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Dreamtimes Acacia growing for Noobs, feel free to advise or ask questions.

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Hey everyone

Ive started growing some wattles and i thought id keep a log of my progress.

Last week i scarified and soaked some A. maidenii and some A. obtusifolia seeds.

They were planted in a mix of coco coir, verm, sand, and osmocote native potting mix.

So far so good

The A. maidenii seams to be sprouting the fastest.

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But the A. obtusifolia is not far behind

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This is my sprouting chamber, How long do people think they will need before i can harden them off into the real world ?

2012-11-16121749.jpg

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repost from the nexus:

Cultivation of Acacias

By Marion Simmons

There are two main methods of growing Acacias: from seeds and from cuttings.

Growing Acacias from seeds is the easiest and quickest method of producing plants. One important factor to consider is the source of seed. Seed collected from a home, botanical or other garden where Acacia species from different climatic zones grow together in an unnatural combination provides the opportunity for the production of hybrid seed resulting in plants that may not be true to type.

Seed Collection: Seed collected from natural bush areas would avoid this problem. A permit to collect would be required from State National Parks Authority or the land owner. Seed too may be obtained from a reliable native plant seed service which usually can guarantee the source and quality of the seed supplied.

Acacia seeds ripen in the pods on the bush and are expelled which means a reliable method of collection needs to be used. If it is not feasible to be there at the right time, a cloth bag (not plastic) or nylon pantyhose may be placed over the ripening pods and tied. After collection pods should be discarded and the dried insect free seeds stored in airtight containers marked with date, place of collection and name.

Propagation: It is recommended that all equipment and soil to be used (if not purchased commercially) be sterilised to prevent any possible contamination from soil pathogens or production of weeds.

Propagation Units: 1. Simple equipment can be used to start growing from either seeds or cuttings. Clean plastic pots filled with the appropriate mix (see below) and covered with a plastic bag supported by curved wire. A tie or rubber band may be used to secure the plastic bag in place.

2. Small plastic propagation units are available from commercial sources or may be made.

3. Glass or ‘poly’ houses also are commercially available or may be built.

An automatic misting system could be installed to maintain humidity. ‘Bottom heat’ too may be used to create warm conditions year round giving faster production of roots or germination of seeds. This is basically a protected heated pad which is placed in a frame or box covered by sand or gravel into which the pots are embedded. These ‘houses’ need to be covered in summer with shade cloth or painted with special white paint to control the heat.

Seed and cutting mix. Seed mix may be purchased or mixed using 3 parts river sand (not beach) and 1 part well composted pine bark, peat moss or vermiculite. Cutting mix is similar but is usually coarser in texture using 3 parts gravel to 1 part pine bark. To both mixes a small amount of slow release native plant pellets may be added.

To grow from seed use a freely draining seed mix placed in plastic containers or punnets. Acacia seeds need to be treated before sowing to enable moisture to penetrate the normally hard seed coat. One method is to place seeds in a container, cover with near boiling water and soak overnight. Seeds which swell are ready for sowing, the remainder may be re-treated. Another method is to scarify the seed. This is done by rubbing the seeds between two pieces of sandpaper thus thinning the seed coat to allow water to penetrate. If few seeds are to be sown it is possible (but normally difficult on account of the very hard seed coat) to nick the top of the seed away from the seed stalk with a sharp blade or needle without damaging the soft part of the seed. Seeds should be sown about 5 mm apart in prepared soil mix, lightly covered with mix to the depth of the seed or a little more, lightly pressed flat, watered and the containers placed in a semi-shaded site and kept above ground level or placed in a propagation unit. Soil should be kept moist but not wet. Germination can occur between a few days and a few weeks. Remember to label all pots with plant names and date of planting.

Acacias may be propagated successfully from cuttings especially from those with smaller phyllodes (leaf like structures). It is usually recommended that cuttings be taken from half hardened wood and be about 5-15 cm long. Material taken from lateral growth and stem material hardening after flowering can be used for cuttings. The cutting should be cut below a node with sharp secateurs and the lower two thirds of the ‘leaves’ removed without tearing the bark. Reduce any large ‘leaves’ to about half their size or less to reduce water loss and stress. Remove any flowers or buds. Dip the base of the cutting in a rooting hormone, either liquid or powder and place cutting in plastic containers filled with cutting mix which has been lightly flattened. Make a hole with stick or pencil to take each cutting. Firm, water the pots before placing them under plastic, in a propagator or glass or ‘poly’ house. To strike cuttings of bipinnate (fern-like) foliaged Acacias is more difficult as the tiny leaflets tend to hold water and fall very quickly, thus spoiling the cutting. More experiments and trials need to be undertaken with this type of cutting to be consistently successful.

