If a mimosa does not thrive, does not develop flowers or even dies, a disease is rarely to blame. It is almost always due to poor care or an unfavorable location when mimosas become diseased. Pest infestations can also often be traced back to care errors.
How do you prevent diseases in mimosas?
Mimosa diseases, such as root rot, are often caused by care errors such as waterlogging. To prevent this, water only when the soil surface is dry and use well-draining soil. Red spider mites, which occur in dry air, can be controlled by increasing humidity and targeted treatment.
Illnesses are caused by care errors
Root rot and shoot rot are the most common diseases in mimosa. They are always triggered by too much wetness.
When the leaves turn yellow, you should be vigilant and check whether the root ball is perhaps too moist. In this case, repot the plant into drier substrate and keep the mimosa drier for some time. Sometimes the plant can still be saved.
Care for mimosa properly
To prevent a disease such as root rot, water the mimosa properly. Never allow the root ball to dry out completely, but be sure to prevent it from becoming too moist.
Do not water until the soil surface has dried out by several centimeters. To be on the safe side, do the finger test. Do not leave water in the saucer or planter, pour it out straight away.
When repotting, place a drainage layer of sand or gravel at the bottom of the pot so that the roots of the mimosa are not directly in the water.
What to do if you have a pest infestation?
Red spider mites are a real problem with mimosas. They can be recognized by the small webs that appear on the leaf axils. The pests suck out the leaves, causing them to turn yellow or fall off.
The infestation is caused by room air that is too dry. You can prevent this by ensuring more humidity by setting up open water bowls.
If you have an infestation, you can try washing the spider mites off with a spray jet. However, you won't catch all pests. There are commercially available combatants (€28.00 on Amazon) that are inserted into the soil and removed via the leaves.
Tip
Mimosa doesn't grow very tall. With optimal care, they can reach a size of up to 50 centimeters. If they occasionally lose a few leaves, this is normal and not a sign of disease.