A very original plant, which has earned the love of flower growers with its beauty and as if with living, moving leaves, is bashful mimosa. As early as 1729, the astronomer de Meyron suggested that the movements of the leaves of a plant have something in common with the rhythm of the life of the human body.
Mimosa belongs to herbaceous plants. This culture is both medicinal and decorative. It reaches a height of 70 cm, has complex leaves, very sensitive to touch - they fold, creating the illusion that the plant is ashamed. For this amazing feature, the flower is called bashful.
On the stems of the flower are thorns, bent down. Flowers are like small balls of tender, Pink colour. Mimosa blooms are very graceful. Mimosa fruit is a bean.
Features of growing shy mimosa
Mimosa pudica is enough unpretentious plant despite its exotic origin. Caring for a flower at home is not as complicated as it might seem to an inexperienced grower at first glance.
The main feature when growing a flower is that it does not tolerate cigarette smoke at all, and can immediately shed its leaves.
The plant loves heat very much and from early spring to late autumn it grows well only at a temperature of +24 ºС. In winter, the flower needs a decrease in temperature to +16 ºС.
Plant care at home
Growing a plant does not cause much trouble, however, this green "pet" still requires the implementation of certain care rules.
Optimal growing conditions
The bashful mimosa flower loves bright light very much. It’s great if the flowerpot will stand on the south window, as this plant prefers straight Sun rays. But on hot days, when the sun is too active, it is better to shade the flower at noon. It is necessary to take into account the fact that in winter this light-loving plant does not like artificial illumination.
The culture does not tolerate drafts and wind at all, so you can not open a window in a room.
Watering and spraying
The mimosa bush is very fond of moisture, but it must be watered carefully. In the summer, the flower is watered abundantly, but the drained water from the pan must be drained. In cold weather, watering is reduced, but they make sure that the earthen ball does not dry out too much in the flowerpot. Due to waterlogging of the soil in the cold season, the flower can get sick and lose its decorative effect.
In the summer, in the evening or in the morning, the flower is sprayed. Do not carry out this procedure in direct sunlight.
For irrigation and spraying use only well-settled or distilled water.
It is quite enough to water the flower every other day in the summer. The growth period of mimosa begins in March, at which time watering is also increased. Continue this until October, until the plant begins to enter the dormant phase, preparing for winter. A hint for watering is dryish soil, which you definitely need to touch with your fingers.
Top dressing and fertilizer
The approach to choosing a nutrient composition for fertilizing shy mimosa should be standard. Begin to fertilize the plant in the spring, fertilizing every two weeks. Continue the procedures in the same mode until late autumn. The rate of fertilizer, which is indicated in the instructions, for watering mimosa is diluted with water twice.
As top dressing, ordinary fertilizers for flowering are used. Organo-mineral compositions are excellent. There is no need to look for any special fertilizers.
Pruning and crown shaping
This flower constantly needs to be updated. The plant is a fast-growing plant and should be replaced annually with bushes that have been grown from seed. If the culture is grown as a bonsai or they want to save it for the next year, then only radical pruning can help.
It is carried out immediately after wintering, although this procedure is also acceptable after flowering. All strongly elongated branches are cut to stumps, focusing on the desired crown shape. Old branches need to be shortened so that the young shoots form a decorative "cap".
When forming a bonsai, such pruning is carried out several times a year, limited to lignified shoots. In fact, the formation of the bashful mimosa crown is a constant cutting of the bush to the desired size.
Very milestone- sanitary pruning. When the shoots begin to dry out, they are removed, and this should be done as quickly as possible, until the plant drops its leaves in protest.
Transplant rules
Growing mimosa for several years implies that the plant will be transplanted. At least this applies to old flowers and bonsai. The procedure is carried out in early spring. But it is advisable not to touch the growing on permanent place flowers.
For cultivation use the usual universal primer with neutral indicators on acidity and alkalinity. The main thing is that it must be well permeable to air and water. When preparing the soil mixture for transplanting on your own, mix the turf, leafy soil and peat in equal parts, and add a little sand.
