Yellow acacia
Content:
Acacia is a fairly common shrub that grows over large areas of Russia. In the wild, the plant can be found in the undergrowth, various forests: pine and deciduous, as well as in mixed forests. Acacia grows both in the mountains and in clearings. The culture is quite unpretentious, it grows very quickly and blooms very beautifully with beautiful, yellow, small flowers. The plant was appreciated back in the fifties of the 18th century, and began to be used for decorative purposes. At the moment, the shrub grows in parks and squares, and also ennobles courtyards. With the help of this culture, various slopes are fixed, and also used as a hedge or to protect other plants from the wind.
Characteristics of yellow acacia
The stalk of the yellow acacia can be as long as five meters. The branches and trunk have a green tint, and the crown of the shrub is very similar to the leaves of legumes. And this is logical, because acacia belongs to the legume family. This is also evidenced by the presence of yellow flowers, which actively begin to bloom in early summer or late spring.
After the flowering of acacia ends, fruits resembling pea pods are formed in their place. At first they are green in color, and then they acquire a more brown hue. At the end of summer, the pods curl up and open.
Some even call this plant "pea" acacia. The greenery of a young tree becomes drooping by the time the plant blooms, and the structure of the greenery becomes dense and smooth.
The second name of the yellow acacia is Karagana. Its unpretentiousness, as well as its attractive appearance, have helped acacia to gain popularity for a long time. Currently, landscape designers also actively use the plant, however, more new species and varieties of shrubs are used. Florists are also captivated by the color of greenery, which does not change almost until winter.
In addition, there is the weeping yellow acacia, which is characterized by very beautiful penetrating branches. With the help of it, you can create a composition of a living tent. The tree-like acacia Walker looks very beautiful and decorative. In addition to drooping branches, the plant is also characterized by needle-like foliage. Thanks to this, the tall bush looks very impressive.
Landing rules
As mentioned above, the plant is unpretentious and can actively grow and feel comfortable when planted along the tracks, on various slopes and in open fields among drafts.
To make the flowering more lush and beautiful, and the bush itself looks very impressive, it is better to choose a place that is still lit and with a predominance of loose soil. The most inappropriate place is the lowlands, since acacia does not tolerate stagnant water and high groundwater.
When planting several seedlings, the distance between them should be at least half a meter, since the adult shrub grows strongly. In addition, it will be necessary to regularly form the bush to give it the required width and height, as well as the intended shape, depending on the purpose of growing.
The diameter of the bush can reach five meters, therefore, when planting a yellow acacia on your site, you should choose a suitable place so that actively growing bushes do not fill all the free space.The plant has a lifespan of approximately 50 years. Acacia should be planted in early spring after the snow melts, but before the start of active sap flow. Late autumn is also suitable, after the seeds have finished ripening and the foliage begins to fall.
For landing, it is necessary to organize a landing pit, which will be spacious enough, at least half a meter in all directions. Also, organic matter is laid in the soil, a small amount of peat and it is good to add a ready-made complex of mineral fertilizers. If the soil on the site is dense and heavy, you need to add more sand. So, the roots will develop faster and the plant will adapt better. When the planting pit is ready, it is necessary to organize a good drainage layer at the bottom of the pit, at least 15 cm.
The seedling is placed in a planting hole and covered with ready-made soil, after which the surface around the trunk must be compacted and the plant abundantly watered. A good layer of mulch will help retain moisture and protect against weeds.
Care rules
All care in the future will be easy to do even for inexperienced gardeners, since it comes down to watering, forming a bush, protecting it from common diseases, as well as pests, and removing unnecessary weeds from under the bush.
If the summer is too dry, there is little rainfall, then it is necessary to water the acacia about two or three times a month, since when the summer is too dry and during the heat, the leaves of the plant may fall off. To prevent this, the mulching procedure will also help.
Like any other plant, acacia is responsive to feeding, therefore, preparations and fertilizers are applied in the spring. Rotted compost, as well as mineral fertilizers, will be the optimal composition here. You should not add nitrogen-containing preparations, since, like all legumes, acacia simply does not need it. In addition, the bush itself additionally enriches the soil.
Bush formation
Since the yellow acacia is grown not only for practical but also for decorative purposes, it is necessary to regularly shape the bush to achieve the best effect. The plant tolerates pruning very comfortably.
It is better to do the pruning procedure in early spring, before active growth and development of shoots begins. Late autumn is also good. In autumn, they carry out sanitary pruning, removing old, damaged, broken, as well as dry branches. To make the shrub look attractive and aesthetically pleasing, it should be trimmed every year. This will not only give the desired shape to the acacia, but also help prevent premature exposure of the trunk of the bush. In addition, it is necessary to remove constantly growing growth. Trunks that are already old and bare or covered with lichens should also be regularly trimmed during rejuvenating pruning.
