An interesting topic for discussion is growing acacia from seed. Many owners know that trees are best propagated by vegetative means, but with acacia everything is different. This tree can be grown from seeds and get healthy samples that will decorate your garden.
Acquisition and storage of acacia seeds
Post a topic, perhaps, is to purchase acacia seed. Seeds worth buying in specialized stores that sell only such products. So you can not only choose the plant you like, but also be sure that most of the seeds will rise. The fact is that in such establishments they specialize in one type of product and value their reputation. If you buy seeds in a supermarket, where millions of product items, and they do not grow, the seller will lose one out of a thousand customers, and you will waste time and resources. Buying seeds from private owners is fraught with undesirable consequences, since they are unlikely to process the seeds with the necessary preparations so that they do not become covered with fungus. Add to this the wrong conditions of detention, and you can forget about good germination.
The storage conditions are important, on which the similarity of acacia directly depends. Therefore, as soon as you bought the seeds, you should immediately think about their proper storage. Excessive humidity, a strong overcooling or overheating lead to a decrease in similarity. So, it is recommended to store acacia seeds in closed vessels (small boxes and boxes are suitable for this), or in small bags. Storage temperature should be within 0 ... +5 ˚С, therefore, it is better to keep the seed in the refrigerator or pantry. At the same time, the air humidity should not exceed 60%. In optimal conditions, the similarity of acacia seeds lasts for 3-4 years.
Important! Do not buy deformed, damaged, covered with incomprehensible fungus seeds.
When to sow seeds
First of all, you need to pay attention to the temperature, which is very important for acacia seedlings. Most often, sowing is carried out at the end of March and early April, but it is worth remembering that in some regions at the end of March there is still snow, and you need to sow the seeds at the moment when buds begin to swell on the trees. Thus, we check the temperature outside the window and, if necessary, shift the date of sowing the seeds.
Preparation of acacia seeds before planting
Many gardeners are interested in the question: "How to plant acacia seeds ?. The fact is that even healthy seeds of this plant will not germinate without prior preparation, as they are covered with a very thick peel, through which moisture does not penetrate. Sown without prior preparation, the seeds will remain in the ground until the skin decays and moisture reaches the “core” of the seed.
There are several ways to speed up the process:
Soak with hydrogen peroxide. In this case, the seeds ready for planting are filled with peroxide for 20 minutes. During this time, the skin is soaked and moisture begins to pass through it. After peroxide, be sure to rinse the seeds in clean water.
Soaking seeds in warm water. Acacia seeds are soaked in warm water (temperature + 40 ... +60 ˚С) for two days. In the water you need to add any growth stimulant (but not more than 10 drops per 1 liter of water). To precisely get rid of the "impenetrable" peel, after soaking in water, the seeds can be slightly cut. This action is called "scarification". After the skin has softened, the seeds are ready for sowing.
Did you know? In ancient Egypt, the acacia was a symbol of spiritual renewal. On the monuments of Egyptian culture depicted sarcophagus with acacia growing out of it and the motto "Osiris rushes forward," which means "life comes from death."
Soil and growing container
Acacia seeds require certain growing conditions, without which the seeds will not hatch. The basis is the right soil and a good landing capacity. Let's start with the soil. It should be loose, nutritious and clean. It is best to buy soil in a flower shop and add to it an equivalent part of river sand and pieces of charcoal. From such a substrate, young plants will be able to draw all the necessary nutrients and trace elements, and the sand, which is part of the soil, will give the necessary drainage properties.
Now let's talk about the capacity for growing. Since several dozens of seeds are sown at the same time, it is better to use small, high containers in which planting material will be arranged in rows. Plastic boxes are great for this. You can use elongated or round pots, the height of which is not less than 15 cm.
Important! Absolutely in any pot or box must be openings for water flow, regardless of the drainage properties of the soil.
Acacia Seed Planting
During planting it is worth remembering 2 things: the depth of planting acacia seeds should be minimal and they definitely need to create greenhouse conditions. After you have prepared the seeds for planting, poured the soil into a pot or box, planting material should be evenly placed on the surface of the substrate and lightly press the lower part of each seed into the soil. After a slight penetration of all the seeds, the soil is watered. Next, the container must be covered with glass, food film or other material that will pass the air and, at the same time, maintain the microclimate.
