Acacia

The name in Latin is Acacia. Acacia belongs to the Legume family. Culture grows on the Australian, African continents, as well as on Asian territory. Acacia grows in the form of a spreading shrub or small tree, its leaves are feathery, the flowers have pleasant aromatic properties. The acacia genus includes about 800 varieties, with 50 species grown as decorative flowering. The arrangement of pinnate leaves on the branches is alternate, the leaves are small, up to 1 cm in length, there are a lot of them. The flowers of both sexes are yellow, cream or white. Inflorescences are paniculate or racemose. Bracts are small in size. A bell-shaped calyx containing 5 petals, which are interconnected or arranged singly. Corolla yellow or white, tubular, has four or five lobes. There are a large number of outstanding stamens on the plant.

When blooming, this culture is famous for its original aromatic notes, which intensify at night. Fruits are elongated pods, straight or curved, compressed or cylindrical, they either open or not. Seeds of different types are usually flattened. Acacia trees often have thorns, especially in drought-growing varieties.

The acacia tree grows up to two to three meters.

Acacia planting and care

The tree blooms in the spring season (early) or in the last winter days, some varieties can bloom in the autumn season, sometimes for several weeks.

Acacia propagation is carried out in a vegetative way, by seed. Growing a tree by seed is a very laborious task. Seed germination is quite difficult. Experiments show that if the seeds are steamed in boiling water (as a rule, at temperature conditions of about 80 degrees) and the seed shells are sawed, the germination of the seeds will increase by almost 80%.

Successful reproduction is carried out by cuttings. The petioles are planted in small pots, rooting occurs under temperature conditions equal to 16-18 degrees, the seeds are sown in the winter season or early in the spring, and it is required to heat the bottom of the containers.

In the summer season, indoor acacia is displayed outdoors, under the open sky. You can plant the plant directly into the soil, in the sun, but it is important that the site is calm. After the tree has faded, it must be trimmed in a gentle mode.

Acacia transplant is carried out 1 time / 2 years, after the plant has bloomed. The root system gives off a garlic smell, which is felt during transplantation. Planting a plant in fresh soil is carried out if it is still young. In the case of large adult tub shrubs, proceed as follows: the 5-7 cm surface soil layer is replaced with a fresh soil layer.

The plant is immune to disease. If you take good care of him and competently, then the bush will not get sick with anything.

• The tree loves to grow in cool places, in the winter season it needs a dormant period, temperature conditions should be lowered to 10 degrees or less. If the temperature regime is higher, then the plant can damage the scale insect.
• If you grow acacia at home, then do not forget that it prefers to grow in a place well-lit by the sun, there is no need to shade it.
• The culture loves to grow in light and loose soil with a good drainage system, which includes peat, sand and sod soil.
• A potted plant has limited nutrient area, it needs to be fed regularly.During the growing season, fertilizing is applied 1 time / 14 days.
• It is necessary to water abundantly when it is warm, preferably with soft water, in the winter season, watering is reduced, acacia is kept in cool conditions.
• The culture likes it when the site or room is ventilated, but it cannot withstand drafts, there is no need to spray the plant.

Several varieties of this culture are cultivated in garden plots, for example, the acacia variety "Silver", it attracts attention with its silvery leaves and yellow flowers. At home, the plant is cultivated as a tub. You can grow the shrub like a bonsai. In the aquatic environment, the culture remains fresh for a long time, acacia is used for cutting. You can make a very fragrant honey from white acacia, which is famous for its pleasant aroma.

Since the trees below regularly become bare, it is necessary to plant vegetation in the container, which spreads, for example, ivy, in order to avoid damage to the compacted joint of the roots of the culture we are considering, the acacia and the creeping plant are planted at the same time. A shrub can live for 50 years if properly cared for.

Acacia varieties

• Acacia "Silver" (Acacia dealbata).
  This variety is known in Russia under the name "mimosa". This is an evergreen tree of high stature, has a spreading crown, reaches a height of up to 30 meters. Young shoots and cuttings of leaves are short but densely pubescent. Pubescence is silvery. The leaves are elongated, complex, in their composition have a large number of opposite matte leaves, painted in a dark green shade. In the last winter days, the first spring acacia is abundantly covered with rich, fragrant, racemose inflorescences, which consist of small flowers that emit a pleasant aroma and have different tones of yellow color.
• Acacia "Gold" ("Australian", "Dense", Acacia pycnantha).
  This is an evergreen flowering sprawling tree of small size, growing up to 8 meters. Branches are slender, branching to a large extent. Instead of leaves, phylloclades of a dark green color, narrow lanceolate, with a glossy effect, are formed. Brush-like inflorescences are formed at the tops of the shoots and become a decoration of plants in the last winter days, the first spring. The flowers are small, emitting a pleasant aroma, have a large number of fluffy stamens, which are painted in lemon yellow or golden colors. The plant blooms very profusely.
  
• Acacia "Arabian" ("Nile", Acacia Arabica).
  An evergreen tree with a spreading crown and branches that branch to a high degree and are covered with brown bark. Erect, pointed thorns are located in the leaf sinuses. The leaves are green in color, complex, they contain a large number of oblong oval-shaped leaves. Inflorescences in the form of balls, fluffy, painted in a golden yellow color.
• Farneza acacia (Acacia farnesiana).
  A shrub with many trunks or a small tree, reaching 6 meters in height. In warm climatic conditions, it remains in an evergreen state; in a harsh climate, foliage falls off. Shoots actively branch, they are covered with a smooth dark brown bark. The leaves of a complex shape, in their composition, have small, elongated leaves of a dark green hue. The flowers emit a pleasant aroma, are colored golden-yellow, gather in rounded inflorescences, their diameter is 1.5 cm.
  
• Acacia podalyriifolia.
  Small tree, evergreen or shrub, reaching a height of 6 meters. The branches are thin, in a young plant they are covered with dense pubescence of a silvery coloration. Instead of leaves, thickened oval-shaped phylloclades are formed, which are covered with a silvery bloom on short cuttings.Brush-like inflorescences branch, are located at the tops, consist of rounded heads, formed from small flowers of golden yellow color, with a large number of fluffy stamens.
• Long-leaved acacia (Acacia longifolia).
  An evergreen shrub that grows quickly or a small spreading tree reaching a height of 6 meters. The stems are powerful and highly branched. Instead of leaves, phylloclades of a narrow lanceolate shape, reaching 5-25 cm in length, are attached to a branch with a short petiole, painted in a dark green shade, have a glossy effect. The inflorescences are elongated earrings located in the axils, grow up to 2-5 cm in length, consist of lemon-yellow flowers with thin, straight stamens. The variety begins to bloom in the last winter days, the first spring.

Summary

Temperature conditions for cultivating acacia: in the summer season, the plant prefers a cool regime - 16-20 degrees, in the winter season - about 10 degrees.

Light level: Only the youngest plants can be shaded, adult acacias can easily withstand strong sunlight.

Watering and air humidity: if you regularly and abundantly water the acacia during the growing season, then in the winter season the soil will not dry out.

Pruning procedure: after the plant has bloomed, the elongated shoots are pruned with a pointed, clean object (knife, scissors, pruning shears).

Soil: well-drained, saturated with nutrients and nutrients.

Fertilization: it should be fed every 14 days in the spring and summer seasons, in the autumn and winter seasons, fertilizers are not applied.

Reproduction methods: cuttings with stems in the spring and summer, as well as by seed.