Mimosa Project...

[TooCoys]

Way back in the early 70’s, my late grandfather planted 4 mimosa trees. We played on them as kids, climbing them etc.

When my grandmother decided to sell her house some years ago, my father dig up a seedling from those trees, and brought it back to my parents home. My mother never planted it in the ground and it grew through the plastic pot.

The other day she came home and found that the weather had knocked it over. It’s now cut down and sitting at the side of the road for pickup.

A week or two before it fell down, she had brought me some seed pods. Of the seed pods I had 10 fully developed seeds, and of those 10 only 2 sprouted.

It’s probably a bit dumb, but because these trees have been in the family for 40 years I feel the utmost importance to keep these going. My mom is going to get more seed pods for me to grow so that we can get some trees planted at the family farm: land which has also been in the family for a hundred years or more.

 

[TooCoys]

And this is the two seedling today. That bigger one in the bottom has grown those two leaves since yesterday. It seems to like the sun a lot!

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Can you salvage any of the trunk that fell over? That’s what I’d be going for.

 

[TooCoys]

It’s huge. I wouldn’t even know what to do with it.

I told my mom to have my dad cut the trunks down some an replant the rootball in the back yard. Not sure what they’ll do with it.

 

[coh]

It's not dumb at all, plants have great sentimental value. When my parents died and we were getting ready to sell the house, I dug up and brought some plants up here with me. I could have gotten them from a garden center but this way I feel like I've got something my mom actually touched and worked on. Actually, I wish I'd brought more plants back with me, especially since I found out that the new owners basically tore everything up and started over.

Good luck with the seedlings.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

It's not dumb at all, plants have great sentimental value. When my parents died and we were getting ready to sell the house, I dug up and brought some plants up here with me. I could have gotten them from a garden center but this way I feel like I've got something my mom actually touched and worked on. Actually, I wish I'd brought more plants back with me, especially since I found out that the new owners basically tore everything up and started over.

Good luck with the seedlings.

Agreed. I dug some “surprise lilies” from my grandparents yard maybe 10-12 years ago, and have moved them twice and they always grew, but never bloomed. My grandpa died in January, and this year they bloomed for the first time. We have peonies from 4 generations back on my wife’s side growing in our yard now too. Great connection to the past.

 

[TooCoys]

Here is the seedlings two days ago.



And today.

 

[RobertB]

I pulled up two seedlings last yr and they died in the fall for no reason.

Would like to try and collect a larger specimen to try again.

 

[TooCoys]

Did they die or did they just go dormant? Because mimosas look really dead during the winter.

 

[TooCoys]

Growing growing growing....

 

[cheap_walmart_art]

I keep meaning to dig one of these up sometime, but i can never find one I like. A mimosa won the "people's choice" at my club's summer show this year, and started an entertaining conversation about a local invasive species winning an award. I'm glad your seedlings are doing well!

 

[TooCoys]

Still growing nicely!

 

[BonsaiNaga13]

I dug up 2 from my yard this spring about 3-5 years old and one seedling. If I'm not heavy on weeding I'll have some randomly growing in my rose beds. Anyone know how to get em to flower as bonsai? An article I read said they flower after 10 feet tall not a particular age. So I guess plant in the ground let grow and cut back hard? Seen some good looking flowering mimosa bonsai pics.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I dug up 2 from my yard this spring about 3-5 years old and one seedling. If I'm not heavy on weeding I'll have some randomly growing in my rose beds. Anyone know how to get em to flower as bonsai? An article I read said they flower after 10 feet tall not a particular age. So I guess plant in the ground let grow and cut back hard? Seen some good looking flowering mimosa bonsai pics.

It is probably not specific height that triggers blooming. Rather a combination of age and health of tree. These need full sun, and probably need to be at least 5 years old to begin blooming. The more branches and leaves, the more vigorous the tree. The more vigor, the more likely it will bloom.

 

[TooCoys]

These things grow fast! I guess that’s why they’re considered invasive. Mine are putting on branches daily.

 

[TooCoys]

Haven't seen these for a few days now, but I checked on them this afternoon and they've shot up! The stems are already changing texture and hardening up.

 

[TooCoys]

And my dad cut the branches off the fallen tree and placed the stump back in its hole and it’s sprouted again as well.

 

[TooCoys]

I can’t believe this thing is growing so well. The other one is growing well to but is much smaller.

My moms tree stump has restarted growing as well!