Acacias myself, I would be very interested in seeing what they look like now!

[@TheBonsaiZone]

I will be doing an update soon, I'll be root pruning and re potting. The trees are growing well and the trunks are getting thick for their age!

[@Gulbaqawali]

Hi Nigel. Thanks a lot for such an informative video. I learnt a lot about acacia. I have a beautiful acacia tree and it is full of flowers. I hope to get seeds in the end and will grow them to get more lovely plants. Thanks again. Regards.

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Thanks Anita, I hope you get some nice little seedlings.

[@garagepie]

Hi Nigel, I'm South African, they look alot like Acacia Sieberiana. These are the flat top paper bark thorn trees. Great to see you trying a South African Bonsai styles. We call it Pierneef style and flatop style. Acacia Galpinii or Acacia Burkei is generally the best species.

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Thanks, the trees are growing well and it will be time to do some pruning soon.I love when the leaves fold up in the hot sun or at night. Smart trees!

[@mylesdavies9476]

Nice one Nigel, really enjoy your videos, look forward to seeing how these develop

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Thanks Myles!

[@andylancop]

Thank you for sharing your experience. Very informative and gmuch appreciated.

[@bonsaimoldova]

Thanks for update! The leaves looks like the leaves of the honey locust!

[@bonsaimoldova]

P. S waiting for results of cuttings

[@TheBonsaiZone]

I placed some cuttings in water too. I'll let you know if any work out.

[@andreatavaglione6459]

did it work out?

[@dhalmjr]

Loved the video! I have been excited for the update!

[@TheBonsaiZone]

They are now starting to grow shoots below the cuts.

[@rickaguilar3178]

In my country the acacia is an invasive species! Took over of the native fauna. Like your demos, very interesting, cheers.

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Thanks, unfortunately, many bonsai species are easy to grow trees, and they can be invasive outside there natural areas. We must be careful not to help this happen. It does make a guilt free dig when you collect an invasive species!

[@arnehefer5749]

I can go pick up acacia seeds in my garden or my neighborhood since I live in South Africa 🇿🇦

[@TheBonsaiZone]

I am surprised how well the Acacia trees are growing here in Canada, I though they would be fussy and hard to grow, but they are doing really well so far. I'm sure they will become one of my favorite bonsai trees in the future!

[@tatyanafrolova5687]

Thank you very much for the video how it was all on time, I just received the same seeds. Thank you very much.

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Awesome, I hope they germinate and grow well!

[@duncannjue4962]

Thanks for the Acacia update, i was really waiting

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Thanks again Duncan. I'm worried they might die back, It's always wait and see with bonsai, so much tension!

[@alexanderktn]

Nice to see them doing well! My Ficus religiosa seeds have started to sprout and so far I counted around 30 - though they only have their cotyledons and a hint of the first true leaves at the moment, so they are still in a critical phase I guess.

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Sounds great, I hope they grow well for you!

[@alexanderktn]

Thank you, Nigel!

[@BonsaiCHANNEL]

It's great, it's a perseverance, because I used to use the method to transplant or I guess, to have a faster bonsai

[@alexanderktn]

Yes, I would have used bigger plants as well, but where I live I can't get them - and so far it is a nice experience seeing things sprout from a seed. ;)

[@angelinnecatalan543]

Any update on this? I just planted my acacia seeds and it started to sprout. I was thinking of making it into a bonsai but i dont really know anything about it so your videos are really helpful.

[@catief1031]

Seeing the leaves I realized this is the probably type of tree my dad kept on cutting down in the backyard (growing right by a fence). It always seemed to grow back but I haven't checked on it lately so I'm not sure if he finally succeeded.

[@sethmoore8812]

They really did grow a lot their looking good

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Thanks Seth, I sure hope they continue to grow well after the first pruning.

[@josearmandoduranguzman9167]

Hi, Nigel, I'm from Colombia, I like your videos a lot, although it makes the language a bit difficult, congratulations.

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Thank you, I know the feeling, when I watch videos in different languages. You can try the Closed Captioning and maybe it will help, but sometimes the true meaning of the words doesn't come across well.