Reproduction methods
Yellow acacia is propagated by grafting or using cuttings. To do this, shoots that have already been covered with bark are cut from an adult healthy bush, treated with a growth stimulant and placed in the ground for rapid rooting, and in the fall the cutting can already be planted in a new permanent place.
In addition, seeds are also used for reproduction, which are pre-soaked for some time in water. Seeds should be sown in spring in light sandy soil. The next year, ready-made seedlings may be transplanted to a permanent place.
Varieties such as Walker or Weeping Acacia are propagated by grafting.
Rules for growing white acacia
White acacia, as well as yellow, is unpretentious and undemanding to care for. The plant is very popular in the southern regions, as well as in the temperate zone.
This plant is undoubtedly used for decorative purposes, green areas, squares and parks. Besides beauty, acacia flowers have a pleasant aroma. The culture does not require much effort and time to grow. White acacia can grow even in poor weather conditions or on poor soil.
White acacia also belongs to the legume family. However, this is not quite the correct name. In botany, scientists call it False Acacia Robinia.
The tree itself has spreading branches and a trunk that can grow up to 18 m in height. The culture has great vigor of growth, and already a three-year-old plant can reach five meters. The color of the leaves is rich green, and the flowers have a snow-white hue, resembling the shape of white moths. All flowers are collected in bunches and have a pleasant unobtrusive aroma, which is very attractive for pollinating insects. Thanks to this, the white acacia is a honey plant.
If the plant grows in the Southern region, then its leaves will be constantly green, if it is a temperate climate, then the foliage will fall off in the winter, and turn yellow in the fall.
Robinia looks very beautiful and impressive, both as a separate plant and in any composition, so it is actively used by landscape designers when decorating various territories, for landscaping the street, when creating a landscape, as well as for decorating the green zone of parks. The crown width of the plant reaches approximately 30 cm.
Landing rules
White acacia is propagated by seeds that are pre-germinated or also use the shoots of an adult plant. It uses overgrowth much more often than seed propagation, because it is not such a long process and the easiest way. The landing site must be selected in advance. It is better to adhere to the following rules.
The site must be bright and sunny. This tree is planted in places where the ecology is very poor, since acacia feels comfortable even in conditions of strong air pollution. Wood is a natural air purifier. It tolerates minus winter temperatures up to 35 degrees below zero, therefore it is suitable for growing in temperate climates.
Like any plant, acacia does not like wind and drafts, but it will grow well on loose soil with a small amount of clay. White acacia does not tolerate waterlogging and stagnant water.
Care
Care is very simple and comes down to elementary procedures. To a large extent, everything depends on the climate where the white acacia grows. If it is characterized by the presence of constant winds, then you should choose a place protected from the wind, for example, near the fence or behind the wall of the house.
In order to propagate the plant, they choose a healthy growth that grows next to an adult bush, dig it out and transplant it to a new place, after making a small planting hole. After watering, acacia will begin to actively take root and grow in a short time.
The peculiarities of white acacia include its requirement for clean, not overgrown soil. Weeds should be weeded around the trunk regularly, and it is better to lay out a good layer of mulch.
Reproduction
It is much more difficult to propagate plants with seeds, but still this method is also sometimes used. To do this, you need to collect the beans at the end of the growing season and store them in the refrigerator throughout the winter. In the spring, when the snow melts, you can start sowing.
The seeds must be boiled and placed in cold water for about 12 hours. After that, the planting material is placed in light sandy soil in a greenhouse, where the ambient temperature will be about 23-24 degrees. Seeds sown under such conditions will give shoots, which in a year will reach one meter and will be ready for further transplantation to a permanent place. When sowing seeds in groups, it is necessary to maintain a distance of about 20 cm between them.
Further, young plants need regular weeding, as well as watering the soil. To stimulate the growth and rapid development of the plant, it is necessary to feed and apply organic fertilizers. You can also treat plants with special phytostimulants, such as Epin. If your region is characterized by severe winters, then it is better to cover the plants so that they do not freeze in winter. White acacia does not need special watering. The only exception is a very dry, hot summer with a long absence of rain.
Diseases and pests
White acacia has a high immunity to various diseases and pests, which can only be envied.
Feeding
The best fertilizer for Robinia is organic matter, such as rotted manure. It must be applied at the very beginning of spring, as well as during the period of flower formation. If the site is unfavorable, the soil is poor, then this fertilizer is best applied monthly.
Bush formation
Also, white acacia needs to be shaped regularly so that the plant looks aesthetically pleasing. The culture is comfortable with this procedure. Pruning is best done in early spring, while removing old, damaged, dry branches, as well as unnecessary growth.
