Acacia: description and varieties, planting and care

Acacia is one of the most beloved trees by the townspeople. Starting to bloom, it emits a bright and very rich aroma, as if enveloping the streets with it. Acacias can be found quite often, they are ubiquitous, but if there is no such tree near you, do not despair. After all, even a beginner in gardening can easily grow it on their own. Let us consider in more detail the description and varieties of acacia, as well as the subtleties of planting and care.

Acacia is one of the few trees whose characteristics are reflected in the culture and centuries-old history of our world. It has been known since the days of Ancient Egypt, where the plant was given great importance, considering it a symbol of life and death. Other peoples also revered acacia, according to legend, even Noah's Ark was made from its wood. In addition, acacia wood, bark and leaves have been widely used in medicine, ritual and religious practices.

Acacia belongs to the legume family - it is a fairly tall tree that can grow up to 25 meters. Due to its great species diversity, evergreen acacia can be in the form of both a tree in the usual sense and a large shrub. Acacia roots are very well developed. Since the tree has been growing in one place for many years, the root system deepens more and more into the ground in order to get everything necessary for life from there. In the upper layer, there is a strong branching of the roots, in deeper layers of the earth, they are located directly.

The standard diameter of the crop stem is a little over a meter. The bark is smooth, it can have different shades: brownish, gray, green. At a young age, these are usually light colors, at a mature age they are darker, closer to brown. Sharp thorns may also be present on some varieties.

The foliage is shaped like an egg. The upper part is green, smooth, but the lower one is rough and grayish in color. Blooming acacia flowers look very impressive - these are yellow or white specimens, collected in large inflorescences. Depending on the type of inflorescence, they can have a different shape: panicles, cylinders, brushes. Flowers are arranged on them in different ways.

As for the fruits of the culture, these are burgundy pods containing beans. They can be either pubescent or smooth; there are usually 5 seeds inside each pod. Acacia fruits are often used in medicine, preparing tinctures and decoctions from them for the treatment of various diseases.

Acacia is found in various places on our planet. Wild acacias are preferred by the desert southern regions, in particular Australian and African acacias. They grow in deserts, they can even be found on rocky slopes. However, the growing area is not limited to this. Many varieties of acacias, both tree-like and shrubs, grow on marshy soils, in lowlands, subtropical forests. They can often be found in Mexico, India, Madagascar.

Today, about 800 species of acacia are known, each of which has its own characteristics and characteristics. Of course, it is not possible to consider each of them, therefore, we will give a brief description of the most popular specimens.

• Golden. The height of the tree is up to 12 meters, the leaves are oval, yellowish in shape. The inflorescences are large, white in color, the smell is quite strong.

• Umbrella. This species prefers the hot climate of African countries. It looks peculiar: a thin trunk and a huge crown that gives a shadow. There are many thorns on the tree that serve as protection from animals.

• Bristle. This name belongs to two species at once: a bush up to 2 meters in height and acacias growing up to 20 meters in height. Both crops have beautiful pink flowers that do not emit aroma.

• Silver. This acacia is probably known to all women who found the USSR, because in another way it is called mimosa. This species is distinguished by its extraordinary bright yellow ball flowers. It can act as a room culture.

• Red. Very interesting view, undersized - only up to 2 meters. Its peculiarity lies in the color of flowers - it can be either pale yellow or very bright, rich orange.

• Senegalese. This tree is native to Africa, but it is no less common in India. This is a short tree, about 5 meters. There are many thorns along the perimeter of the branches. This species blooms in white or yellow flowers.

• Sandy. This type of acacia grows in Kazakhstan, Iran, as well as in Central Asia. In most cases, it is a shrub, but trees can also be found. The flowers of the culture are lilac or dark purple.

Before planting acacia, you need to choose the right one. To do this, it is best to contact nurseries that will help you choose strong seedlings. Before buying, all planting material is inspected, it is important to ensure that the roots are not weak or frostbitten, rotten. The presence of an earthen coma is allowed. In addition, many nurseries sell acacia directly in the pot.

It is better to choose a place for planting on a small hill, making sure that there is no high moisture in the soil. It is optimal if the site is protected from winds that can harm the inflorescences of young trees.

The soil should be light and loose. Garden soil is mixed with ash and dolomite flour in small quantities... In addition, you can add about 70 grams of nitroammophoska. When the soil is ready, dig out small holes and place the seedlings there, making sure that the root collar is at ground level. After planting, the seedlings are well watered. The optimal time for these activities is spring, but some are planted in the fall. The main thing is to be in time before the frost.