[@anthonyhenrico]

Please may we have an update on how they are doing now. Ive just planted my acacia last week.

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Here is the latest video on them.... kzbin.info/www/bejne/qpbUY5mkg9aXaa8

[@anthonyhenrico]

Thank you so much

[@Itz_Krush]

Hi there. Really nice vid, keep up the good work. Do you think your acacias grew tall and lanky because they dont have as much light as they are used to in their natural environment, so they strech to try to get closer to the light source?

[@TheBonsaiZone]

I think it gets hard for the tree to grow taller with a limited water supply, so they just continue to grow wider, in nature. It will take lots of pruning to get the natural shape of the tree in miniature. They are due for a pruning and I'll be making a video soon.

[@YarlenMailler]

Hi Nigel, I follow your videos very carefully, I know you have some ficus from seed. Can you tell me what method you used to make it germinate and where did you get the seeds? thx for the amazing videos!

[@TheBonsaiZone]

I only have the one ficus from seed. It just sprouted in a pot I had from a nursery. The ficus fruit needs to be germinated to produce good seeds, and some need a special wasp to help fertilize them. You can buy seeds on line, I like this place..... www.rarexoticseeds.com/en/ficus-retusa-seeds-ficus-microcarpa-nitida-banyan-fig-taiwan-ficus-seeds.html

[@margaretsims4344]

The packaging message is just gaining momentum in UK. Pity they didn’t take notice earlier

[@TheBonsaiZone]

That's nice to hear, we are getting our shampoo re filled at the health food store, it's hard to reduce the amount of packaging, there is just so much of it!

[@Nathoraz]

Hi! I'd like to ask if did you Stratify the seeds before sowing or just planted them after soaking them in a bowl? It says that I need to put them in a bag with a damped towel in a warm, dark place. Its almost summer here! Thanks!

[@adampavella1225]

Wow you got a Schlumbergera bonsai? Awesome

[@australianwildlifechannel4795]

Hi Nigel! Just wanted to say that I really love watching your videos and your knowledge on bonsai making. Also, I wanted to ask if you could grow a White beech (Gmelina leichhardtii) from seed. I’m planting one in my front yard in Australia, if you want I can collect and mail the seeds from the tree when it fruits as the seeds are extremely hard to find online. Thank you Nigel! Have a awesome day.

[@TheBonsaiZone]

That sounds awesome, I'd love to try growing one! My email is... [e-mail] Thanks AWC!!

[@andylancop]

Serious question...why not prune sooner since they are so long? Were you going for more girth at the base?

[@amybrown6166]

Why didn't you repot any of them when they were smaller? Everything i've read says to repot them by themselves. I am curious! I've got just one young plant (3 months) and i'm wanting to start some more! I am unsure of what to pot them in... I've got this cool bird bath but its shallow and I'm unsure of it.

[@TheBonsaiZone]

The trees have been re potted several times now and are getting a nice radial root system, here is the link to the playlist on these trees so you can follow the progress over the years.... kzbin.info/aero/PLQouTWwmTQowwywh_Pt_rQsYszrUZPd_o

[@s0ulsister]

Hi, Nigel and Nigel's fans. I've got a little question. This summer I managed to save 4 young acacia shoots from being cut by grass movers. They are tiny, 2-3 inches long. I put them in a pot for now. Need some advice here, how do I save them during winter? Last year my experiment did not work, I generously covered my shooting with maple leafs and left it outside, in a pot, hoping it would survive till spring. It did not. What should I do to keep these babies alive till next spring? Take the pot inside before freezing temperatures, and treat it like a house plant? Or leave it outside, what is a better place for it then? Covered, or not?

[@TheBonsaiZone]

I would leave it outside until the really cold weather comes and then bring it inside to a cool place in your home. Beside a cold window is a good place.

[@murrayhand5235]

What would be the ideal after care after such drastic cuts? Would you need to put them in shade to recover or can they stay in the sun?

