druid Posted August 5, 2003 Two basic questions for the acacia devotee! 1. Does anyone have any experience or recommendations for how long an acacia plantlet germinated recently from seed needs to remain in a humidity chamber? The usual rule of thumb is "as soon as a seedling's real leaves appear". But I'm not so sure what's "real" and "apocryphal" when it comes to acacia phyllodes. The seedlings have a frond. Is one frond "enough" to slowly acclimate to ambient humidity? I know they can take arid climate, but how will they do at 60-65% humidity? 2. Next, at what point do I add the rhizobia nitrogen-fixing bacteria? Can it be added only later when the seedling is much stronger, or should it be added while it is still tender? DRUID [ 05. August 2003, 03:32: Message edited by: druid ] Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
planthelper Posted August 5, 2003 at times 3 or more year old acacias trees suddenly produce wierdly, yet again a few mimiosa type leaves. obtusifolia and phlebophylla form there first true phyllode after ~4 or so months. i never used a germination dom on them. but aswell it might be said that, all those acacia seedlings i am talking about, sprouted right over the winter time. if using a probagation dom/pet bottle/or smallziplock bag the hard part comes with the hardening out phase. simpl rule: open the bag slightly (aeriate) and keep checking on the plant. avoid shock on all costs, allowe the appropiate time for climatizing. the leaves of plants get custoum build for example a "high humidity (glasshouse leave)" is not able to reconstruct itselfe in a different manor let's say for dry air and windfactors. the stomatas very well will stay open, thus leading to wilting. no worries the plants new leaves will be perfectly designed for it's "new" and less humid enviroment. often at the forum's we hear about people carrying there plant from A to B and C for nightime. no wonder that those plants loose there leaves- or even die, "they are stressed out" not to say, i was never so stupid. :cool: [ 05. August 2003, 09:24: Message edited by: planthelper ] Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mescalito Posted August 5, 2003 My little mimosa nearly carked it when I left the pet bottle off for too long,and the old leaves went brittle and fell off! But she's back now,after much nursing,and a little anti-transpirant spray ,hardened off and going well! They seem to be very hygroscopic and need sloooow hardening off. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Torsten Posted August 6, 2003 I wouldn't even use a dome for germinating this one. So it is probably best if you wean it to dry air as soon as possible (but gradually). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mescalito Posted August 6, 2003 Just to elaborate, I have had good success with the 1 L pet bottle,but; with the lid end up-no lid Sort of self regulating humidity( very poor method but...!) [ 06. August 2003, 18:28: Message edited by: mescalito ] Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
druid Posted August 7, 2003 I'm finding some difficulty in the weaning process. I've done this very gradually, opening the ziplock back vent more and more over several days. Now her leaves are starting to curl a bit and one fo the main original petals turned brittle and fell off. Is it inevitable that she will lose perhaps *all* her hard-won leaves, but then replenish them? She has no trouble standing on her own (1" tall), but her leaf-frond is wilting a bit and just not adjusting. Will she be OK? DRUID Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mescalito Posted August 12, 2003 How many 'fronds' do you have on the stem? If you have more than one..you can save it by trimming off the dying parts (first hand f@ck up ! = 2 cents ) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
druid Posted August 12, 2003 Thanks for all the responses, all. I started over with new seeds and germinated at ambient humidity. NOTES FROM AN EXTRA-AUSTRALIAN TERRESTRIAL SOME NOTES, for those who might be interested in observing and getting a real good laugh from an extra-Australian terrestrial who didn't understand the lay of your land. Silly extra-australian thought you were a tropical people! 1. The new A. obtusifolia's. Strangely, this new generation *doesn't* have a frond. Just two base "leaves" (where the peas lips separated), and just *ONE* leaf coming out from there. The one that died from my improper handling of humidity at this *critical* stage (didn't know how critical!) had put out an entire frond with 4 leaf pairs. What is the normal expectation for these plants? 