How to Grow Mimosa Pudica From Seed

Mimosa pudica, also called sensitive plant, has delicate, fern-like foliage that reacts to physical touch by folding upward. The leaves are also sensitive to lack of light and move on their own after darkness falls. Mimosa pudica is a tropical plant that cannot tolerate exposure to temperatures below 65 degrees Fahrenheit and must be grown indoors in most locations. It thrives in fertile soil and full or partial sunlight. The plants grow readily from seed at temperatures of approximately 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The seeds take from two to three weeks to sprout.

Things You'll Need

3-inch planting cups
Loam
Peat moss
Perlite
Clear plastic wrap

Scissors
4-inc or 6-inch planter
Balanced water-soluble fertilizer
Pruning shears

Instructions

- 1
  Fill a 3-inch planting cup with 2 parts loam, 2 parts peat moss and 1 part perlite.
- 2
  Add just enough water to dampen the growing mixture. Plant two Mimosa pudica seeds in each cup and cover them with a 1/8-inch layer of soil.
- 3
  Place a piece of clear plastic wrap over each cup and move them to a location with temperatures of approximately 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 4
  Add moisture only if the surface of the soil feels dry. Remove the plastic when the first Mimosa pudica seedling emerges.
- 5
  Thin the seedlings by cutting the weakest two in each container off level with the soil.
- 6
  Transplant the seedlings into 4-inch or 6-inch planters filled with the loam, peat moss and perlite mixture when they are 4 to 6 inches tall. Plant only one Mimosa pudica seedling in each planter.
- 7
  Feed once each week, during spring and summer, with balanced, water-soluble fertilizer applied at half the suggested strength. Reduce feeding to once each month during winter.
- 8
  Snip off bloom heads as they fade, unless you plan to harvest seed.

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