Mimosa

Mimosa flower - grows in tropical and subtropical zones, can be found on three continents at once: in Africa, Asia and America. The plant belongs to the Mimosa family. The genus includes several hundred different species.

Description of mimosa

The genus Mimosa includes trees and shrubs along with herbaceous plants. At the same time, only a small part of the mimosa varieties are used in gardening. The most beloved species by flower growers is bashful mimosa. Its small flowers are folded into inflorescences-spikelets or heads. On the stems there are two-pinnate leaf blades.

Mimosa can be grown individually in a pot or used in the foreground in flower arrangements. Thanks to the bright rich green leaves and unusual flowers among other plants, it looks no less impressive than itself.

Basic rules for growing mimosa

The table shows brief rules for caring for mimosa at home.

You should know! Mimosa pollen is considered a strong allergen.

Home care for mimosa

Lighting

Potted mimosa plants require a lot of sunlight. At the same time, the direct rays of the plant are not terrible; it is required to shade it only in especially sultry hours or to use a scattering screen. This allows the mimosa pot to be kept on the south windows, but the west and east directions are also suitable for it. At the same time, a sharp change in the situation to a sunny one can harm an unprepared mimosa.By moving the flower to the light from a shady place or after a long period of cloudy weather, it is shaded for some time to avoid sunburn, gradually accustoming it to more intense lighting.

In the shade, mimosa loses its decorative effect, its leaves begin to fade and age, and you can not wait at all for flowering. At the same time, the plant does not like artificial lighting.

Temperature

From March until the onset of autumn cold weather, mimosa is kept in a room with a temperature of no more than +25 degrees. The plant does not like heat. In winter, the relative coolness will be optimal - from +15 to +18 degrees.

Watering mode

You can water mimosa only with well-settled water. This is done as the top soil layer dries up. In summer, the flower is watered very abundantly, while in winter the amount of watering is reduced. Stagnation of water at the roots in a cool room can lead to the development of diseases. But overdrying an earthen coma is considered no less harmful. You should try to keep the soil a little moist all the time.

Humidity level

For full growth, mimosa needs high humidity. Every day it needs to be sprayed with sufficiently warm settled water or a sprinkling procedure should be carried out. Additionally, a tray filled with wet pebbles (expanded clay) will help humidify the air around the plant. Wet peat can be used. In this case, the bottom of the pot must remain dry so as not to overmoisten the soil lump.

Top dressing

Fertilizing mimosa is permissible only in spring and summer. To do this, a universal solution of minerals intended for flowering plants is introduced into the ground twice a month. But the dosage indicated on the pack should be halved, otherwise there will be a risk of burning the roots of the flower. In autumn and winter, when the mimosa is resting, no top dressing is applied.

Transplant features

Annual mimosa usually does not need transplants, but they also try to transplant perennial ones as rarely as possible. If necessary, this procedure is carried out in the spring, after the beginning of the growth period, transferring the entire earthen lump into a new container. Its dimensions should not differ significantly from the old one. Drainage is laid at the bottom of the pot, and a mixture of peat with sand, turf and leafy soil is used as soil. In this case, it is recommended to remove and change only the top layer of the old soil, trying not to touch the roots. The underground part of mimosa does not like contacts, therefore, they try not to touch the root system if possible and, moreover, not to cut it off.

Pruning

Even when grown at home, mimosa is usually considered an annual. By autumn, its shoots begin to stretch out strongly and lose their decorative effect. In order for the flower to please the eye longer, you will have to cut the elongated stems annually. If you then keep the pot in the light, the plant will quickly grow fresh shoots.

Pruning can be done at the end of flowering, but is best done in the spring. This method allows you to assess the degree of growth of old stems and the best way to form a bush. Fine pinching of young shoots can be carried out throughout the year.

Periodically, for perennial mimosa, it is worth carrying out not only formative, but also sanitary pruning. Dried twigs and broken leaves must be quickly cut off so that their drying does not lead to the discarding of neighboring ones.

Virulence

Mimosa pollen is a very strong allergen. That is why people with pollen allergies are not recommended to keep such a flower in the house. You should also promptly clean the mimosa pot from fallen inflorescences or leaves.

Growing mimosa from seeds

Seeds on a mimosa bush appear quickly - already in the first year of development at the end of flowering - by August or September. For them to ripen, it is necessary to provide the flower with a sufficient level of lighting. This allows the plant to be propagated annually. The germination rate of mimosa seeds is very high, they can not sprout only due to improper storage.The collected seeds must be held in a solution of potassium permanganate for disinfection, dried thoroughly and removed to a dark place.