Potting On: When seeds have germinated and the seedlings are large enough to handle (about 2-3 cm tall) they should be transplanted into prepared clean potting mix in 7 cm diameter plastic pots.

Cuttings are ready to pot on when roots have developed. This can be observed by checking for roots protruding from the base of pots. Remove rooted cuttings by gently tipping the contents of the pot onto a plastic sheet and carefully removing the new plants and placing them each in a plastic pot half filled with potting mix, making sure that the roots are straight. If the roots have started to curl around or are too long for the new container, trim them back carefully with clean secateurs. Fill the pot with soil and firm.

With both seedlings and cuttings firm the soil around the plants before watering. Place the pots in a shade house or shady area receiving only morning sunlight for one or two weeks to offset the shock of transplanting. After this time gradually introduce the new plants to sunlight. Water regularly to prevent drying out. Acacia plants should not be left in pots too long before planting in the garden as they quickly develop long root systems.

Planting Out and Maintenance: To plant out in the garden select a well-drained spot, clear away any weeds or grass and dig a hole about twice the depth of the pot. Fill the hole twice with water allowing the water to drain away each time. To release the plant from the pot, hold a hand over the top and around the plant, knock the top of the pot on a firm surface and ease the plant out, Tease out the roots, straighten or trim any of those that are curled. Place the plant in the prepared hole planting to the previous soil level, hold the plant upright while the hole is filled with soil. Firm around the plant and water in. Continue to water about once a week until the new plant is established, especially if conditions are dry.

The garden area could be mulched with pine bark or other available material to help prevent drying out but the mulch needs to be kept away from the plant stem to avoid the possible development of stem rot.

Pruning is advisable each year to maintain a bushy healthy shrub. This is best undertaken after flowering.

References:

Australian Plants 22(180): 291-334 (2004) and 25(203): 243-290 (2010). These volumes contain a number of useful articles dealing with cultivars and the cultivation of Australian Acacias.

Elliot, W.R. and Jones, D.L. (1980). Encyclopaedia of Australian Plants Vol 1. (Lothian Publishing Company: Melbourne)

Simmons, M.H. (1987). Growing Acacias. (Kangaroo Press: Kenthurst)

Useful links

Association of Societies for Growing Australian Plants (ASGAP)

The Acacia Page on the ASGAP site provides information on the cultivation and propagation of Wattles, along with photographs of a few species, and more.

Great to see DTB, good vibes to you ;)

Edited by self organising systems
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I normally don't bother with humidity chambers with Acacias, I just make sure that they aren't going get any midday (10am-3pm) full sun and keep them under shade cloth or dappled light. They can handle full sun in spring but sometimes in summer it just gets too much for them.

Now they are acclimatised to the humidity they will be a lot like most other plants and they will need to be weaned off the humidity gradually. The humidity certainly helps during germination though as there is less chance that will dry out before they are established.

It's my understanding that phyllodes are a very water efficient structure when you compare them to leaves of a herbaceous plant. A general guide is the smoother the leaf/phyllode(in this case) the more water efficient the plant is so it is a lot less likely to dry itself out than a soft hairy leaf plant.

I'm normally more worried about snails at that stage.

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if you have space, get them into the ground when about one foot tall. they will grow very fast and big then.

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Thanks for the advise guys, here is an update.

7 out of 7 maidenii sprouted and they seams to be growing the fastest.

10 out of 14 obtusifolia sprouted and they seams to be growing a little slower.

Here are some pictures of the healthiest looking ones.

A. maidenii

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A. obtusifolia

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Ive also scarified and soaked my first A.acuminata last week and the first 3 have sprouted, fingers crossed they tuffen up abit, the first 3 look really weak compared to the maidenii & obtusifolia

2012-11-25145011.jpg

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I have a Question. Are Acacias self fertile? I'm assuming they are?

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I have seen them seed without a partner,

but im not 100% sure that the bee's haven't found another one and are doing the pollination without my knowledge

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Update

Almost a month in and this is how its going.

I gifted 4 of the the biggest A. maidenii and A. obtusifolia at the newcastle meet so this is whats left over.

