Animistic
Established member
I wonder if it's worth not potting then in tubestocks now then?
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Botany The Acacia Grow Thread
- Thread starter acacian
- Start date
Growing logs with advice and results.
Yeah its definitely worth doing that. If you leave them too long their roots can cling around the holes in the flat tray and get damaged as your wedging them out. They look more than established enough to prick out n' pot on I think 
@CheeseCat that does look a little concerning. I'd just keep a close eye on them. They will hopefully open up.. what is that brown bit at the edges? Is this the cotyledon dying? Or is it just the seed coat. If the latter I would remove it.. yes the seed coat provides nutrients to a seedling in need, but it can also get stuck and rot.
[EDIT] I have now planted 17 wattles in my garden.. only room for a few more tree sized ones and then will be little shrubs. Pictures to come
@CheeseCat how's your obtusifolia going? Mine are really starting to take off.. as are the rest. I've given away most phlebophylla now. Glad to know it's presence in my town is becoming established!
@CheeseCat that does look a little concerning. I'd just keep a close eye on them. They will hopefully open up.. what is that brown bit at the edges? Is this the cotyledon dying? Or is it just the seed coat. If the latter I would remove it.. yes the seed coat provides nutrients to a seedling in need, but it can also get stuck and rot.
[EDIT] I have now planted 17 wattles in my garden.. only room for a few more tree sized ones and then will be little shrubs. Pictures to come
@CheeseCat how's your obtusifolia going? Mine are really starting to take off.. as are the rest. I've given away most phlebophylla now. Glad to know it's presence in my town is becoming established!
CheeseCat
Esteemed member
Super keen to see photos of your wattles in the ground! I was just admiring some of your photos last night.
My obtuse are growing well, a lot of new branches emerging and phyllodes have a nice green look to them. I’ll take some photos…thankfully my acuminata has survived some really strong winds of late. It’s put on quite a lot of new growth too. It’s going to love it when it starts receiving more sun.
Ah, nice one! I plan to give some of my plants away too, providing I can find the right people who will care for them.
I know you recommended Marion Simmons Volume 1 and 2 Acacias of Australia but have you read this one? I was keen to get it…
My obtuse are growing well, a lot of new branches emerging and phyllodes have a nice green look to them. I’ll take some photos…thankfully my acuminata has survived some really strong winds of late. It’s put on quite a lot of new growth too. It’s going to love it when it starts receiving more sun.
That would be the cotyledon dying. There’s a seed coat stuck on one of the mucronata however, so I’ll try remove that incase it is causing rot. Thanks for pointing that out.
Ah, nice one! I plan to give some of my plants away too, providing I can find the right people who will care for them.
I know you recommended Marion Simmons Volume 1 and 2 Acacias of Australia but have you read this one? I was keen to get it…
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Now, THAT is a book I would like to get my hands on! Thanks for bringing it to my attention.” @CheeseCat
Yeah I’d probably remove the cotyledon if it’s been on there a while..
Sorry I haven’t posted much in the way of my plants recently.. here’s some fresh shots of fresh growth
More to come
Some of my caroleae not much over a year old flowered which was odd..
Yeah I’d probably remove the cotyledon if it’s been on there a while..
Sorry I haven’t posted much in the way of my plants recently.. here’s some fresh shots of fresh growth
More to comeSome of my caroleae not much over a year old flowered which was odd..
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CheeseCat
Esteemed member
Great photos @acacian, I never get tired of seeing phleb backlit, venation is incredible. Very fond of that super bushy floribunda of yours, it’ll look amazing as it matures.
Here’s a few shots of my acuminata and obtuse settling in nicely.
Interesting, I wonder what causes this?
Yeah, it's a great little book, an excellent guide for someone starting out
Here’s a few shots of my acuminata and obtuse settling in nicely.
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Looking great CheeseCat! Your obtuse is getting to a nice size!