Conditions for germinating seeds
The flowerpot with seeds is placed on a flat battery or the bottom heater is installed so that the temperature is always in the region of + 22 ... +25 С. Every day you need to inspect the pot, water (if the soil is dry), ventilate, monitor the condensate on the film or glass. In 1.5-2 months after sowing the seeds sprout.
Did you know? One of the Australian acacia species (Acacia victoriae) synthesizes substances that can prevent the occurrence of cancer.
Care for acacia seedlings
You already know that acacia propagates by seeds no worse than cuttings. However, it is necessary to describe a few subtleties of care for germinated plants before transplanting into the open ground. At the initial stage, the acacia is very weak, so the plant should gradually be taught to street conditions. When a trifoliate appears on the seedling, you can remove glass / film from the container. At the same time, the temperature in the room should not be below +20 ° C, otherwise the growth of the acacia will slow down greatly and it will begin to ache. In May, when the acacia grows strong enough, it is transferred to a greenhouse.
During transplantation, you need to be careful with a weak root system, try not to injure the young tree. Now let's talk about the composition of the substrate. Recommended soil composition: sand, turf land, leaf soil in a proportion of 0.25: 1: 1. You can use the same mixture that was used when sowing seeds. When transplanting the roots are buried by 7-9 cm in the ground, watered. The distance between seedlings should be at least 20 cm.
Important! Transplanted plants require regular weeding and timely watering (without moisture overload).
Planting young acacia seedlings in open ground
From the moment when the acacia seedlings are transplanted into the open ground, they no longer require such close attention as in the initial stages, but in any case they should not be left to fend for themselves. In the case when the tree propagates by cutting, the transfer to the open ground is planned for spring, in order not to injure the acacia with the increased soil moisture in the fall and difficult wintering. However, during reproduction by seeds, which already in June have enough strength for transplantation into open ground, everything is very ambiguous.
If conditions allow, then it is better to hold the acacia until the next spring in the greenhouse. So you will be sure that the trees will not die. If this is not possible, then the transplant is carried out in late August and early September. For the acacia, an even, sunny plot is selected, on which there is no stagnation of water or salt marshes. The pit for planting acacia should correspond to the size of the root system of the plant and be deep enough. Therefore, be guided by the size of the earthy coma, which should be freely placed in the pit.
If in the selected area the soil has clay in its composition or it does not pass moisture well, then drainage from expanded clay, small pebbles or rubble is laid at the bottom of the pit. The drainage layer should be at least 10 cm, but the bigger it is, the better. After placing the root system in the pit, it should be filled with soil mixture, which consists of sand, turf soil and compost in the ratio of 2: 3: 2. To save, you can move the nutrient mixture from the ground, which was extracted from the pit.
Important! Acacia moves to open ground without separating the coma from the root system. In this case, the tree is better accustomed and less sick.
After you have placed the root system in the pit and covered it with earth, you need to pay attention to the radical neck (it should coincide with the surface of the soil or be slightly higher). If the neck is buried in the ground, it may rot or the acacia will begin to lag behind in growth. After planting, the soil should be watered abundantly. Pour in water until it stops soaking. In the first week after planting, abundant watering favorably affects the survival rate and growth rate of the young plant. However, it is worth remembering that drenched roots may rot, so do not consume excessive amounts of water.
If you follow the described rules of transplanting acacia seedlings into open ground, then the tree will quickly acclimatize and will receive good immunity to diseases. In the future, the tree trunk is better to peat. The layer should be about 5-7 cm. The mulch will work as a “blanket”, keeping moisture in the soil and smoothing out sharp temperature drops.
At this, the planting of acacia is over, but you should always take care of the plant. Much in this matter depends on the initial conditions in which the tree will be. Therefore, when choosing a site for planting acacia, think about the fact that the plant will bring much more trouble if it grows in bad conditions. In the event that you intend to use acacia for medicinal purposes, soil fertility and care have a huge impact on the quality of future products.
