Callicoma - Black Wattle

[delisea]

Callicoma is often found in gullies and on rainforest margins on the east coast. One of its common names is black wattle, and it was supposedly used in wattle and daub houses by early white fellas. This was collected last summer.

callicoma feb 2016.jpg

I decided to grow a sacrificial branch to thicken up the trunk.

Callicoma jan 2017 - sacrificial branch.JPG

It was causing more issues than it was solving so it was time to cut.

jan2017 sacrificial removed.JPG

Cheers,Symon

[The Surgeon]

Very Nice, and good to see the truck thickened in a relatively short time.

What are you using as branch protectors? Is it a piece of garden hose?

[delisea]

Yep, just old garden hose. It works a treat.
Cheers,Symon

[Max]

Great find...looks like it will a fantastic specimen...congratulations...very jealous

[Kevin]

A nice and unusual little tree Symon,

Looking forward to viewing when in flower.

Well done,
Kevin

[anthonyW]

Very nice Symon with a "y"

com'on bump your years up to at least two..no one is that good at one year in bonsai..

Anthony

[delisea]

K, I think they flower on old wood so it might be difficult.
Anthony with a 'y', thanks for the encouragement. I started bonsai after I registered on this site. I was looking for info on big trees and Ausbonsai kept coming up in my searches. Nice trick making you register to see the piccies on the site. Seeing the fantastic trees here reawakened a boyhood fascination.

A little more on Callicoma. They appear to be made for bonsai, fast growing, leaves easily reduced and branches stay malleable until quite thick. They are a little tricky to dig - I've killed a couple figuring it out. If any one has one I would like too see it posted. Ray Nesci has exhibited an outstanding example. http://www.cbs.org.au/Native_Shows/bons ... 0large.jpg

Cheers, Symon

[bodhidharma]

Great job, i think this has a good future. Keep a progress update for us.

[GavinG]

If you are still having trouble with digging them, maybe try a shallow water bath after they are potted up. It works well for Leptos and Mels/Calls - it would be interesting to know if it works for these as well.

Gavin

[delisea]

Hi Gavin, Do you mean to have the pot sitting in shallow water? This might help, I will try it with the next one I do. I am now replacing the soil around them with a bonsai mix and waiting for fine feeder roots to to grow into this before I dig. It means that digging takes at least 6 months but I think it is worth it.
Cheers, Symon

[GavinG]

Yep, that's it. Not too deep, just enough to wick up from the bottom of the pot.

Gavin

[bonsaipotter]

In SEQ I've found they like plenty of water in the hot weather and a little reserve in a saucer works well.

There is also a small leafed mutation/sport which has mature leaves that are only about 40 to 50 mm long, oval. This one should be magic for bonsai if it has the same growth habit. I have sourced some cuttings and will have them in 6 weeks time, so a photo later.

[delisea]

Hi Bonsaipotter - yes they are definitely water lovers. Do you have one as bonsai? I would love to see it. The small leafed sport sounds very interesting, please post a piccie when you have one.
Cheers,
Symon

[bonsaipotter]

Unfortunately only a few one year old seedlings, but they are growing like mad and producing long leaves. I'm looking forward to the small leafed sports.

[delisea]

I think this one would be better in a shallower pot, but I need to remove some remaining garden soil before this happens. I thought I would post this update before I start to hack at the roots.

callicoma nov 17.jpg

Cheers,
Symon