Most of the acacia species are very unpretentious, they do not require complicated care and grow quickly. In order to successfully grow home or garden acacia, it is important to remember only a few rules.

Unlike many crops, acacia hardly needs watering. Only young seedlings should be watered every few weeks. Typically, a bucket of warm, standing water will suffice. A little more often it is necessary to water in a severe drought, but if it rains, watering is canceled altogether. When the acacia grows, and it happens pretty quickly, you don't need to water it.

As for fertilizers, acacia is rarely fed. For the first three years, the plant will not need anything, getting everything it needs from the soil. Then you can add mineral dressing, which will enrich the soil for the next few years. Organics diluted with water will be no less useful in this case. In August, when the flowering is over, potash fertilizers are usually applied to help prepare for winter.

Pruning acacias is necessary because the trees grow rapidly, losing their shape. Rejuvenating pruning is carried out in March, during which frozen and diseased branches are removed from the tree, and all unnecessary in the trunk circle is also removed. In addition to rejuvenating, formative pruning is also done. Shoots are cut in half, and soon they begin to grow with renewed vigor. In addition, the tree can be cut in a special way, forming a ball or cascade, but here it is better to use the services of professionals.

Transplanting the plant is best done in the spring, so there will be less stress on the crop. It must be remembered that only young trees can be transplanted, since adults will put down roots to such a depth that it will not be possible to dig them out. Acacia is transplanted on a cool day, preferably in the evening. The seedling is dug up with a large earthy clod, the earth is not shaken off. You can wrap the lump in a damp cloth for several hours. Then it is transferred to the finished hole, planted and covered with earth, watered.

There are two ways to propagate acacia.

• Seminal. This method is more complicated and time consuming. You will need seeds for it, which can either be purchased at a gardening store or harvested from beans on your own acacias. Planting begins at the end of March, until this time the seed is kept in the cold. Before planting, the seeds are doused with boiling water, and then kept in cold liquid for half a day. After that, they are buried 1 centimeter into fertile soil with a small amount of sand. The containers are covered with glass and placed in a bright place. After a week, sprouts will sprout, the glass is removed, providing an air temperature of at least +20 degrees.

• Cuttings... Acacia can also be propagated by cuttings. This is a very simple and quick way that does not require any special knowledge from the gardener. The fact is that shoots constantly appear near the acacia, which are used for reproduction. Dig out any stalk you like and place it in the hole, watering well. Practice shows that cuttings are accepted almost one hundred percent, requiring no care.

Acacia is almost not susceptible to viral diseases, but fungal ones can appear. Most often this happens due to the fault of the gardener, who planted trees too densely, over-watered or did not process the cuts after the spring haircut. Sometimes the fungus comes from other crops. Let's consider the most common diseases.

• One of the most unpleasant diseases - white rot. It progresses in summer, in heat and humidity, manifesting itself as grayish and white growths on the trunk and branches. Seeing these growths, the affected parts of the tree must be cut off and burned, and the acacia itself must be treated with fungicides, including the soil.
• When the foliage is just blooming, acacia can attack rust... On the lower part of the foliage, fluffy brown spots appear, if you ignore them, over time the foliage will turn yellow and die. As a preventive measure, it should not be allowed that fallen leaves remain on the site, in which the spores of the fungus winter. The treatment consists in processing with Bordeaux liquid.
• Powdery mildew mainly develops by the middle of summer. A whitish bloom appears on foliage and branches, a little later red spots appear. As in the previous case, first collect all the fallen leaves. Then the tree is treated with fungicides, for example, "Skor".

It is difficult to single out one of the most harmful pests. Acacias can harm insects that parasitize on other crops - this May beetle, bear, spider mite, aphids, ants. But from the "professional" pests inherent only in acacia, it can be noted acacia false shield and acacia moth caterpillars.

Having decided to grow acacia on your site, you will never lose, because this tree is universal. It is used to create alleys that look fresh and beautiful, and can also act as a tapeworm. Acacia species of different types are planted with conifers, they look very unusual with low-growing Christmas trees and thujas, junipers. But the most interesting feature of acacia is that many interesting shapes can be formed from it, which will make the garden design unique.

In addition, acacias, especially yellow ones, look elegant in the company of bright colors of cool shades. For example, it would be a good idea to plant daffodils, forget-me-nots, irises and any other flowers of blue and purple colors nearby. It is recommended to combine white acacia with pink, light yellow, red crops, then the composition will turn out to be very light and airy.

For details on caring for acacia, see below.