[@TheBonsaiZone]

They can stay in full sun after a height reduction. Shade would only be necessary if you did some root work.

[@murrayhand5235]

Nigel Saunders thanks a lot. I can't wait until your trees are eventually big enough to have their own landscapes, will be interesting to see them along side your serissa

[@jjmarais5666]

Thanks, can you maybe show us how to care for a bonzai with a taproot with regards to root pruning and repotting please. Thanks!

[@TheBonsaiZone]

I'll be re potting them late spring, it will be interesting to see the roots. two of the cuttings started in soil are growing now, I'll have to check out those roots also.

[@mattbrennan647]

HiNigel. Did the cuttings strike? Just purchased my first acacia pre bonsai from Wigerts. It needs a pruning and I want to propagate the cuttings. Any advice? Thanks, keep growing

[@TheBonsaiZone]

They didn't Matt, they stayed green for a long time, but no sign of roots, eventually they died.

[@mattbrennan647]

@@TheBonsaiZone thanks. I’ll do some research and give it a try. Thanks

[@danielpontack1273]

How are they doing now? would like to see an update as i am also growing my own.

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Check out the playlist, for any videos you may have missed.... kzbin.info/aero/PLQouTWwmTQowwywh_Pt_rQsYszrUZPd_o

[@damianoost]

Hi Nigel, What fertilizer are you using for your acacia trees?

[@TheBonsaiZone]

I use a water soluble 20-20-20 with micro nutrients for all my trees. Here is a video on watering and fertilizing... kzbin.info/www/bejne/nYmseqOuitarmrs

[@ivapazin7719]

can i use the same process on other species of trees, like maples?

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Yes, I have a video on some native red maples that might be worth watching.... kzbin.info/www/bejne/eZjcZ556gMmHm5I The trees are both doing really well, I'll do a video update this spring

[@omarfouad684]

Thank you

[@TheBonsaiZone]

You are welcome Omar.

[@martinjansevanvuuren213]

Do these acacia trees need a lot of sunlight? Mine doesn't want to grow in the shade. I water them every day but I think they dont like so much water. I think they like dry and sunny weather.

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Yes full sun. The fever tree likes lots of water and lives in swamps, but most Acacia's like the soil to be on the dry side. There are many species, here is a link to a list..... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Acacia_species

[@LawrenceViljoen]

Hello Nigel - These seeds really look like a Paper Bark but you say they are from a fever tree (you could very well be correct - I'm sure Nico knows what he is talking about. If you want, i will gladly mail you a packet of paperbark seeds - let me know...

[@ralphcarpio3308]

I hope you do an update soon

[@TheBonsaiZone]

It will be coming, they are just growing taller at the moment.

[@dtech_life]

What species of acacia did you choose to produce your bonsai with?

[@craft-o-matic2377]

Hi Nigel, Are these Acacia Dealbata trees with the yellow blooms?

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Hello Lisa, the Acacia's are Fever trees (Acacia xanthophloea) and Sweet thorn (Vachellia karroo) Both get the clusters of yellow flowers. The Fever tree gets a yellow trunk and is better for wet climates, as it is a swamp and river bank tree.

[@craft-o-matic2377]

Nigel Saunders I was curious because I loved the mimosas in Italy that have the beautiful little yellow pom pom flowers. At the time of course, I had no idea they were Acacia trees!

[@MrRedFox13Gaming]

ohhh those are the thorn trees right that some tribe or rumor to have around their home to keep lions out/away?

[@TheBonsaiZone]

They've got me a few times! I have just published an update on them...... kzbin.info/www/bejne/qpbUY5mkg9aXaa8

[@theweakerthanyou]

Nigel, for seedlings do you use bonsai soil or just peat/organic, etc.?

[@TheBonsaiZone]

I usually use bonsai soil to start my trees from seeds. It seems to work well for germination and once they start growing they really grow strongly!

