| Click on picture to Watch video: Sensitivity or TickleMe Plant Growing Tips! Here are some suggestions that can help your TickleMe Plants grow and stay healthy. Getting your seeds started Placing your seeds in a container of very hot water over night and then planting them will help them sprout faster. You can experiment with this. 1. Flower pots or cups can be covered with clear plastic wrap, but the clear wrap must be removed as soon as your TickleMe Plant™ begins to grow. 2. If you cover any of your containers with clear wrap, DO NOT put them in direct sunlight until you remove the plastic wrap. 3. Cool temperatures will prevent your TickleMe Plant™ from starting to grow leaves. Put them in a room with temperatures between 70° and 85° Fahrenheit. 4. Do not over water or allow the soil to dry out. 5. If temperatures are kept between 70° and 85° Fahrenheit, young TickleMe Plants™ can sprout in less than 7 days. However, if temperatures are lower, it may take 21 to 30 days for your TickleMe Plants™ to sprout. Once your TickleMe Plants have popped up above the soil: 1. Place your baby TickleMe Plants™ in a warm and bright or partially sunny location (the clear wrap or greenhouse cover must be removed at this time). 2. TickleMe Plants™ can be kept outside during times when the temperature does not fall below 65°. Put them outside for half an hour at first and increase time gradually each day. 3. Fertilize your TickleMe Plants™ in the spring and summer. 4. Frost will kill your TickleMe Plants™ so bring them inside once the temperatures drop below 65° or the leaves will turn yellow and fall off. Frequently Asked Questions "It has been several days, why aren't my TickleMe Plants growing?" Your TickleMe Plant can begin growing in as little as three days, if growing conditions are right. If the temperature is too cold (below 70° F), some TickleMe Plants may take up to 30 days to begin growing. • "How long does it take before I can tickle the leaves?" The first leaves will appear in about a week, however, the first leaves are NOT TickleMe leaves and will not move. About 3 weeks later TickleMe leaves will appear and close when tickled! • "How long does it take for the leaves to open and branches to lift back up after I tickle the plant?" The plant can open its leaves and lift up its branches in less than 15 minutes. It depends upon the time of day, as the closer to sunset the longer it takes the leaves to open. This may be due to the fact that the plant will close all its leaves to "sleep" at night. Colder temperatures and air conditioning tend to make the TickleMe Plant move more slowly when tickled. Cold temperatures also can delay the reopening of leaves and lifting back up of branches. • "How tall does the TickleMe Plant grow?" After about 2 months your baby pet TickleMe Plant will be about 5 inches tall. Some can even grow a few feet under the proper conditions. • "Do the leaves only move when touched by a finger?" Great question! NO! anything that comes in contact with the TickleMe will close the leaves. • "Will my TickleMe Plant flower?" Under the right conditions (enough light, correct temperatures, etc.) your TickleMe Plant should grow pretty pink puffy flowers during the spring and summer! • "Will it harm my TickleMe Plant if I tickle it too much?" It shouldn't harm them if you are gentle, however, too much tickling may make them less ticklish over time. • "How long does a TickleMe Plant live?" The life of a TickleMe Plant can vary from a few months to even a few years! • "Why does my TickleMe Plant move when I tickle it ? TickleMe Plants move when they are tickled. When tickled, their leaflets fold together quickly and the stalk on which these leaflets are located often droop down. The closing of leaflets and lowering of the stalks can occur like a wave, with one stalk drooping down onto another, causing the entire TickleMe Plant to fold down. The TickleMe Plant moves in response to being tickled because of the loss of turgor pressure in the leaflets. Turgor pressure is the force of the water and plant cell contents against the wall of cell in the plant.. This turgor pressure gives the plant the ability to stand up straight without wilting. When a leaf is tickled, chemicals in the plant cause water to move out of some of the plant's cells. When water moves out of some of the cells, this reduces the turgor pressure in the cells and causes the leaflets and stalks to wilt. Some scientists think the TickleMe Plant's movements may be a way that the plant protects itself from animals that attempt to eat it. When the TickleMe Plant moves, this may scare the animals, causing the animals to move on to a less active plant. No one knows for sure why the TickleMe Plant moves. Share your own ideas, with others as to why the TickleMe Plant moves. • Want to find out more about plant movements? Scientists call the reaction of the TickleMe Plant to touch, "Thigmotropism." Research the term thigmotropism to find out more about TickleMe Plants and other plants that move. • My five month old TickleMe Plant is developing thorns. Is this normal? Yes, as TickleMe Plants mature and may be about to flower, they develop some thorns. If this concerns you, the thorns can easily be removed with a nail clipper (with adult supervision). |
| Critchlow Alligator Sanctuary home of the famous Sensitivity/Tickle me plant |
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