Mimosa bashful - home care for the touchy

One of the most interesting exotic plants that flower growers grow at home can be called bashful mimosa. After all, rarely does any flower respond to human touch. But for healthy development, he needs to create an enabling environment. This is not difficult to do if you follow a number of rules for home care.

The origin and description of the bashful mimosa

Mimosa bashful (Latin: Mimosa pudica) is a herbaceous (shrubby) plant from the genus Mimosa, which came to us from the tropical forests of South America and has spread around the world as an exotic flower.

Mimosa bashful - a herbaceous (shrubby) plant from South America

In nature, it reaches a height of one and a half meters, as an ornamental plant, it can grow up to 30-60 cm. The stem is covered with thorns, the seeds ripen in pods, like all representatives of the legume family, and the leaves react to touch and lack of light, folding to the stem, which causes genuine delight in people watching this effect. In fact, this behavior of the flower is caused by the saving of moisture and sunlight in terms of survival in the rainforest.

So this plant looks in nature

Since this mimosa came to us from countries with a tropical climate, it needs to create conditions of detention similar to the South American tropical nature: sufficient light, high humidity and, of course, warm. Therefore, it can be bred only in greenhouses or at home.

Photo Gallery: Mimosa shy, grown in a pot

Important! Mimosa does not tolerate tobacco smoke, and if someone in the house smokes, it can die.

Growing and caring for the touchy at home

When creating the necessary conditions for the maintenance of this delicate flower will not cause difficulties. If you follow the tips below, the mimosa will reward you with delicate lilac flowers (it can bloom for 4 months in a row).

Table: how to care for a room flower and its leaves

First, let's figure out how to pinch and trim, and then move on to the transplant.

Pinching and trimming

To prevent the plant from stretching and releasing more new shoots, pinch the tops of the main branches regularly. The first pinching is carried out in early April. Mimosa flowers appear on young shoots, so the more there are, the longer the flowering period. Just do not overdo it, pinch only the most elongated branches. Re-pinch after the plant has flowered, so that by the next season the plant could lay not one, but two processes. Strongly pruning the plant is not recommended, otherwise the mimosa may die. Better if necessary, put a wooden support and gently tie it to the trunk. During the dormant period, the flower is not pinched.

Transfer

In that case, if the plant continues to grow after winter, but it becomes small of space, you can transplant it into a larger pot, using the same soil as when planting. To do this, it is advisable to have a notebook where you need to write down all the nuances of care and your observations. Do not destroy the old clod of earth. If you just bought your first mimosa, find out the composition of the soil in the store.

At home, carry out the transfer and lowering of the plant into a permanent flowerpot with all the ground, press, add, the soil recommended by the seller, pour. In winter, the plant is not transplanted.

Video: how to cut and transplant mimosa

Reproduction of shy mimosa

Ignoring the fact that mimosa is considered a perennial plant, flower growers often breed it as an annual, as this delicate flower often dies in winter or loses its appearance, stretching out due to lack of sunlight.
It can be propagated by cuttings or sowing seeds. However, it is preferable to use seeds, because in half the cases, the cuttings die. Seeds can be obtained by yourself, artificially pollinating flowers. To do this, transfer pollen from flower to flower with a brush or simply touch one flower to another. Pods are considered ripe when they are completely dry. Seeds for the winter are stored in a paper or cloth bag in the refrigerator.

If you are not confident in your abilities, you can always purchase seeds in flower shops.

How to plant shy flower seeds

1. For sowing seeds, small pots with a diameter of about 9 cm are chosen.
2. Fill them with a mixture of rotted leaves, humus, fertile soil, which are taken in equal parts, add about half of the sand. You can buy ready-made soil mixture with a high content of peat substrate for indoor flowers.
3. The soil is shed with a light pink solution of potassium permanganate or heated in the oven for about an hour at a temperature of 50 degrees for disinfection.
4. The bottom of the pot is covered with expanded clay or fine gravel. This will protect the root system from decay. Then a layer of fertile soil is poured.
5. Seeds do not need to be lowered into the ground or sprinkled. They can simply be pressed into the soil to a depth of 1-2 cm.
   

