Re: Acacia retinoides
Fran - Re your acacia query (A. retinodes, I think, rather than
retinoides? unless there are two spp with almost the same name...)
>A 3 foot tall Acacia
>retinoides is dropping its leaves fast and, being unable to find anything in
>my books about this plant, I seek information about its indoor treatment -
>light and watering. It is 2 years old from Thompson & Morgan seed and over
>the summer had lots of leaves but no flowers. I'd be grateful for any
>opinions about this.
I kept this sp inside here, too, over the winter months, until it
outgrew its (vertical) space - and my strength to haul it in and out.
It was kept in a room with a sunny south-facing bow-window, as close
to the light as I could get it. The room has only minimal
central-heating and only a very occasional open fire - ie, temps in
winter are probably down to low 40s on cold nights and not often above
the mid 60sF. I used to reduce the plant's water-intake for a few
weeks before it came in, then reduce it still further once it was
indoors. There was always a certain amount of leaf-drop at the initial
shock, but after that it was fine - indeed so fine that in its third
year, at a lusty 8', it flowered profusely. The last two (mild)
winters it's spent outside and is now about 12' high - covered in buds
as I write.
Important factors would seem to be: light, relative dryness, not much
of the sort of 'dry heat' produced by most central heating (in my
limiated experience, most acacia spp seem to dislike it fairly
intensely).
Hope that helps.
Tim
mild moist cool Solway Coast, UK
Tim Longville