Sowing is carried out until mid-spring. The planting material can be pre-soaked in water. Seeds are buried 0.5 cm into the soil of peat and sand, or simply lightly press them to the surface. The planting container is covered with a film, every day, briefly removing it for airing. This will save crops from the black leg. The optimum temperature for their germination is about +25 degrees. The first shoots may appear within a week. When the sprouts acquire a pair of true leaves, they are dived into separate containers with a diameter of about 7 cm.In this case, there may be 2-3 sprouts for each container. The soil is a mixture of sand, leafy earth and turf. When the sprouts get stronger and fill the container with roots, they are transferred into a new pot, which may be 4 cm larger than the previous one. Young mimosas should be taught to bright light carefully and gradually.

If mimosa is grown not at home, but in the garden, such seedlings are transferred to the open ground at the age of 2-3 months, when the threat of frost has completely passed. But gardening of mimosa is more suitable for residents of the southern regions.

Diseases and pests

Improper care or unfavorable conditions can lead to the following problems with mimosa:

• Yellowing of the leaves. Usually associated with overflow and stagnation of water at the roots.
• Flying leaves. The most common cause is irregular watering, but too polluted air can also contribute to this.
• Lack of colors. Mimosa does not bloom when there is a lack of lighting or because of cold indoor air.
• Lethargy and stretching of the stems. A common sign of a lack of light.

Spider mites and aphids are considered pests of mimosa. A tick can be recognized by the appearance of a thin cobweb on the leaves, as well as their fall. Aphids, on the other hand, cover the stems and foliage with a sticky bloom. They should be dealt with with the help of appropriate insecticidal preparations, repeating the treatment after a week. Mechanical methods of struggle will be inappropriate here.

Types of mimosa with photo

Silver acacia (Acacia dealbata)

As a rule, it is this plant that is represented with the word "mimosa". Acacia dealbata is a subspecies of it, often used in spring bouquets. The fact is that the flowering of this species occurs in winter and lasts until the beginning of spring.

Acacia is an evergreen tree that can adapt to adverse natural conditions. This allows you to grow southerner in countries with colder climates, but fairly mild winters. The average height of the silver acacia is 10 m, but there are also more impressive specimens, reaching up to 40 m. The trunk girth of such a tree is 60 cm. Its bark is grayish-brown in color, and the name “silvery” refers to the shade of young foliage. Acacia can have up to 20 pairs of small leaves on one plate of green dissected leaves.

Inflorescences of silver acacia are fluffy fragrant yellow panicles, consisting of small spherical flowers. After flowering is complete, pod fruits several centimeters long are formed in their place. They are filled with small dark seeds about 0.5 cm in size.

Mimosa bashful (Mimosa pudica)

South African perennial, which is considered a weed in its homeland, but is valued throughout the world as an ornamental crop. The maximum height of the bush can be up to 1.5 m, but usually they have a smaller, more modest size (35-50 cm). Mimosa pudica is notable for its flowers: they are fluffy lilac or pink balls located on long peduncles. The size of each flower reaches 2 cm. This mimosa blooms almost all summer. Flowering starts from the end of spring and continues until the very beginning of autumn. After its completion, pods with a large number of seeds are tied on the plant.

A distinctive feature of the bashful mimosa is the ability of its leaves to respond to external stimuli. If you shake her bush, they will begin to emit toxic substances, especially dangerous for animals. From a simple touch, the leaves immediately fold. After some time (20-30 minutes), they straighten back. But gardeners do not recommend carrying out such experiments on a flower too often. A constant sense of danger will weaken the plant's immunity. Mimosa is also able to react to the time of day and sometimes folds the leaves not only at night, but also on a dark, cloudy day.

Lazy mimosa (Mimosa pigra)

An evergreen perennial plant. The vertical shoots of such a mimosa are colored in a light green hue. The jagged foliage makes it look like a fern. Mimosa pigra can grow up to 50 cm in size. Flowering is abundant and lush. White spherical inflorescences are concentrated in the upper part of the bush. You can grow this species both in the garden and at home.

Rough mimosa (Mimosa scabrella)

This species includes not only shrubs but also trees. Moreover, the size of each plant directly depends on the place of growth. Due to this property, Mimosa scabrella is grown both outdoors and in houses and greenhouses. The plant is distinguished by its thermophilicity: the homeland of rough mimosa is the central and southern regions of the American continent. A cold draft or sudden cold snap can destroy the plant. It should also be protected from prolonged exposure to direct, bright sun.

The shoots are colored in shades of brown, the foliage is small in size. Inflorescences are yellow panicles of spherical flowers. At the end of the flowering period, fruits appear on the shrub, filled with dense seeds.