Robinia origin

The black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) is a deciduous tree and belongs to the subfamily of the Fabaceae within the family Fabaceae (legumes). It is originally native to North America and was introduced to Europe in the 17th century. It is now widespread in many parts of the world and is used as an ornamental plant and as a crop (e.g. for wood).

The locust tree has a broad, rounded crown and grows up to 30 m tall. Its white, light pink or violet flowers appear in May and June. They are arranged in umbels and smell of bergamot.
The leaves are arranged opposite each other and consist of 5 to 9 glossy green, lanceolate leaves. In autumn they turn yellow.
The elongated red-brown legumes contain brown seeds. These, like the bark, wood and plant sap, contain significant amounts of toxic proteins, so-called toxalbumins. The seeds give off a sweet, lovely smell, which makes them particularly dangerous for children, as they tend to put them in their mouths.

Robinia care and location

The black locust prefers a sunny to partially shaded location with well-drained and nutrient-rich soil. It does not tolerate waterlogging or soil that is too dry.

Cutting Robinia

The black locust tree is generally easy to care for and does not require regular pruning. However, if pruning is necessary, it should be done on a frost-free winter day. Pruning during flowering and budding can lead to heavy bleeding, as the black locust tree secretes a lot of sap containing nutrients and storage substances from the cut sites. There are various types of pruning that can be done on the black locust tree. Rejuvenation pruning is used to rejuvenate the plant and stimulate its growth. This can be achieved by removing older branches and shoots. Removing dead, diseased or damaged branches promotes the health and growth of the plant. It also prevents the spread of pests or diseases. This type of pruning can be done all year round, as long as the plant is not in flowering or budding.

Watering Robinia

Climate change is leading to hotter temperatures and longer dry periods in our regions, which has an impact on the environment and especially on the trees. Depending on the location and climatic conditions, it may be necessary to water robinias more frequently than in the past. They should be watered regularly, especially during longer dry periods. When watering with a garden hose, a lot of water is lost through seepage or evaporation.
A more efficient way of irrigation is to use tree bath watering bags. Water is released drop by drop to the trees over several hours through two holes in the lower area. This ensures that the water does not evaporate or seep into the ground before it reaches the tree.
Another advantage of the irrigation bags is that the continuous irrigation avoids the risk of root rot.
Attaching and filling the water bags is easy and self-explanatory. The bag is placed around the tree trunk like a jacket and closed with a zip. In the next step, you fill the bag with enough water so that after further alignment there are no more wrinkles visible in the lower area and then let it fill up.
One irrigation bag is enough to provide young trees with sufficient water. For existing trees with a larger trunk diameter, two to three irrigation bags can be connected together to provide them with sufficient water.

Fertilizing Robinia

The Fertilize Feeding the Robinia with compost or organic fertilizer in spring promotes growth. The Robinia is a robust plant that is hardly susceptible to pests and diseases.

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