Thus, the white acacia is very accessible for cultivation in many regions and at the same time is not demanding either on the soil or on the care. The only thing to consider when growing acacia is to control the absence of stagnant water in the soil, and you should also cover young plants for the winter and additionally insulate. For compliance with simple rules, the tree will thank you with a lush, white flowering.
Lankaran acacia
This is another type of acacia that is very different from the previous ones. It has very beautiful pink unusual inflorescences in the form of panicles, which make up long filaments of stamens. Another name for the plant is Crimean mimosa, as well as silk albitsia. The shrub looks tropical, unusual and is very often used for decorative purposes.
This shrub grows in Asian countries, as well as in the countries of the Indian subcontinent. The culture was brought from Constantinople to Europe by the Italian Filippo Del Albizzi. There is also another opinion that the birthplace of this plant is Azerbaijan. A beautiful and spectacular culture, it is very undemanding to the soil and grows in deserts, on rocky slopes and even in hot climates. Thus, the plant is completely undemanding to the soil, but still prefers the weather close to the tropical climate. Lush pink inflorescences become an undoubted bright decoration in various parks of culture and recreation in any territory: in the Crimea, Armenia, Georgia and Ukraine. All the necessary areas are landscaped with this plant, and even entire alleys are created.
Plant characteristic
The tree blooms very beautifully almost all summer and ends flowering in mid-autumn. This plant has two types. This is a tree, the plant in this case reaches a height of 15 m, and also has a very beautiful umbrella-shaped crown, which is about 7 meters in diameter.
To grow this plant, you should choose a large enough area.
Also, there are also cultures in the form of shrubs. These shrubs are hybrids, having a more compact size, therefore they are actively planted indoors, in green gardens, greenhouses and even at home. But here it must be borne in mind that plant pollen is a strong allergen.
The leaves of this culture are divided into many, many parts, so the plant looks very delicate. The color of the leaves is saturated green, on the back the leaf has a white tint. At night or when there is a severe drought, the leaves curl up and hang down. From late spring to autumn, the tree blooms very actively.
These are very beautiful pink lush panicles, which also have other shades. In addition to decorativeness, the flowers exude a very pleasant aroma, for which the plant has received such popular love.
As for all acacias, this plant is characterized by fruits in the form of pods, which inside contain 9 peas.
Lankaran acacia is not a frost-resistant plant, since its roots lie very close to the Earth's surface. Therefore, even a mild subzero temperature can adversely affect the root system. In a suitable climate, the plant can grow for up to 100 years. If conditions are unfavorable, then the lifespan is reduced by about 3 times.
Planting and care rules
The correct landing site must be selected. It will be a sunny, open place. Do not grow the plant in the shade. The optimal time for planting is spring. The soil should be fertile with the addition of lime. The distance between plantings should be about 2 meters, and plants do not like drought and strong waterlogging.
Reproduction
Multiply acacia seeds, shoots and cuttings. The most affordable is the seed method here. It is necessary to first place the seeds in hot water for a while, and then sow them, not deeply deepening. Some keep the seeds in the refrigerator beforehand.
Some species reproduce with shoots, which need to be cut and rooted additionally.
And also, if three or more buds are already present on the shoot, then this will be an excellent material for planting. The stalk will root well even without additional soaking.
Feeding
Acacia is very responsive to feeding, which must be started from the second year. Watering is required here regularly so that the soil does not dry out. Water for irrigation should be warm. No need to water the plants in winter. If the acacia is growing in a pot, then a good drainage layer should be organized and the bush should be sprayed occasionally. Continuous sanitary and formative pruning should also be carried out, while removing old, damaged, dry branches. The best period for this is spring or autumn.
Diseases and pests
Acacia has good immunity to diseases and insect pests. However, if the growing conditions are not followed, the bush is attacked by a spider mite, and if there are drafts, then leaf spot may appear.
Despite this, the plant quickly regains shape when the causes are eliminated.
Application area
This plant is actively used for medicinal purposes and is even present in the directory of pharmacists. It contains a large amount of minerals, essential oils and various useful substances that are used for the manufacture of drugs against radiculitis, varicose veins, an agent against inflammation. The plant is actively used in cosmetology in the development of various moisturizing creams for wrinkles.
Like any leguminous plant, acacia saturates the soil with nitrogen, therefore it benefits neighboring plants.
The shrub, therefore, is in great demand due to its decorative and unpretentious nature.
Conclusion
Acacia has a large number of species that differ from each other in appearance and scope. However, all plants are united by unpretentiousness to growing conditions, therefore, the culture is in great demand for landscaping urban areas and performing decorative functions.