Mimosa

Mimosa genus includes more than 400 species represented annual and perennial herbaceous plants, shrubs and even small trees that occur around the globe. When you touch a flame or a mimosa folds its leaves. At night the leaves fold too. For optimum plant growth required average illuminance, moist and fertile soil, ambient temperature from 15.5 to 30 0C. Always treat with seedlings, as well as the roots of plants rather fragile. Mimoza very sensitive to flooding and are sometimes very difficult to grow. Pink spherical inflorescences appear in the summer months.

Shy Mimosa (Mimosa pudica), as one of the characteristic of the genus is very appreciated by enthusiasts of rare plants. By the way is still unknown how the plant puts the leaves when touched.
The plant is toxic, so be careful when growing it in a place accessible to pets or children.


Cultivation mimosa:
Mimosa shy enough tolerant to environmental conditions. However, for brighter blooms should be grown in well-lit place. Plant drought-resistant, but at long absence of water may exfoliate. New leaves will appear after the resumption of irrigation. However, when an excess of moisture effect may be the same - lack of leaves. Therefore it is important to ensure good drainage soil.

As the soil is recommended to use a mixture consisting of 1 part coarse sand, 3 parts peat, 1 part of the upper layer of garden soil and 1 part cypress mulch. In the soil can be added fertilizer of prolonged action.

Sensitive plants respond very well to clipping. So if you want your mimosa branches - just prune the tips.

We should not forget that this is tropical and subtropical plants, so the temperature should not fall below 10 C. It is noteworthy that at temperatures below 15C the stems take on a reddish hue. It does not bring harm to the plant, color disappears when the temperature rises to acceptable levels.

If you allow, then this kind of mimosa could grow to 60 cm in height. This is a creeping variety, do not grow above 15 cm

Sprouting seeds:
In the first place will receive seeds, pick "harvest" or buy them in the store. Harvest should be after the seed pods become brown and dry. Each seed is enclosed in its own shell. Therefore, before scarification better to get rid of it.

It's enough to soak the seeds overnight in warm water. The next day, you can sow them just below the surface of the prepared soil. At 9 cm pot fairly evenly be sown about 50 cm is very important to maintain soil moisture, so the first roots dry out very easily.

Once there are second and third rosette of leaves you can begin to plant out the plants on their own pots. At this stage in pots can be added fertilizer of prolonged action.