Mimosa shy at home: growing and grooming

Mimosa is bashful from the southern subtropical regions of America. The natural environment of growth is its homeland and Brazil. This genus has more than 500 species. One of them is a "shy" mimosa, or, as it is called, "touchy", which is grown at home. This plant got its name for the ability of the leaves to fold and fall down at the slightest mechanical impact, as if embarrassed by something.

Description of the species

Mimosa modesty at home is a one-year, beautifully blooming herbaceous half-shrub. This is an evergreen plant 30-40 cm high. The stems are branched, very light. They are covered with spines resembling thin hairs. Numerous leaves of light green twice-pinnate leaves are always twisted and lowered at night, and in the daytime - only when exposed to them. After a certain time, at rest, the leaves unfold.

A gentle plant is a mimosa shy. The flowers are pink or lilac. They are assembled into small, fluffy globular heads. Blossom 2-3 days and fall off. Fruits are formed on the ovaries during self-pollination of the plant and have the appearance of beans. They are not used for food, their poison can be poisoned. The flowering period is long in duration: it starts in summer and ends in autumn. Sometimes the mimosa is confused with the silvery acacia, which represents the Mimozov family, but is not a plant with that name. The main difference is that its flowers are yellow.

Cultivation

Mimosa shameful at home prefers lighted places. She does not like wind, drafts and extraneous smells, especially tobacco smoke. In a smoke-filled room, its leaves curl and fall off. The best temperature for it in the summer is 20-25 degrees, and in winter it's 16. The shrub loves moisture, but in moderation. In the spring and summer periods it should be watered regularly and abundantly, in a strong heat to carry out sprinkling. And in winter, when the plant rests, it is enough to monitor the condition of the soil and prevent its drying out. Water as necessary. Overmoistening can lead to loss of decorativeness. On mild fertilized soil, the mimosa is rather shy. Cultivation from seeds makes it possible to get a lot of shrubs at the same time.

To plant fruit, the plant must be pollinated. This process can be done by yourself. It is enough to transfer the pollen with a brush or a soft swab. After this begins to form a pod. When it ripens and becomes dry, it is torn off and placed in a paper bag. In it, the pod will be stored throughout the winter, until the onset of spring. It is important to remember that this plant is difficult to keep in winter, it dies.

Transfer

Mimosa shameful at home grows like an annual, it does not need to be transplanted. If necessary, this is done in the following cases:

• When the bush is left for the winter and grown as a perennial plant.
• If the "touchy" gets sick, or the soil begins to rot.

The transplant should be done by transshipment. In a larger pot, the plant is placed with the lump of earth. First, the bottom of the pot is covered with pebbles, which will perform the function of drainage. The soil is prepared in advance. The land is mixed with sand, peat and rotted foliage. It is better to transplant the bush early in the morning or in the evening, when the sun sets.

Reproduction

Mimosa shy of seeds may well grow, but they need to be planted only in March and April. Their shape resembles beans or peeled peas on the sides, the peel of which is very dense and has a glossy sheen. For germination, you need to take a pan, pour in it the soil and lay the seeds, not sprinkling the earth. You can squeeze a little for better contact with the soil. Then the future shy mimosa is filled with hot water. Seeds will crackle, this is normal. The pan is covered from above with a lid. So it will maintain the necessary humidity. After a while, the beans will germinate. Will give amiable shoots mimosa shy. Cultivation from the seed - business Troublesome, but it's worth it.

Sprouted beans are planted in well-loosened soil. In a week there will be shoots. When they grow to the size of several leaves, they can be transplanted into separate pots with good drainage and sterile soil. To destroy bacteria, it is enough to shed it with a solution of potassium permanganate.

When and how to feed the mimosa?

"Shortcut", like any plant, you need nutrients. She gets them during feeding. It is carried out when the bush is actively growing. In the spring and until the middle of summer, the roomy mimosa is modestly fed by nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. These fertilizers are mixed in equal proportions and are introduced into the soil twice a month. In the second half of summer and before the beginning of autumn buds are formed. Therefore, phosphorus and potassium are needed in large quantities. To make the soil more nutritious, bone meal should be added to it . You can make top dressing complex mixtures for home colors. In autumn, the growth of shoots stops. At this time, the introduction of all kinds of fertilizers ceases. If you do not do this, you will not rest and the mimosa may become feeble. Growing a houseplant will not bring pleasure, as the shrub will lose its decorative features.

Beneficial features

"Impatiens" is known for its useful properties. It has long been used in many European countries in medicine. Nontraditional methods of treatment are not without the use of medicinal properties of this plant.

• Tincture of the leaves treats sore throat, lowers the temperature.
• Broth from the bark - dysentery and headache.
• Ointments treat burns and heal wounds.
• Preparations from mimosa purify the blood.
• Help in the treatment of the heart and nervous system.
• They put the liver and gallbladder in order.

What is sick and who is affected by mimosa?

• If the bush will experience an excess of moisture, its leaves will turn yellow and begin to curl in the afternoon.
• When a plant grows in a room where tobacco smoke is always present, it throws off the foliage.

• Falling leaves are also associated with irregular watering.
• With lack of lighting and low air temperature, the mimosa feels uncomfortably bashful. Flowers under such conditions of detention will never appear.
• If the "touchy" slowly grows and does not blossom, you need to pay attention to the soil: it is obviously depleted. In this case, you urgently need to feed the plant and create the necessary conditions for growth.
• If mimosa modesty at home was infected with a spider mite, its leaves begin to turn pale. After a while they become yellow and wither. Numerous green or yellow dots and webs appear on them. This means that the room is too dry and the air is hot.
• At the first signs of infection of aphids, the leaves of the plant twist and turn yellow. Small black or green bugs appear on the shoots. This is the aphid. It feeds on the juice of cells and inhibits growth.

To fight pests, they must be collected manually, and then washed off with soapy water or wiped leaves on both sides. In case of severe damage, spraying with chemicals is used. The most important thing for a plant to be comfortable in your home is to create favorable conditions for its growth. Then many negative consequences can be avoided.

Interesting Facts

The mimosa mimosa plant reacts very quickly to any touch or mechanical vibrations. As a result of the experiments it was revealed that the plant remembers stimuli and somehow adapts to them. If the same periodicity to drip on a mimosa water, it will cease to collapse. After some time, we will again work on the plant in a similar way. The result will surpass all expectations: "touchy" will behave quite calmly.

An interesting fact is the festival of mimosa in France. This feast was first held in the province of Pierre-Risch in the early twentieth century. At present, he has not lost its importance. Mimosa thickets cover numerous hills. Thousands of flowers produce a pleasant, rich flavor. The flowering of mimosa in France means the end of winter and the beginning of spring. In honor of the holiday of flowers throughout the country are parades.