One of the most frequently asked questions regarding Mimosa Hostilis is, of course, how to grow it. Here is the simplest method:Start by heating some water to just under boiling. To help facilitate germination, make a small cut at the roundish end of each seed and soak them in the water for 30 to 60 minutes. You want them to swell, as these seeds are more likely to germinate than the seeds which have not swollen. You can reheat the water and try soaking those seeds again. It is usually a good idea to refrain from using tap water when growing anything. Distilled water is much better for this purpose.
Wet down a paper towel and wrap your swelled seeds in it. Put this wrap into a plastic bag and set it in a safe place, away from direct sunlight. Check it every other day for signs of germination. Rewet the towel, if it feels dry to the touch. The seeds should begin to sprout in no less than a week.
Fill some small pots with perlite or some other kind of non-organic grit, one per seed. Plant each seed two inches deep and place the pots in a well lit location. Rain forest is humid and the light is filtered through dense vegetation and mist, so the growing area shouldn’t be exactly hot or in direct sunlight. You must keep the planting medium thoroughly moist, but not soggy, over a period of 2 – 6 weeks as your plants germinate and go through the earliest stages of development.
As they grow to be a few inches tall, transplant them into organic soil with lots of room for the roots to grow and more of the same, filtered ligting and dense, humid warmth. Water them regularly and, as they begin to establish root structure, introduce to the soil an occasional liquid fish fertilizer or some vegetarian alternative, if you prefer, such as Earth Emulsion.
Mimosa Hostilis can grow to be over 25 feet tall and can reach half that height in less than 5 years.