As for cause of early flowering, your guess is as good as mine. Maybe stress? They did come straight from a greenhouse into an often windy winter here.. sometimes plants will try to produce seed when they think death is near..
As for cause of early flowering, your guess is as good as mine. Maybe stress? They did come straight from a greenhouse into an often windy winter here.. sometimes plants will try to produce seed when they think death is near..
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Animistic
Established member
So I have potted up my earliest tray of seedlings. I've got to wait for more tubestocks to arrive before doing all of them. I also used some mycogold from biostim to innoculate the roots. On the website it says it has both endo and ectomycorrhizal fungi and 2 nitrogen fixing species so I think it'll be an absolute boom for them. We will see in the coming weeks.
Attached is a picture of the 2 already potted ones which also received treatment with mycogold.
Attached is a picture of the 2 already potted ones which also received treatment with mycogold.
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@Animistic keep us posted how they go with the mycogold. Are you doing any without being treated with it? Would be good to do both ways to compare results between treated and untreated.
What species are in that latest photo?
Next I am planning to germinate are Acacia triptera and longifolia.. then that will do for my garden and the rest will be guerilla gardening. I’ve now planted about 20 wattles here and must keep space for other plants! Definitely keen on growing some different grevillea/correa as well as a casuarina and banksia if space permits..
Keep up the great work @CheeseCat and @Animistic
What species are in that latest photo?
Next I am planning to germinate are Acacia triptera and longifolia.. then that will do for my garden and the rest will be guerilla gardening. I’ve now planted about 20 wattles here and must keep space for other plants! Definitely keen on growing some different grevillea/correa as well as a casuarina and banksia if space permits..
Keep up the great work @CheeseCat and @Animistic
Animistic
Established member
@acacian pictured are courtii. My floribunda seeds got turfed by an unknowing house guest which is massively disappointing. Luckily I have more floribunda seeds and am planning on doing a side by side mycogold treatment with them.
Guerrilla gardening ftw. No doubt a lot of my babies will end up the same lol.
Thanks, but I'm sure I speak for Cheese at too when I say you're a major inspiration @acacian.
Guerrilla gardening ftw. No doubt a lot of my babies will end up the same lol.
Thanks, but I'm sure I speak for Cheese at too when I say you're a major inspiration @acacian.
Thanks @Animistic , I'm glad to have inspired you! The feeling is mutual - its really nice to see how passionate you guys are about Acacias. In a few years time it will be really fascinating to scroll through this thread and see how the trees have grown over the time of our participation in the thread. Would make a great montage
Re: the floribunda seedlings I'm sorry to hear that.. that must be incredibly frustrating. Do you have any seedlings that survived? When you say house guest are you referring to an insect or a larger creature?
One tip I'd like to pass on if I haven't already.. in the first couple weeks as seedlings are coming up they are particularly prone to being eaten by insects. During this short window its a good idea to keep them protected. With precious seedlings coming up I will usually put a little clear plastic dome over the cotyledon to protect them during this small window. Once they throw their first phyllode it doesn't seem to be an issue.. just with the very first pinnae that emerge from the cotyledon. These days, with precious seed, whenever I see the cotyledon poke it's head through the medium, I cover it straight away under a little dome. After a week it is too strong to be eaten by certain insects.. or maybe it produces a chemical that is unpleasant to the specific insect's palette..
Here is a video of my precious floribunda 'white willow' thriving at night.. my favourite time to be with my wattles in the garden. They really come alive in the dark! I also found a dead wattle bird in the garden, so it has become food for the hungry willow.
Re: the floribunda seedlings I'm sorry to hear that.. that must be incredibly frustrating. Do you have any seedlings that survived? When you say house guest are you referring to an insect or a larger creature?
