2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Acacia (Latin Acacia) - a genus of shrubs and trees of the legume family. Under natural conditions, representatives of the genus are found in Asia, South America, Africa and Australia. Typical habitats are dry desert, rocky areas, lowlands, river valleys, mountainous areas. They are characterized by rapid growth, by the age of 25-30, growth stops.
Characteristics of culture
Acacia is a shrub or tree up to 25 m high, forming abundant shoots from the root collar and root suckers during growth. Some species are equipped with thorns. The bark of young plants is smooth, green, acquires a brown or gray color with age, and strongly cracks. The root system is powerful, highly branched.
Leaves are compound, once or twice-pinnate, consist of small leaves that can be acicular, lanceolate or broadly ovate. Leaf arrangement is alternate or whorled. The leaves are equipped with small leathery stipules; stipules are absent on some representatives of the genus.
Flowers are numerous, small, collected in capitate, racemose or paniculate inflorescences, sit at the ends of branches or in leaf axils. Flowers can be bisexual or dioecious. The calyx is fringed-dissected or bell-shaped, sometimes absent altogether.
The fruit is an elongated ovate, linear or lanceolate pod that opens with two valves when ripe, it can be leathery or woody. Seeds are black, brown or light brown, spherical, ellipsoidal or elongated-ellipsoid, often flattened.
Growing conditions
Acacia is a light-loving culture, it develops well and blooms profusely in open sunny areas protected from cold winds. Put up with light shading. Well-drained, light, loose, moderately moist, fertile soils are preferred. Representatives of the genus of compacted, heavy clayey, strongly acidic soils do not accept.
You should not grow a crop in lowlands, where a large amount of melt water accumulates in spring. Landing on southern slopes is encouraged. Winter hardiness of various types of acacia varies within fairly wide limits. Plants become more resistant to unfavorable factors with age.
Reproduction
Acacia is propagated by seeds, root suckers, root shoots and cuttings. The seed method, although laborious, is very effective. The seeds need preliminary preparation, for this they are soaked for 24 hours in hot water (50-60C). Acacia seeds are sown in seedling containers, covered with glass and placed in a warm room. Crops are regularly sprayed with warm, settled water and ventilated.
In the phase of two true leaves, a dive is carried out into separate pots with a diameter of 7-8 cm. As the seedlings grow, they are transshipped in larger containers, as well as fertilizing with mineral fertilizers. To accelerate the growth of seedlings, you should use phytostimulants, for example, Novosil or Epin. Plants are transplanted into open ground after 1-2 years.
Among gardeners, the method of propagation by cuttings is common. Acacia is cut in spring or late August. For rooting, cuttings are planted in a light substrate consisting of sand, peat and perlite. The optimum temperature for rooting cuttings is 25C. Rooted cuttings are planted in a permanent place next spring.
Possible difficulties in growing and care
All species of the genus Acacia need regular and abundant watering. With insufficient moisture in plants, buds often fall off and leaves wither. Waterlogging is also undesirable, it can lead to the death of plants. Lack of sunlight causes pale foliage and flowers. If tall trees are planted next to the acacia, it is necessary to prune the thickening shoots that prevent the plants from developing normally.
Acacias are prone to being affected by various diseases and pests, in order to prevent these problems, it is important to comply with all cultivation conditions and from time to time carry out preventive treatments with herbal infusions. In case of severe damage, it is better to use insecticides and other chemicals. Cutting crops must be carried out with gloves, since the plants are poisonous.
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