Vachelia Caven

[SWfloirda]

The soil continues to emit an odor (pretty strong after repot). I have no idea what it is.

My Sweet Acacia which is also known as Vachellia farnesiana has on odd smell from the root ball too. Not bad but not good. Doesn't really smell like something from a plant but not a chemical smell either. Very hard to describe and I've found little to no information about it.

 

[dbonsaiw]

My Sweet Acacia which is also known as Vachellia farnesiana has on odd smell from the root ball too. Not bad but not good. Doesn't really smell like something from a plant but not a chemical smell either. Very hard to describe and I've found little to no information about it.

Interesting. I also couldn’t find anything about it online. Definitely would worry me if one of JMs had it, but I’m guessing it has something to do with the nitrogen fixing bacteria in the soil.

 

[MSGhero]

Same with my senegal as far as the smell. Mine just about died after a light root pruning, not sure if it was timing or what. Curious how yours goes, since it seems more established.

 

[dbonsaiw]

Mine just about died after a light root pruning, not sure if it was timing or what. Curious how yours goes, since it seems more established.

I'm generally clueless about tropicals and know less about VC. I have read that various members of the Fabaceae family resent root work, most notably acacia. My thinking on this is that I personally cannot develop a tree if it gives me too hard a time about repotting. Given that I can't grow VC outdoors (in the ground) in my hood, if the roots can't be worked on these trees are just going to die eventually anyway. Cut branches stay green for some time, so hey maybe the tree is dead already and just hasn't told me yet. I will update in a week or so.

I was in emergency mode during repot so didn't take any pics of the roots. The roots of the VC are nothing like a JM, for example. For a tree that is actively growing almost year-round, and can really extend, the roots were kind of shabby. My root pruning was nowhere near as invasive as I would on a JM. I basically combed out most of the root ball, cut off the few thicker branches and cut the downward growing stuff. I can't imagine it was more than 30% of the root ball, if that. Again, this was nothing like wrangling a dawn redwood that escaped into the ground. It was out of the old pot and into the new pot in less than 10 minutes, as there was so little to do on the roots.

I was unsure when to repot and understood it was ok to repot tropicals anytime during the "growing" season. And so I shrugged, because isn't it always growing season for these guys? In any event, the branches were extending so it seemed pretty much like growing season to me.

 

[dbonsaiw]

I'll update with some pics, but the tree was a little worse for wear after the repot. Many set of leaves yellowed and began to fall. Lower branches on one of the trees began to droop almost to the floor. So I decided to cut them back and this seems to have helped. Trees seem to be OK now and branches are once again standing at attention. My guess is that the trees were just getting acclimated to the outside when I repotted and some of the new growth suffered from being in full sun and from the repot. Next repot perhaps I will wait until later in the summer. Maybe the chop eased the burden on the tree (as the top was getting large) and it responded positively.

 

[dbonsaiw]

VC seems to back bud well.

 

[gooeytek]

Branches are filling the tent up again. I am enjoying working this species and wonder why more people aren’t. They seem to be hardy and good growers. Very small feathery foliage and eventually flowers.

The thorns!

When I was a kid, I was riding my bike and I ran off the road right into a monster bougie thicket. I have been traumatized since

 

[dbonsaiw]

When I was a kid, I was riding my bike and I ran off the road right into a monster bougie thicket. I have been traumatized since

But you got back on the bike I assume? And the thorns keep the birds from messing with the new buds.

 

[gooeytek]

But you got back on the bike I assume? And the thorns keep the birds from messing with the new buds.

yes, but it makes me cringe each time I see prominent thorns.

 

[dbonsaiw]

New batch of thorns are intense.

My son - whoa, let’s make blow darts.
Me - cool idea
My wife - David!!!!
Me - no, we can’t make blow darts. Dont touch my trees.

 

[dbonsaiw]

Trees got a haircut to make them a little more manageable to be moved and they were relocated to the indoors grow tent.

 

[dbonsaiw]

Less than a month indoors and under lights and I am getting a good deal of back budding and growth. I know these are supposed to be drought tolerant, but at the same time I find they are pretty thirsty and have been watering basically every other day. 13.5 hours of light/day and once/week liquid fertilizer.

 

[dbonsaiw]

I must be making headway in respect of the dunning Kruger effect as I have no clue what I am doing, whereas just a few months ago I thought I knew so much. In any event, I decided not to let these trees simple fatten up unrestricted and aim to get onto more of a cut and grow regiment with these. I was fairly confident it would back bud, but I exercised caution anyway and Pruned way higher than I intend the tree to be. Hoping to get shoots lower down to pick a new leader and start developing.

The thorns gave me a run for my money and my hands are covered in scrapes. I seem to have an allergic reaction from it as well.

 

[dbonsaiw]

One week from the cut and I have new buds on the trunk as well as secondary branches on the lower branches.

 

[dbonsaiw]

Happy two year anniversary VC. I’ve needed to entrust these to a buddy for a few days while I’m away. Hopefully they are still alive on my return. Fingers crossed. I covered the soil with sphagnum moss just in case. I e read these are drought tolerant. I guess we are about to find out.

 

[Gabler]

Reminds me of honey locust, but with much smaller thorns.

 

[dbonsaiw]

Reminds me of honey locust, but with much smaller thorns.

Omg, honey locust have even bigger thorns? The thorns on these are pretty intense.

 

[Gabler]

Omg, honey locust have even bigger thorns? The thorns on these are pretty intense.

By an order of magnitude. The biggest thorns exceed ten inches. They're also wicked sharp, and they have no trouble piercing through a boot sole or a truck tire.

 

[dbonsaiw]

By an order of magnitude. The biggest thorns exceed ten inches. They're also wicked sharp, and they have no trouble piercing through a boot sole or a truck tire

Wow

 

[dbonsaiw]

Chopped them back.