The plant is not even transplanted, but very carefully transferred together with a lump into another flowerpot. Remove only the most polluted upper layer soil mixtures. Be sure to make a sufficiently high drainage in the pot.
The mimosa rhizome is very difficult to tolerate contacts, and pruning during transplantation is generally contraindicated for it.
Protection against diseases and pests
If you provide proper care for the bashful mimosa and create suitable conditions for it, then the plant will not get sick. At good lighting and sufficient moisture, the flower can even be called persistent. But sometimes problems can still arise, as pests appear - aphids and spider mites. They begin to fight insects immediately, treating flowers with insecticides and collecting pests by hand.
Growing problems:
- Due to high humidity, the leaves may be permanently closed.
- At low temperatures, the plant will not bloom.
- At poor lighting mimosa won't bloom either.
- In the shade of a mimosa, shoots can stretch too much.
- In a polluted environment, the flower will simply shed its leaves.
- Mimosa will react the same way to the drying of the earth.
If the flower begins to lag sharply in growth, and its leaves take on the most bizarre forms, then the culture has been struck by a disease. Usually the shy mimosa plant gets sick due to insect pests. Therefore, the first step is to inspect it for the presence of uninvited guests.
- If the mimosa leaves begin to stretch too much, this is the first signal that the pot is in a poorly lit place. A simple solution to the problem is to move the flowerpot to the south side window.
- It happens that mimosa leaves do not open. If the plant constantly receives too much water, then this will certainly affect its appearance. Also, this problem can occur if the room is too cold, which is often the case in winter.
- The plant may become yellowish and sluggish leaves due to lack of water. It is very important to properly observe the watering regime - the flower does not like either stagnant moisture or drying out. You can humidify the air around the flowerpot in the heat by spraying it from a spray bottle.
Reproduction from seeds
To collect seeds, you must first pollinate the flowers. In nature, this is done by insects or the wind. At home, the procedure is carried out manually with a soft brush. Pollen is simply transferred from one flower to another.
The easiest way to grow mimosa is from seeds that you can take from other gardeners or buy. The fruits of the flower are a pod with several peas.
- When the shell is completely dry, the pods are placed in the refrigerator for the whole winter.
- In March, they begin landing, before which planting material soak in water for half an hour. For sowing, ordinary universal soil is quite suitable. Garden soil is not suitable, as it contains a lot of germs.
- Sow in small containers, at the bottom of which drainage is arranged. Expanded clay can be used in this capacity.
- The soil mixture is well shed, and then peas are laid out on its surface.
- Sprinkle 1 cm of soil on top of them.
- The containers are covered with foil to make a mini-greenhouse.
- Seeds are transferred to a warm place where the air temperature is about +30 ºС. Watered only through a sprayer.
After 20 days, the first shoots will appear. Then the bowls are exposed to the light, but not under the direct sun. The temperature in the room should not be lower than +24 ºС.
When three leaves appear, the seedlings are transplanted into separate containers using universal soil. When picking, you need to protect the delicate roots. Further care for young plants is no different from caring for adult specimens.
Upon contact, the leaves alternately fold inward - this is how the flower is protected from predators. After two or three minutes, they straighten out again. This ability of a flower also helps it to shed pests - various insects.
However, many plants, which are called seismonastic, have a similar self-defense mechanism. Leaf tissues lose turgor, and during touching, a sharp release of potassium occurs, which causes an outflow of water from the cells. This leads to compression - the leaves immediately curl up, and the petiole drops slightly.
It is important to place the pot so that small children cannot reach the mimosa. A flower moving its leaves often becomes interesting toy, but the plant spends a lot of energy on such a movement, and when exhausted, it may even die.
Finally, it must be said that it is undesirable for people suffering from allergies to keep this plant at home. Mimosa pollen can cause a very violent reaction in an allergic organism.
