Growing Your First Mimosa Tree

Upon searching the local freecycle I discovered a lady who was generously giving away Mimosa seedlings. Since I always like the challenge associated with growing and raising plants I was quick to jump on this opportunity. I contacted the kind women and she provided me with the need details to get to her location and retrieve the plants.

 

Upon arrival we dug up three of the healthier looking Mimosa plants and placed them into a plastic trash bag until we could get them home. Once at home it was time to plant these little jewels into a pot. We decided to place them into a large flower pot as opposed to planting directly into the ground since we are currently looking to purchase our own home in the near future. In this way we can take them with us to our new location.

 

Mimosa trees grow very fast and within a matter of only five to ten years they can quickly reach heights of 30 to 40 feet. Unfortunately, these are rather fragile plants and generally have a very short life span. The harsh winters that are expected in the northern portion of the country can quickly take its toll on these plants and the chances of them surviving are slim.

 

As with any plant there are downsides to growing and cultivating these varieties as well. In this case we have already mentioned its short life expectancy. It is also considered by many to be a very messy plant with its seed pods littering the nearby ground. If left unattended these pods will seed and cover your lawn rather quickly.

 

The trees ultimate fragrance and the attractive silk like flowers which appear on it are the primary reason people choose to cultivate this type of tree. It is fairly easy to grow these plants in your yard and they require little maintenance afterwards.

 

When getting ready to invest in these trees be sure to obtain a young tree or if you have the option you can start your plant from a seed pod. These pods are readily available from anyone who may have mimosa trees growing in their yard.

 

You should normally plant the tree in direct sunlight. Heat is one of the factors which are appreciated by this plant. After you have initially established your tree you should only water it during those periods of extreme dry spells. The mimosa tree is extremely tolerant of drought and survives well in alkaline soils. Normal rainfall is sufficient to water the plant and thus no additional attention to water is usually necessary.

 

You should inspect and remove any dead branches which you may discover on your plant. This will keep it healthy and ensure its survival. The trees wood is extremely weak and brittle while its spreading branches are continually prone to accidental breakage. It is this breakage of the trees branches that accounts for its limited life span. This tree has been known to attract webworm and suffers from vascular wilt. Unless you desire to have an abundance of mimosa trees you should regularly weed out any of the seedlings which may start to develop from the seed pods. Remember that these trees can become very intrusive making control a bit on the difficult side. Each tree can produce hundreds of baby trees from these dropped seed pods.

 

In the early spring you will want to fertilize your new mimosa tree. You would be best to do this prior to any new growth starting for the season. If the leaves start to turn yellow you may wish to give your tree a small shot of fertilizer to boast its immune system. Generally the yellowing of the leaves is a major indication of some sort of fungal disease. Unfortunately there is little that can be done to save your precious tree in this case however the fertilizer may be able to prolong its life and effectively slow down the disease progression.

 

By following these simple rules your tree may live to be ten to twenty years old and sometimes even longer. Good luck with your new seedling.

 

Copyright @ 2009 Joseph Parish

Source by Joseph Parish