A flower whose leaves fold up at a touch - perfect for a home with kids
Everyone knows plants are motionless, but in the wondrous plant kingdom, some plants can "move." Plants like the sensitive plant (Mimosa pudica) and sundews (Drosera) react with movement after being stimulated from the outside. Just gently touch one of its leaves with your hand, and its leaflets quickly fold together, like a shy little girl.
What does the sensitive plant look like?
Complete Guide to Flower Growing
The sensitive plant is very delicate and slender, with oval emerald-green leaves that look much like feathers. There is a single leaf stalk in the middle, and tiny tender leaflets stack in repeated layers, arranged in the shape of a palm.
The sensitive plant looks delicate, but it is actually a very easy plant to grow. You only need to pay attention to soil, watering, fertilizing and sunlight, and it will grow very well~
How do you grow the sensitive plant?
Complete Guide to Flower Growing
The sensitive plant is a warmth-loving plant, so it is best to sow it when the temperature is relatively high.
When the temperature is around 25°C, sow the seeds one by one in a flower pot and gently cover them with about 2mm of soil.
The sensitive plant can be managed with minimal fuss; it is not picky about soil, and ordinary vegetable garden soil is enough for it to grow very well.
Water it with a watering can to keep the soil moist, and within the following 3-7 days, lovely sprouts will emerge from the soil.
For a newly sprouted sensitive plant, do not rush to expose it to direct sunlight, because the young sprouts cannot withstand intense sun and may easily die.
You should start with 1-2 hours and gradually increase the sunlight until it receives full sun.
When the sensitive plant grows to about 5cm, you can start fertilizing. Fertilizing once a week can make it grow quickly, with lush green leaves~
At this stage the seedlings are still small, so when fertilizing, strictly follow the rule of "weak fertilizer, applied frequently." Never use too strong a concentration, as burning the seedlings would be bad.
As it grows bigger and bigger, the small pot it was sown in can no longer meet its growing needs. At this point you need to repot it; prepare a 15-18cm flower pot and plant it there.
For good growth, you can pinch the top once. Remove the top 2cm, so the side branches below can grow. Then you will have a large pot of sensitive plant~
Before pinching:
After pinching:
The sensitive plant generally has few pests and diseases. The most common pest is the slug; if you find any, you can scatter some lime powder to control them. If the plant is not growing well, check whether the light source is insufficient or the water is not enough.
The sensitive plant's flower is a cute pink fluffy ball, swaying in the wind and very adorable. But note that after the sensitive plant blooms, producing seeds will affect its growth. Once seeds form, the plant will slowly turn yellow and die...... For the normal growth of the sensitive plant, once flowers appear, they should be removed.
Note:The stems of the sensitive plant have thorns, so everyone must be careful when playing with it and not get pricked~
Why is the sensitive plant so shy?
Complete Guide to Flower Growing
The sensitive plant closing its leaves is a way for the plant to protect itself. The sensitive plant's original home is far away in South America, where there are often strong winds and heavy rain. Whenever the first raindrop hits a leaf, it quickly closes its leaves.
This is because at the base of the sensitive plant's leaf stalk there is a part called the "pulvinus," which contains thin-walled cells. When the leaf is touched from the outside, the vibration travels to the pulvinus; then the cell sap in the thin-walled cells immediately flows into the intercellular spaces, reducing the cells' ability to swell, and the leaf automatically closes. The leaf stalk and young branches also droop at the same time. After a few minutes of "calm," they return to normal.
That is all for today's introduction.
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