Although it may seem that growing a bashful mimosa at home is very difficult and painstaking, in fact, it is not. Even a novice florist can handle the cultivation of this flower, with a certain amount of diligence and respect for this reverent creation of nature.
bashful mimosa
Mimosa. The name is familiar to everyone, even men, because in our country it is given for one of the most beautiful holidays. Yellow twigs delight every woman of the fair sex. But, you know, there is a mimosa flower that is not related to Women's Day at all, it is not a shrub with yellow beads that grows somewhere in the south. No, this plant can be freely grown at home. But do not rush to conclusions, the flower has one secret.
Bashful mimosa - who called you that?
In the world of plants, we meet different names, they are sometimes so unique and even funny that the question immediately arises, who came up with such a name and why. Mimosa bashful, which you see in the photo, is a flower that got its “nickname” for a reason. In fact, it has unique sensitive leaves, which, by the way, are very similar to a fern. They close themselves from touch, hide even from the breath on them, like a timid beauty from the eyes of others.
But the name was given not simply, among the people, but back in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus, when he created his work on describing plant species. He gave the prefix “pudica” to Mimosa, which means “hiding” or “shy” in translation. This flower is known in many countries around the planet, it can grow at home and on the street, where it reaches one and a half meters. Different peoples call bashful mimosa differently - shameful, modest, touchy, sleeping grass and even a mole. The latter name is typical for countries such as Spain, Portugal and Brazil.
This is interesting! In the Caribbean and the Dominican Republic, mimosa is called "morivivi". The translation sounds beautiful and life-affirming - "I'm dead, I'm alive."
Meet the bashful touchy
The flower is very popular for its unusual properties among plant lovers. As you understand, it is now growing in many countries, mainly with a warm climate. Someone considers mimosa even malicious weed. In nature, it reaches more than one and a half meters in length, while at home, as a rule, it grows up to 35-50 cm. The species belongs to semi-shrubs.
Outwardly, it is quite decorative. Children also like mimosa, because they can clearly see that the plant is alive and can move. But sometimes they flirt, constantly touching the tender leaves, and the flower begins to suffer. If you want to plant a touchy mimosa, then consider this fact. The plant blooms with a purple inflorescence that resembles a soft ball with needles or a pompom. It can be more stuffed or loose, the shade varies from lavender to soft pink. After flowering, a pod is formed, in which there are seeds.
On a note! Seeds can be bought at many garden stores, they are not uncommon, and then grown at home - the process does not differ in complex agricultural technology.
Type description:
- belongs to the mimosa family. Currently, scientists have discovered more than 400 different species;
- the native places of the touchy mimosa are South America, Asian countries and Africa. That is, the climate prefers the flower to be hot and humid;
- the semi-shrub has two-pinnate leaves, flowers of small diameter;
- inflorescences do not live long, there are a lot of them on the bushes, and they open every day;
- in a natural warm climate, the plant is perennial; in a more severe climate, mimosa does not survive in winter, therefore it is grown at home;
- the flower is unique in that, like a person, it has a life cycle. Every day, after a certain amount of time, the mimosa opens and closes;
- leaves can curl not only from touch, but also from a change in location and temperature in the room. Usually the flower opens again in about half an hour.
Here is such an unusual mimosa, in the photo you can see it in the interior. The flower beautifully decorates any room. If you just purchased it or gave it to you, then you can learn more about care below.
Such a fragile plant raises doubts that it requires complex care. But this is not so, millions of gardeners grow mimosa of this species in our country with its harsh climate. All you need to do is follow minimum requirements, you will learn more about them.
Where to place the flower
A native of a tropical climate, mimosa is very photophilous, even in direct sunlight it can feel good. The ideal place for a flower is the southern windows in a temperate climate; in warmer regions, eastern window sills are suitable. The most ideal place is on a pedestal next to a bright window, where there will be light partial shade from the curtains. If the flowers in the store were in artificial light or in a not very well-lit place, then you should not immediately put the pot where the sun's rays are bright. Mimosa-touchy takes some getting used to.
