Friend Gave me a Mimosa

**Seamus** · #1 October 29th, 2006, 07:15 PM

My friend gave me a small Mimosa plant today, she said she had grown it from a seed that she planted at the end of the summer, but it . Its in horrible shape, very stretched and it only have one good fan of leaves. It seems to be in some sort of sponge, with soil around it and mulch ontop of the soil. There are no drainage holes in the pot and the poor thing is held up by a tripod made of sticks. I'm wondering if I could plant the Mimosa deeper in the soil to cover up the majority of the stem or if this would just encourage rot? Any other tips? Soil mixes?

**Nandan Kalbag** · #2 October 29th, 2006, 07:27 PM

It may be water mimosa "Neptunia prostrata".

**Seamus** · #3 October 29th, 2006, 07:41 PM

My friend couldn't give me any specific information on the type of Mimosa. I think it might be Mimosa Pudica though, it looks very similar to all the Pudica pictures online. Any planting tips?

**Rima** · #4 October 30th, 2006, 02:18 AM

Hi - It obviously seems to be suffering from lack of sun (to begin with!). The sponge (is it grayish?) is often used like a peat pellet to start nursery plants with and the plants eventually outgrow it, so it just disappears in the rootball - it's not a problem. It has to be grown as an indoor plant where we are (NS) but try to give it some grit in the mix for fast drainage and don't water any more often than the soil 'dryness' calls for, in other words not to a schedule, but only when it's needed.

**Seamus** · #5 October 30th, 2006, 05:41 AM

I've moved it onto my windowsill, which is the sunniest place in my room. There is a bit of supplimentary light along my windowsill, a pair of 24w cool spectrum fluorescent tubes. Its only on for about 3 hours a day in the early morning when the sun is still being blocked by the other houses. The sponge looks like an aquarium filter sponge, but the rootball seems to have pretty well taken it over so it must not be hurting it. I think today I'll trim the dead/dying leaves off if it and plant it deep enough to cover up most of the stretched out stem and we'll see what happens.

**Rima** · #6 October 30th, 2006, 05:46 AM

Hi, can I recommend a higher wattage light (I use 40 just a few inches away), and the equivalent (however you work it) of 14 hrs/day - 3 would be adequate only if you had really bright sun there all day long)?

**Seamus** · #7 October 30th, 2006, 05:54 AM

They only get direct sunlight for about half of the day, the rest is fairly weak indirect light. I think I might just go out to homehardware today and get a few new fixtures, its too bad that whenever I go out to buy plant supplies (I'm an 18 year old male) I get the strangest looks. Maybe because it doesn't fit my profile, or maybe because they think I'm growing something other then houseplants...

**Rima** · #8 October 30th, 2006, 08:23 PM

If you can spring for a 4' flourescent fixture, 1-2 35-40w bulbs for it, and remember to change them every 6 mos. or so (their half-life is not long, and while they'll still illuminate for a long term afterward, the plant-growing aspects won't be so good) you'll be set for some time (though do remember also that the middle part of the tubes give off the most useful light, and it drops off fairly fast near the ends - which is why 4' long to me would be the minimum length.