Acacia

 
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Legume family. Homeland Australia, Africa, Asia, Polynesia. This is a shrub with feathery leaves and flowers with a pleasant smell. Flowers are collected in spherical or elongated heads or ears. Acacia folds delicate leaves as soon as it gets dark.

  • Acacia silvery Acacia dealbata - known as mimosa, which is usually sold on March 8 in many cities of Russia.
  • Acacia armata is a shrub that reaches a height of 1-1.2 m with ribbed pubescent branches.
  • Acacia longifolia is a branched tree with bare twigs and grayish-green phyllodes, resembling branches of weeping willow.

Acacia - home care

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Acacia is not a houseplant, but a greenhouse. But if you have an insulated balcony or a bright conservatory, it can be a worthy decoration.

Temperature: Normal in summer, acacia in winter needs a cool but bright room with a temperature of 10 to 12 ° C, but not lower than + 8 ° C.

Lighting: Acacia is photophilous, shading is not necessary, but a lot of sunlight is needed (south side).

Watering: Abundant from spring to autumn, very moderate in winter, especially if the plant is kept in a cool room in winter.

Fertilizers: Annually in spring and summer, fertilizers are carried out with complex fertilizer for flowering indoor plants with a higher dose of phosphorus and potassium and low nitrogen.

Air humidity: Does not need spraying.

Reproduction: Cuttings and seeds. Cut the cuttings to rooting, about 10 cm long. You need to plant them in a sterile environment - a mixture of sheet earth and vermiculite, heated in a microwave or oven. Handle the cuttings with root, put the pots with cuttings in a mini heat so that there is high humidity. Seeds are sown in January-March, soil heating is required. Before sowing, acacia seeds are poured with boiling water, sawed or cut (except for acacia comb - its seeds germinate well themselves after 3-4 weeks).

Transplantation: Transplantation is carried out annually in the spring, old plants every 2 years. Soil: light sod (3 part), peat (2 part) and fine gravel of 2-3 mm fraction (1 part). Acacia roots have a garlic smell, which is felt when transplanted. The pot needs a large and spacious one, a drainage layer of 4-5 cm to the bottom and large holes for water runoff. Acidity of acacia soil is close to neutral pH 6.8-7.

By the way

The extensive acacia genus contains about 800 species of evergreen trees and shrubs. Only about 50 species are grown as ornamentally flowering plants.

By the way

Most acacias have a characteristic feature - their leaf blades are reduced, and petioles are flat and dilated, having the ability of photosynthesis, these are the so-called phyllodes.

By the way

Among flower growers, acacia is not widespread, it is more often used to compile bouquets. But in European countries and warm states in America, acacias are popular, they are planted in tubs and grown on the street, right on the porch of the house or in the yard.

The reason is deserved - acacias bloom easily and abundantly, and the yellow color of inflorescences is quite rare in shrubs, and in addition, acacia is easily formed, bushes and tolerates pruning roots well. This, by the way, allows you to grow it as potensai and form bonsai.

By the way

In summer, acacia after preliminary hardening (by strong ventilation of the premises) is exposed on balconies, terraces or in the garden. It is best to plant acacia for the summer in the ground without a pot, in a place protected from the wind, but bright.