Important! Do not place flowers where pets can bother them, hurt them, in the children's play area.
Condition Requirements
The room should have well-moistened air - about 70%, because it often rains in the tropics. To moisturize it, you can buy a special device or use simple methods- a jar of water, air spray, trays under plant pots, where there will be wet expanded clay, perlite or moss. Mimosa begins its active life cycle in March and ends in October. At this time, the dormant period begins, it is better to lower the temperature to 16-18 degrees, placing it in a cooler room or on the north window. Since spring, it is better to maintain the temperature not lower than +22 degrees.
Important! When you put additional trays for air humidity, the bottom of the pot should not touch the water. Otherwise, the roots will start to rot.
Watering and fertilizing
The mimosa flower is moisture-loving, it is watered quite often from March to October. But important condition- this is not to fill the pots, the soil should be moist, but not wet. During the flowering period, mimosa requires watering every other day, provided that the earth has already dried up in the upper part. In normal periods, it is enough to moisten the flowers 2-3 times a week. Another important rule irrigation is the quality of water - it should be soft or distilled. In the first case, simple settling during the day will help.
Mimosa loves feeding, does not make special demands on them. You can buy any mineral fertilizer in liquid form at a flower shop and apply it twice a month. This is provided that the soil in the pot was already nutritious. During the dormant period, watering and top dressing is reduced to a minimum. If you don’t know what quality the soil is in the pot, since you were given a touchy mimosa, the flower quickly began to lose its decorative effect or sits in one place for a long time, it would be best to transplant it. How to do this, read on.
Transplanting bashful mimosa
So, you were given a flower, but no one knows how nutritious the earth is in a pot and whether everything is in order with the root system. This directly affects the future growth and development of the plant, since it often happens that in stores we are surprised by the chic flowering of different flowers, and after purchase they quickly wither and die. The best thing to do is replant. But this is only in extreme cases and the method of transshipment of the root system together with an earthen clod into nutrient soil.
The soil of the touchy mimosa loves moderately fertile, well-drained and moist. Choose a pot of the right diameter so that the flower is free in it, wash it thoroughly. Next, prepare the soil - in equal parts, take peat, sand, leafy and soddy soil. Drainage is needed at the bottom - perlite, expanded clay, crushed stone to choose from. Transfer the plant to a new container, sprinkle with soil, pour settled water.
Advice! Before planting, it is better to shed the soil with boiling water with manganese crystals 1-2 days before planting, which will kill all pathogenic flora, and the flowers will not get sick.
Secrets of growing mimosa
Many novice flower growers do not know how a flower is grown - is it perennial or annual. You can often hear the latter, but this is a mistake. The fact is that after flowering, mimosa often loses its decorative effect, then it is replaced with a new one, because it is very easy to grow a flower from seeds. The process is the same as when planting any seedlings - the seeds are placed in a universal store soil, watered, covered with a film. When the sprouts have risen, the shelter is removed and then the seedlings are transplanted into separate pots with nutrient soil. Further, all care is as described earlier.
But bashful mimosa can grow more than one year. The main thing is proper care, feeding and watering. If after flowering the leaves began to fade, fall off, the stems stretch, then you just need to carry out a cardinal pruning. After the flower needs to be fed with nitrogen fertilizer, which helps to increase the green mass and put in a sunny place. Further watering is required and as feeding grows. So, you save your flower.
Possible troubles
If you are confused by what your mimosa looks like, then the reasons may be different, but all problems are solvable.
- Dull, wrinkled leaves may indicate that there is a lot of dust, the air is polluted. It happens when the window is constantly open.
- If the air is dry and watering is irregular, then the leaves can begin to not only wither, but also turn yellow and even completely fall off.
- If water is in excess, then the mimosa will always keep the leaves closed.
- IN cold room the flower will not bloom for a long time.
- If there is little light, then the plant will begin to stretch, lose its decorative effect. You need to change the place or add lamps for lighting.