One tip I'd like to pass on if I haven't already.. in the first couple weeks as seedlings are coming up they are particularly prone to being eaten by insects. During this short window its a good idea to keep them protected. With precious seedlings coming up I will usually put a little clear plastic dome over the cotyledon to protect them during this small window. Once they throw their first phyllode it doesn't seem to be an issue.. just with the very first pinnae that emerge from the cotyledon. These days, with precious seed, whenever I see the cotyledon poke it's head through the medium, I cover it straight away under a little dome. After a week it is too strong to be eaten by certain insects.. or maybe it produces a chemical that is unpleasant to the specific insect's palette..
Here is a video of my precious floribunda 'white willow' thriving at night.. my favourite time to be with my wattles in the garden. They really come alive in the dark! I also found a dead wattle bird in the garden, so it has become food for the hungry willow.
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CheeseCat
Esteemed member
@Animistic interested to see how the mycogold goes for you, fingers crossed your seedlings completely smash it! Website looks very compelling. The only thing I could find in NZ was this: Mycorrhizal Fungi (New Zealand Native) - 30ppg/mL
I scarified a few more seeds last night but one thing I'm still not totally sure about is which end to scarify? With regard to scarification, Marion Simmons states "Care should be taken not to cut the end where the seed stalk enters"... My last lot of seeds I scarified the base of the seed (the pointier end) which is probably where the seed stalk entered and they seemed to germinate ok. Last night I tried scarifying the top of the seed rather than the base (see pic). It's hard to know the orientation of a seed and what end the primary root comes from. Curious what you guys do?
@acacian thanks for the vid! Bird fertiliser will be much appreciate by the mighty willow. Never heard of wattle birds before - cool!
I scarified a few more seeds last night but one thing I'm still not totally sure about is which end to scarify? With regard to scarification, Marion Simmons states "Care should be taken not to cut the end where the seed stalk enters"... My last lot of seeds I scarified the base of the seed (the pointier end) which is probably where the seed stalk entered and they seemed to germinate ok. Last night I tried scarifying the top of the seed rather than the base (see pic). It's hard to know the orientation of a seed and what end the primary root comes from. Curious what you guys do?
@acacian thanks for the vid! Bird fertiliser will be much appreciate by the mighty willow. Never heard of wattle birds before - cool!
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Global_Roaming
Esteemed member
Just a general shout out if anyone has (and if willing to part with) some Acacia Simplicifolia (simplex) seeds? I've had numerous opportunities in the past to gather seeds, but it wasn't on my radar at the time, unfortunately. I'm fairly certain I can grow it in my location, so just searching for seeds.
The aril end (or the eye) is where the root will shoot out from. The other end is where the cotelydon will open. It’s not as pointy as the aril end and is more rounded, with a ridged little horizontal line through the centre of the tip. If you remove the aril you’ll notice a tiny little pointed “core” where it has been removed.@Animistic interested to see how the mycogold goes for you, fingers crossed your seedlings completely smash it! Website looks very compelling. The only thing I could find in NZ was this: Mycorrhizal Fungi (New Zealand Native) - 30ppg/mL
I scarified a few more seeds last night but one thing I'm still not totally sure about is which end to scarify? With regard to scarification, Marion Simmons states "Care should be taken not to cut the end where the seed stalk enters"... My last lot of seeds I scarified the base of the seed (the pointier end) which is probably where the seed stalk entered and they seemed to germinate ok. Last night I tried scarifying the top of the seed rather than the base (see pic). It's hard to know the orientation of a seed and what end the primary root comes from. Curious what you guys do?
@acacian thanks for the vid! Bird fertiliser will be much appreciate by the mighty willow. Never heard of wattle birds before - cool!
Scarifying that end will help.. but it doesn’t really matter. The scarification is to damage the coat so that the seed can swell.. the softening when swollen is often enough for the root to push out.
Below: photo 1 is the eye (the aril end). I picked off the aril so you can see the pointy tip that is left over.
Photo 2 is the tip where the plant will emerge from. Notice the little horizontal rib across the tip? If you look carefully you can see the shape of the closed cotyledon underneath it. After scarifying it helps to orient this side upwards as that will be the above ground part of the plant. The eye is the roots.