2. A. confusa. Love this one! Compare the anguishing demise of the obtusifolia to the resounding *SUCCESS* of the Taiwanese acacia confusa. Germinated *with* the obtuse in the same conditions that caused the obtuse to die, except the confusas are living it up! Have two really fascinating little ones (I get the sense that they're girls) that intrigue me no end. Just a feminine spirit, and a certain degree of coquettish shyness. *One* of the confusas has a frond, and the other one has just the single leaf coming out. HMMMM.... The one with the frond-like structure demonstrates mimosa-like behavior. She literally folds up her leaves straight up when she wants to sleep at night, and in the morning she lowers them and fans them out at about 45 degree angle. She does this like clockwork. What amazes me that she knows that it's time to go to bed even when the lights are on. She just folds herself up VERTICALLY like flagpole! Does anyone have any comments on this great little plant? She really likes the humidity, this one. 3. Lion's Tail (Leonotis Nepetefolia). Germinated under the same conditions as the murdered obtusifolia. All fell over and died over a one-week period. They couldn't even hold their own weight, and the ones that did just shriveled up and died. My only conclusion is that South Africa is a desert!!! Foolish Extra-Australian Terrestrial Druid [ 12. August 2003, 09:11: Message edited by: druid ] Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
occidentalis Posted August 14, 2003 druid:The one with the frond-like structure demonstrates mimosa-like behavior. That's normal.They will probably all end up with 'fronds'...I think the correct name is pinnate leaves. The fronds may be all folded up and look like a single leaf... that's all i can think of to explain it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
druid Posted August 16, 2003 Thanks, Creach! It's true! It's true! The single "tongue" coming out actually started getting a little frilly or shredded this morning, so I took a magnifying glass only to find that they were SEPARATING INTO SEPARATE LEAVES!! FRONDS ALIVE! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bio Posted December 17, 2008 A. Confusa. <-- (?) I may have posted pics of it here, but it was probably ethno australia's forums .... but my Confusa is happy as!! it LOVES full sun and lots of humidity. It was, at one point a fully established, tall tree ... (this is in northern nsw by the way) now, after it was lopped, it reshoots like crazy... has a tendancy to sucker once it is quite large, dont let it travel, as it is a declared pest in taiwan (or somewhere like that!)..... so watch it!! dig those lil feckers up! I didnt try transplanting the suckers, but that might be a good way of cloning .... im not too sure. Im curious if anyone's FOAF has tried extracts on A. Confusa .... I read somewhere that is was all DMT, bark and phyllodes, but another thread suggested it was all MAOI's ??? so... i remain confusa'd please enlighten me!! much appreciated. Cheers fellow psychonaunts x ........2. A. confusa. Love this one! Compare the anguishing demise of the obtusifolia to the resounding *SUCCESS* of the Taiwanese acacia confusa. Germinated *with* the obtuse in the same conditions that caused the obtuse to die, except the confusas are living it up! Have two really fascinating little ones (I get the sense that they're girls) that intrigue me no end. Just a feminine spirit, and a certain degree of coquettish shyness. *One* of the confusas has a frond, and the other one has just the single leaf coming out. HMMMM.... The one with the frond-like structure demonstrates mimosa-like behavior. She literally folds up her leaves straight up when she wants to sleep at night, and in the morning she lowers them and fans them out at about 45 degree angle. She does this like clockwork. What amazes me that she knows that it's time to go to bed even when the lights are on. She just folds herself up VERTICALLY like flagpole! Does anyone have any comments on this great little plant? She really likes the humidity, this one............ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chiral Posted December 17, 2008 hmmmm I've germinated these one's straight in the ground in a semi shady spot and they love it..by the time they are 3-4 they should reach full sun and be on their way..don't pussy em in humidifiers..cactus seedlings yeah that seems to work well and some tropicals, Acacia is a tough cookie let them go outside and enjoy some filtered sun and sandy soil. just on the cactus thing its fun to germ some in humid conditions under lights in ziplock bags ..but its even more fun to randomly chuck seeds on the ground outside and wait..I love looking around very closely and seeing seedlings pop up everywhere..especially ones that are "supposed " to be in constant humidity. H. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