- Mimosa can be bothered by spider mites, aphids. They are removed with insecticides or folk infusions.
You met with interesting and unusual plant. Growing it is easy if you know some secrets, but you already know them.
This beautiful plant With interesting name bashful came to us from the subtropical and tropical regions of South America, hot Brazil, Asia and some regions of Africa.
Mimosa bashful - ornamental shrub, the stems of which are completely covered with hairs and spines.
Mimosa flowers decorated in inflorescences are presented in the form of small balls of pinkish and lilac color.
A plant from the genus Mimosa, which has about 500 species.
Appearance
The flowering period is about 4 months. In winter, in most cases, it dies.
Homemade shy mimosa is grown as an annual crop and reaches a height of up to 30-50 cm.
In wildlife, it is considered perennial and grows up to 1.5 m.
Why is mimosa called bashful?
Mimosa got its name because of the characteristic properties of leaves to fall and curl up from any, even the most gentle touch or shaking.
Its leaves also fall when the temperature fluctuates and from the breath of a light wind. It looks like the plant is alive.
The drooping leaves unfold, as a rule, after 20-30 minutes. A modest beauty is also called "touchy".
Cultivation and care
How to grow bashful mimosa at home?
reproduction
At home or in greenhouses, shy mimosa is grown as a houseplant from seeds.
The easiest way is to buy a bashful mimosa flower.
There are three breeding options:
- Option 1 - planting cuttings,
- Option 2 - planting from seeds,
- Option 3 - growing by pollination of an adult plant.
cuttings
The method of growing mimosa cuttings is inefficient, so it is rarely used by anyone.
seeds
How to plant shy mimosa from seeds?
At home, it is more convenient to grow a plant from ready-made seeds, which are sold in flower shops. The technology is simple.
Ready seeds are best planted in late February - early March in moist soil. The recommended deadline is before the beginning of April.
The composition of the soil for bashful mimosa should be as follows:
- turf,
- sheet,
- peat land and
- sand.
Everything is taken in the ratio 1:1:1:1.
Also can be purchased ready soil suitable for this type of plant.
Expanded clay is suitable as a drainage.
After planting, cover the container with a film, bag or glass, put in a warm place, away from direct sunlight.
Before germination, it is necessary to periodically remove the film and ventilate the container. Seeds germinate quickly, in 25-30 days.
Sprouts, 4-5 cm long, transplant into pots and place in a well-lit place. After the plants get used to the sunlight, they can be rearranged on the windowsill.
Seed collection
How to grow bashful mimosa from an adult plant?
If there is already a mimosa in the house, then for growing you need to follow these simple steps.
- Pollinate an adult plant - transfer pollen from one flower to another with a brush. Wait for the fruits to appear.
- After drying, collect the pods. Store them in a paper bag in the refrigerator.
- In late February - early March - the time for planting - take the seeds out of the pods, pour them with warm water for 25-35 minutes.
- Prepare containers for planting - lay out drainage, fill with moist soil.
- Plant the seeds to a depth of 1 cm, cover with a bag, glass or film. Remove to a shady place.
It is important to avoid direct sunlight!
Subject to the air temperature from 20 to 25C, the first sprouts will appear in a couple of weeks or, at the latest, in a month.
Transplant sprouts 4-5 cm long into separate glasses (plastic ones will do) and put in a warm place.
In late May - early June, transplant the grown sprouts into pots.
Some flower growers advise planting several sprouts in one pot.
Mimosa bashful transplant
Mimosa bashful is considered annual plant, and a transplant is usually not needed.
But, in rare cases, if its branches persist in winter, the plant should be transplanted into a larger pot.
This must be done very carefully. Without disturbing the earthen ball, drag the flower with it with a smooth movement into another pot, having prepared and moistened the soil in it in advance. After transplantation, care for mimosa as before.
Creation of favorable conditions
Mimosa bashful is easy to care for. Despite their tenderness and vulnerability, proper care mimosa actively grows from April to October.