[@theweakerthanyou]

Nigel Saunders, The Bonsai Zone thanks for the reply - hoping the Canadian winter isn’t too brutal this year (I’m in the states so a bit more temperate in zone 6)

[@jamesAkozallen]

Thanks for the update on your seedlings. That is exciting that you have already had to trim. My Olea europea is two years old and still have not trimmed. Here are a few pictures ( imgur.com/a/bh1Xi ). It is 7 to 8 inches tall. Judging from the pictures would you say it is time for a trim or should i continue to let the Olea europea grow? Thanks for the videos Nigel. Can't wait for the next one.

[@heresjaimerz]

Why do you cut them instead of letting them grow high?

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Pruning them back every so often, gives the trees taper, movement and branching. I do let them grow between pruning's, but they start to take up a lot of space!

[@nickrusse7944]

will you do a video abut the Christmas cactus in the background?

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Yes, just waiting for it to flower!

[@PatrickHuynh]

Hi, can you do a tutorial on cedar bonsais? Looking forward for your reply! Thanks!!

[@TheBonsaiZone]

I have many videos on Cedar bonsai. What we call Cedar is actually Thuja. Here is a link to a playlist..... kzbin.info/aero/PLQouTWwmTQowx-EZzP0qNhc70vCCPzhQY

[@pnelsonfilms]

Thanks so much for this Nigel, would you take a similar approach to lemon trees? Inspired by your lemon bonsai, I grew a few from seed last year, now that they are a about 8 inches tall I'm wondering when to start pruning. Thanks for all the techniques and information!

[@TheBonsaiZone]

I would wait until late spring to prune them down in height. It is best done in warm weather with lots of sunshine. Good luck, I hope they are starting to get a woody trunk on them.

[@standupfirst]

How much did you water them in the first year?

[@TheBonsaiZone]

I let the soil go almost dry before watering. If the soil gets too dry, some of the lower leaves start to shrivel up and fall off. I fertilized a normal amount.

[@standupfirst]

Thanks! I love your videos.

[@foxtrotrx]

What is considered a normal amount?

[@flyinmanatee118]

Hey Nigel, to you an idea on which of the cuttings method worked best? Thanks!

[@TheBonsaiZone]

I'll be posting an update soon!

[@bonsaiaddict3251]

How do you thicken trunks?

[@TheBonsaiZone]

The trunk will thicken over time as the tree grows. With these trees I'm not after a thick tapered trunk, but more of a slim trunk with little taper. This will match the style of the full size trees more closely.

[@andreiiliev519]

Nigel Hi, I'm from Russia. Please tell me the name of the soil that you use for bonsai?

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Hello Andrei, I use 40 percent perlite, 40 percent turface and 20 percent composted pine bark. This is my standard mix, for some trees that stay in the greenhouse for the summer I use less (and sometimes no) pine bark. All materials are sifted to remove the fine particles.

[@leannlayton4221]

Where did you get those seeds?

[@TheBonsaiZone]

They were sent to me from a viewer in Africa and some were from a club member who bought them while he was on vacation in Africa.

[@Chips3TimesFried]

What soil do you use?

[@TheBonsaiZone]

I use 1/2 perlite and 1/2 turface.

[@1LordaBG1]

Is there another update?

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Not yet, coming soon!

[@vbogstandard572]

My acacia is 11 years old and is no where near the hight of them,, your are 1 year old, mine is 11 years old and is made out of wood and only a little over a foot tall

[@jamestropicals2025]

Giraffes love eating acacia leaves

[@eastindiaV]

The seeds of these will help your trees grow if you eat them yourself... call it quantum entanglement. Side effects include Transcendence of space and time and uncomfortable revelatory experiences... some year I'll have many many psychedelic legume trees as bonsai... for now I just have seedlings and regular trees ;)

[@TheDanm22]

You sound like Christopher walken.

[@dubsydabster]

foist

[@danf8047]

I remember this kzbin.info/www/bejne/bIi2e3Ssbamjgc0 and.....they grew that much?!! --- holy.....!!

[@christielogan5247]

Those thorns look nasty!

[@weasel1620]

5:35 voice crack

[@Sscottayboyeful]

Is there an update on this bonsai?