White acacia (robinia) is a southern plant, but today gardeners have successfully grown it in central Russia. Southerner with white fragrant bunches during flowering endures cold winters. Planting acacia on a garden plot is a simple procedure, but you should still adhere to certain rules.
Seed preparation
Acacia seeds require pre-treatment. Prepared, they sprout much faster, the sprouts are rapidly growing and already in the 4-5th year you can expect lush flowering from the plant. The best time for preparing and planting seeds in pots or boxes is the beginning of spring.
Seed preparation consists in sawing up a dry and firm peel. You can make it a small file or sandpaper. Another option: pour boiling water over the seeds. Then fill the seeds with warm water with the addition of a solution of the Zircon, Epin or Ribav-Extra stimulant (per 100 ml of water, 1 drop of the product) and leave for two days. It is advisable to change the water to fresh and warm every 3-4 hours. When the seeds are swollen, plant them in pots or boxes of earth.
The soil
The soil in which you plan to sow the seeds should be light and loose. You can buy ready-made universal soil mix in a specialized flower shop, or you can cook it yourself. Take 2 parts of turf land and peat, 1 part of sawdust and a small amount of wood ash, mix. At the bottom of the box or pot, arrange drainage from expanded clay or small gravel, pour the prepared soil, pour it with warm water and sow the seeds (shallow). Under the condition of an air temperature of 22-24 ° C and regular watering, the first seedlings will appear after 2-3 weeks (sometimes after 5-7 weeks).
Transfer
When the seedlings reach a height of 2-3 cm, you can transplant each sprout in a separate pot or several in a deeper and more spacious box with a distance between the sprouts of 15-20 cm.The soil can be of the same composition as for sowing seeds. Do not forget about good drainage. This period - until next spring and the time of planting in open ground at a permanent place - is very important for acacia. Those plants that have successfully wintered indoors and by the end of the first year of life have grown by 50 cm or more, have good chances to take root in the open ground and bloom in 3-4 years.
Outdoor landing
Acacia requires an open, well-lit area, protected from stagnation of water. Dig a hole 30-35 cm deep, lay dry leaves and grass on the bottom, sprinkle garden soil with coarse river sand or perlite on top, pour and plant acacia sprouts in this “mud”, crushing and compacting the ground. Sprinkle with dry earth or sawdust. Water as the topsoil dries.