Blooms for about 4 months. Dies in winter.
Temperature
The plant loves heat, but does not tolerate scorching heat. mature plant loves the sun and bright rays. But it is better for young sprouts to avoid them so as not to get burned.
The ideal air temperature should be between 20-25C. In winter, the temperature can drop to 18-20 C.
Watering
In spring and summer, water abundantly and regularly - in the morning, every other day. It is advisable to water with soft water, distilled water is also suitable.
If the leaves of the plant turn yellow, then there is not enough water or the place where it is located is not sufficiently illuminated by sunlight.
In winter, you can keep the soil moist.
Fertilizer
Like many other plants of this species, bashful mimosa needs additional fertilizer during the growing season.
It is enough to apply fertilizer 2 times a month.
Diseases and pests
With careful maintenance, you can not be afraid aphids And spider mite - the main pests of mimosa.
If infection has occurred, then the leaves begin to turn pale, then turn yellow and fall off.
When infested with aphids, the leaves quickly curl and fall off, small bugs appear on the stems.
Pests are harvested by hand, trying not to damage the stems and leaves of mimosa. Wipe the plant itself with soapy water.
If the infection is severe, then it is necessary to apply chemical agents.
Interesting facts about bashful mimosa
The plant does not tolerate tobacco smoke. With regular exposure sheds leaves and dies.
Frequent contact for mimosa is a huge stress. She can die quickly.
Mimosa bashful has medicinal properties- tincture of the leaves reduces the temperature, ointments heal wounds and burns.
Shy in a container with warm tap water and leave for one day. Then shoots will appear faster. Seeds are best left on hot battery so that heat is retained throughout the soaking time. Instead of warm water from the tap, you can mix parts of cold and hot boiled water.
Bury the soaked seeds in flower pot, in a plastic or cardboard cup with soil to a depth of no more than 0.3 cm. It is important that the soil is bought in a special store, and not taken on the street. Otherwise, it may be infected and the plant may become sick. Cover the container plastic lid or film. But the coating should be removed as soon as the first leaves appear. When seedlings emerge, remove the greenhouse cover and place the plant in a well-lit and warm area. When planted, 13 out of 25 seeds usually germinate.
When growing bashful mimosa, make sure that the ground is not too dry or too wet. The plant likes moderate watering.
At temperatures between 21 and 32°C tropical plant sprouts very quickly, in less than 7 days. But at lower temperatures, germination time can be up to 30 days.
When covering the flower pot with foil, do not place it in a straight line. sunlight. At night, the plant sleeps with its leaves folded. Mimosa is a bashful pale pink, dandelion-like flowers. These flowers are rich in seeds.
It is better to water the plant with spring, distilled or rain water. Plants may be sensitive to tap water and the chemical impurities it contains, such as chlorine.
You can build a special greenhouse for young plant sprouts. It can be made from a toy box or any other packaging. Look for a box that is made of cardboard and clear plastic. These materials retain heat well, and transparent plastic transmits sunlight like glass. In such a greenhouse, you can cut holes for ventilation on the sides of the box. If additional lighting is required, an energy-saving lamp can be mounted on top, which, in addition to light, will give off heat.
The first leaves of mimosa-shy do not respond to touch. You have to wait until the bindweed grows before you can observe this interesting phenomenon.
Impatiens - a houseplant, known as balsam, can please the grower with flowering all year round. It is unpretentious, easily propagated and loves light very much.
Instruction
The fall of the leaves is mainly promoted by hypothermia. If the increase in temperature in the habitat of the plant did not help, then check for pests on it. Also, the loss of leaves can be triggered by irregular watering of impatiens.
wilting leaves - clear sign plant dehydration. The only solution is frequent watering, but keeping a saucer of water under the plant pot is not necessary.
In weak flowering, unfortunately, whole line reasons: lack of light, lack of nutrition, low temperature or premature transplant. Try to determine the most likely cause of the disease and take action.