2012-12-18132423_zps04271094.jpg

A. maidenii

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A. obtusifolia

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The A. obtusifolia arent growing as fast and are showing yellow and red on the leaves, any thoughts ?

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Ive also started sprouting a few A. acuminata but they are really struggling, tall and thin with only 2 or 4 petals on the leaves, then they cant support their weight and topple over. Ill try another batch with some new seed i received soon.

Thanks again to the seed donor... you know who you are.... champion

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Update

A. maidenii are looking great

2013-01-07125745_zpsb4ca967f.jpg

A. obtusifolia seams to be growing a little slower... im not sure if this is normal for my climate or if they would prefer a different mix

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A. acuminata are going terrible, i had 6 tiny seedlings before i went away and ive returned to find more then half dead, and the survivors dont looks very healthy either

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Any advice on A. acuminata would be helpful, as im having heaps of trouble getting them to germinate and then the ones that do sprout up dont last very long before kicking the bucket. So far they have been given the exact same conditions as the others wattles but they just dont like it.

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Those obtus. look OK to me, maybe the soil mix could be a bit grittier so they can breathe a bit better. They normally kick once they get to that stage.

I've had mixed success with acuminatas, I think seed quality plays a part.

The first batch I grew all went gangbusters and the last lot had sporadic germination and grew a lot of weak plants. Sometimes people pick the pods before they are ready and the seeds don't thrive.

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I have a Question. Are Acacias self fertile? I'm assuming they are?

 

Acacias have what is known as "Perfect" flowers, which means they contain both the 'boy bits' (anther and filament makeing up the "Stamen") and the 'girl bits' (Stigma, style and ovary making up the "Pistil")

However many Acacia flowers seem to rely on insect pollination, as on any particular "perfect" Acacia flower, the boy's and the girl's are not ready to dance at the same time. Flower parts often reaching maturity at different times.

So consequently, (boy's being boy's) the boy's hitch a lift to another flower, hoping to get an invite to dance.

The massive abundance of pollen from the stamens ensures insect activity, thereby ensuring the likelyhood that mature pollen will come into contact with a mature stigmatic surface.)

I dont think its neccesary to have multiple tree's to set seed, nor to pollinate them, as long as they have access to insects!

http://www.worldwidewattle.com/socgroups/igsm/20/45-53.pdf (Just in case you have trouble sleeping over this!)

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I put a tube stock maidenii in the ground last year to provide future shade for one of my greenhouses and its about 3 metres tall now, Gone mad really, I'm thinking it might want to flower later in the year As other acacias seem to throw a few flowers at a similar size. I have alot of native bees and euro bees in my area so pollination theoretically should be sweet. Theres maidenii in the reserve near me so stray pollen is probably available.

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Also I was gifted some A obtusafolia seed, gave most away but planted a couple and this little fella came up and is doing well so far.

DSCF2004-19_zps288faffe.jpg

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I think my maidenii is about to bloom, looks like tiny buds forming. If they are the the plant is going to be seriously covered, apparently they one of native bees favourite flowers which will come in handy. Hope I get some seeds, I suck at germinating Acacia so good to have some to practice on.

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ime maidenii's are nearly unstoppable.

I got the message to let em toughen up..
from the get go.

no water... let em grow sideways.. on the ground..

chopped my lawnmower..
still rockin' on

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We have cyclonic winds currently that are testing your theory. I think it will make it through the night.

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Even after the bad weather and crazy winds its still wants to flower.

DSCF2008-1_zps14626467.jpg

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do many people treat there acacia seeds with hot water i have been

told you get a higher germination with this method

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do many people treat there acacia seeds with hot water i have been

told you get a higher germination with this method

I tried pouring on hot water , and letting them soak overnight , and some germinated . Then I read elsewhere here to boil for several minutes [ Phyllode's tek ] ; and it seemed to me it would cook them .... Nevertheless , last time I tried , I simmered them for about 3 minutes and soaked - nearly all fired !

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just p!ss on them and scream "grow ya bastard!!" normaly works =P

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Boiling water works. Boiling water is 100 celcius at its greatest heat. How hot is a bush fire? Pretty fucking.

I have even seen people put them in a oven for a couple minutes. Smoke water soak would help dramatically too.

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i used to put the pods in a paper bag and set fire to it, but i have not planted acacia's
for a while next one will go with the smoke water method

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yeah its a great way to get them started, but I have never tried boiling them

or water treating them, is it better would like to hear from someone who

has done both

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