How to grow the best sensitive plant
The editor will tell you about the best way to grow a sensitive plant and the introduction of green plant flowers, including the breeding methods and skills of the sensitive plant. Let's learn about it together below.
The sensitive plant is a perennial herb of the Fabaceae family, also known as the touch-me-not, bashful plant, shy plant, or timidity plant. This plant seems to have a sense like animals, and the leaves will slowly close when touched lightly, and if touched harder, the petioles will also droop. This is because the native area of the sensitive plant often has strong winds and heavy rains. When storms come, the leaves close and droop to reduce damage, which is an adaptation to adverse environments. The flowers, leaves, and pods of the sensitive plant have good ornamental effects and are easy to survive, making it suitable for potting on balconies and indoors.
Native to tropical America, it grows in open fields and shrublands in the south and southwest regions as a weed, and is often cultivated for ornamental purposes in the north. The sensitive plant prefers a warm, humid, and sunny environment, growing well in well-drained, organic-rich sandy loam soil. The plant is robust, grows rapidly, and is adaptable.
I. Propagation methods of the sensitive plant: The sensitive plant has a straight root system with few fibrous roots, and it is best to propagate by direct seeding to avoid root damage from transplanting. Usually, seeds are sown in April. To improve germination rates, seeds should be treated before sowing, by soaking them in warm water for 24 hours before planting to promote earlier germination. The common sowing methods include row sowing, furrow broadcasting, or bed broadcasting. After sowing, cover the seeds with soil so that they are not visible, and use straw or plastic film to keep the soil moist. Maintain the seedbed temperature at 15-20°C after sowing. Seeds will germinate in about 7 days. After germination, remove the covering material and gradually expose the seedlings to sunlight. When the seedlings grow to 3 cm tall, those sown in shallow pots can be transplanted.
II. Potting cultivation: Seedlings should be transplanted with soil, as they are not easy to survive otherwise. It is best to use clay pots for growing the sensitive plant, usually pots with a diameter of 10-15 cm. Potting in April to June is better. First, place broken tiles and coarse sand at the bottom of the pot, then fill in the potting soil, place the sensitive plant seedling in the center of the pot, straighten it up, spread the roots, fill the soil to half the pot, gently shake the plant to compact the soil, and plant it not too deep, keeping the rootstock level with the pot opening. If it's too shallow, it will affect survival; if it's too deep, it will affect the growth of the sensitive plant after transplanting. After planting, water thoroughly. After planting, keep the plant in a shaded environment for about a week before moving it to a sunny place.
III. Daily management: The sensitive plant requires a warm and humid environment with sufficient light. During the growing season, it should be placed on the balcony or in the courtyard, and moved to an indoor windowsill in winter, where a temperature above 10°C is sufficient for it to survive the winter. People often cultivate the sensitive plant as an annual or biennial herb, replacing it with new seedlings every year. The water and fertilizer management of the sensitive plant is very simple. Do not over-fertilize to avoid excessive growth and pay attention to timely watering.
In the North China region, to collect seeds, it is best to plant the pot seedlings directly in a sunny area in the spring, allowing the sensitive plant to flower in the summer and produce pods. Under the conditions of only having a balcony in an apartment building, larger pots can be changed as the seedlings grow, and fertilizer and water management can be applied, allowing seeds to be harvested. The germination rate of seeds from the previous year is very low, so seeds should be sown as early as possible after harvesting.
The above is a specific introduction to the best way to grow a sensitive plant and the breeding methods and skills, hoping to bring some knowledge of flowers to green plant enthusiasts.