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Nope the root always comes from the tail end. The other end is always the “head” of the plant that comes up..
Woolmer
Established member
I was lucky enough to be blessed with some A. simplex seeds. I tried to germinate some last year but they rotted between sheets of toilet paper.
Tried 3 more seeds now, soaking them in hot water until they were properly swollen. I sowed directly into a mix of 1:1:1 sand:perlite:potting soil. I put this in a clear tote in full sun, covering the tote with shade cloth on days when it is really hot. The temperature easily gets up to high 30's in the box, perhaps this is too hot and too much sun?
One sprouted within a week but it does not seem to be doing well. Perhaps I am providing too much water.
I'd really like to get a plant going but I am limited with the amount of seeds... I think I have around 15-20 seeds left now.
Edit: Is it fine to plant more seeds now in the middle of spring?
Tried 3 more seeds now, soaking them in hot water until they were properly swollen. I sowed directly into a mix of 1:1:1 sand:perlite:potting soil. I put this in a clear tote in full sun, covering the tote with shade cloth on days when it is really hot. The temperature easily gets up to high 30's in the box, perhaps this is too hot and too much sun?
One sprouted within a week but it does not seem to be doing well. Perhaps I am providing too much water.
I'd really like to get a plant going but I am limited with the amount of seeds... I think I have around 15-20 seeds left now.
Edit: Is it fine to plant more seeds now in the middle of spring?
Is simplex a dark germinator like many other acacia species? Maybe that would help boost your success rate. My acacia seeds (albeit not simplex) performed very well germinating in a large, opaque cup, using a thick piece of felt for air exchange and an additional lid to control evaporation. If you wish, I can find a photo for you.I was lucky enough to be blessed with some A. simplex seeds. I tried to germinate some last year but they rotted between sheets of toilet paper.
Tried 3 more seeds now, soaking them in hot water until they were properly swollen. I sowed directly into a mix of 1:1:1 sand
One sprouted within a week but it does not seem to be doing well. Perhaps I am providing too much water.
I'd really like to get a plant going but I am limited with the amount of seeds... I think I have around 15-20 seeds left now.
Edit: Is it fine to plant more seeds now in the middle of spring?
Woolmer
Established member
I'll give this a go thanks. And instead of soaking in hot water I'll try manually scarring.
The success I had germing Simplex seeds was by gently filing down some of the outer layer with a nail file, soaking in cold water and then placing on a damp paper towell with a mug over the top to create darkness as well as a little micro climate. My friends who have also had success with them germinated them the same way. So yeah I'd say darkness, like other acacia seeds is probably for the best - but whether it is essential or not, I can't say. My simplex died during the winter unfortunately. Ironically not from the cold, but from not being watered enough. Once the roots dry out, that's it. There's no bringing them back. Hoping to get more seed some time soon.
@Woolmer Make sure your not using potting mix that gets waterlogged easily. I would, with Simplex, especially recommend the medium I always recommend .. which is coarse river sand, peat moss and perlite at about 55:40:5 .. it grows on beaches so is no stranger to sand.
Curious if anyone has advice on promoting trunk growth more? The white willow floribunda in my garden seems to be producing boat loads of foliage but not gaining much height. So consequently some of the new growth is almost touching the ground. I know that spring is a time for producing foliage so maybe summer will be when it starts to pump out more height. Thoughts? Photo below..
@Woolmer Make sure your not using potting mix that gets waterlogged easily. I would, with Simplex, especially recommend the medium I always recommend .. which is coarse river sand, peat moss and perlite at about 55:40:5 .. it grows on beaches so is no stranger to sand.
Curious if anyone has advice on promoting trunk growth more? The white willow floribunda in my garden seems to be producing boat loads of foliage but not gaining much height. So consequently some of the new growth is almost touching the ground. I know that spring is a time for producing foliage so maybe summer will be when it starts to pump out more height. Thoughts? Photo below..
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