   This is how the ripe mimosa seeds of bashful look

6. Now we need to create the necessary microclimate. For this, the container is covered with glass or film and put in a warm place (22-25 degrees).
7. If a dried crust has formed on the surface of the earth, be sure to loosen it, and then spray it well from the spray gun. Especially the greenhouse does not need to be aired.
8. Shoots will appear in 6-8 days. At this time, seedlings must be carefully monitored. As soon as they appear, the pot is opened. This will protect against the appearance of a black leg, often affecting young shoots.
   

   The first sprouts appear together

9. When the first pair of true leaflets appears on the sprout, it must be transplanted to a permanent place. At the bottom of the selected flowerpot, drainage (small pebbles or expanded clay) is poured and filled with the same soil composition that was used when growing seedlings.
   

   The young plant is taught to light gradually, watching that the leaves do not receive a sunburn.

So a healthy, young plant looks like leaves

Solution of problems

The main pest of your shy beauty is a spider mite. It can be recognized by small whitish spots on the leaves. Such leaves most often fall off, and with a large loss of them, the plant will not be able to save. A thin web may appear on the flower: first it covers only the leaves, and then the entire plant. When the first characteristic signs of infection appear, immediately treat the affected area with special drugs. The most popular are Actellik, Sunmight and Omight. Be sure to follow safety precautions!

The plant may also be affected by aphids. In this case, insecticides are used for treatment. These are special pest control drugs. They differ in toxicity class. Use funds with the fourth, lowest class, they are safe for you, your loved ones and pets, for example, Argavertin, Fitoverm. Dilute them according to the attached instructions, spray once. You will see the final result in 3-5 days. If there are still pests, repeat spraying.

Florist reviews

Propagated by seeds ... buy and sow seeds in the spring. Germinate well. I grew the plant itself for fun - the leaves are folded upon contact, the plant is inconspicuous, used as an annual. The genus mimosa includes more than 400 varieties represented by annual and perennial herbaceous plants, shrubs, and even small trees found throughout the globe. When touched or exposed to a flame, the mimosa folds its leaves. At night, the leaves also fold. For optimal growth, the plant requires medium illumination, moist and fertile soil, ambient temperature from 15.5 to 30 ⁰C. Handle seedlings with care, as the roots of the plant are quite fragile. Mimosas are very sensitive to waterlogging, and sometimes they are very difficult to grow. Pink spherical inflorescences appear in the summer months. Mimosa bashful (Mimosa pudica) as one of the characteristic representatives of the genus is very appreciated by enthusiasts of rare plants. By the way, it is still unknown how the plant folds leaves when touched. The plant is toxic, so be careful when growing it in a place accessible to pets or children.

Svetlana

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Mimosa is an evergreen ornamental shrub native to the subtropics of South America. Mimosa received its spread due to the bizarre ability to respond to any touch, even light wind. She immediately begins to fold her leaves. It seems that she is moving. In order to preserve decorative properties, it is often grown as an annual crop. Do not touch the leaves often.

Hope 1409

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She is African, which means that in winter she most likely needs 15 degrees, I now drop below 10 at night, although it is warm enough during the day, the temperature rises to 17, she seems to feel fine, but does not grow, but in September October grew well.

laluna

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Take the seeds and put on a towel, cover with the same towel (I take a kitchen waffle) and pour boiling water from the kettle. Degrees 80-85, immediately remove from the towel and sow in the ground, I have a germination rate of 100%. And not one was bent.

Sergey Olshin

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For development, shy mimosa seedlings need heat, light, and air humidity of 75-85%. Mimosa develops relatively slowly, gains very little height: with a plant growth of 13 cm, the thickness of the stem of a reddish color is about 1 mm. Mimosa cultivation will be an interesting and exciting process in families that have children. True, she can get a great deal from them, even if we adults sometimes torment our mimosa for fun. But do not confuse shameful mimosa with mimosa, which is given to us by March 8.

Zmeulka

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As you can see, growing a tender, quivering Mimosa is not more difficult than other indoor plants. The main thing is to treat her with attention and love. Another important point is that you should not play with the leaves impossibly too often. It loses vitality, and resistance to pests and diseases decreases.