Growing mirabilis (night beauty) from seeds and caring for the plant

Mirabilis, aka night beauty, is a flowering herb, native to South America. In the daytime, its flowers are closed, they open only in the evening, transforming the look of the bush. Mirabilis flowers are small "gramophone", which, opening for a while from evening to morning, exude a very pleasant, delicate aroma. In mild and tropical climates, the plant is perennial. In areas with cold, harsh winters, it is grown as an annual crop. The flower is unpretentious, and anyone can grow it in the garden. The bushes will delight with flowering from the third decade of May until the first autumn frosts.

When to plant?

When planting with seeds, the plant must be grown through seedlings. The optimal time for sowing is mid-April. Landing in a permanent place in the open field is carried out in the first decade of May, after the threat of frost has passed.

In warm weather, let us sow seeds directly into the ground at the place where mirabilis is planned to be grown. Suitable dates for this are from late April to early May.

Drop off location

Areas for planting mirabilis should be selected with good lighting and protected from the wind. Even partial shade negatively affects the state of the plant, which is why the flowers on it turn out to be small.

It is also unacceptable to plant mirabilis in areas with acidic soil and in those where stagnant water occurs. When choosing a place for planting, it is worth considering the fact that the bushes are large and occupy a significant area.

Planting seedlings

Growing seedlings with a dive is an undesirable method, as unnecessary transplants only weaken the plant. It is best to plant the seeds in small pots one at a time. The containers selected for planting must have drainage holes.

The soil for growing seedlings needs light and nutritious: peat, river sand and sod land are mixed in equal amounts. To improve drainage, you can put some gravel on the bottom of the containers taken for seeding.

6 hours before planting in the ground, the seeds are wrapped in a damp cloth. Their peel is dense, and without preliminary soaking, seedlings will appear late. Seeds should be planted in the soil to a depth of no more than 15–20 mm. After planting, the soil is spilled with settled water.

Seedlings appear in 14-15 days. As soon as the first true leaf is formed, the seedlings can be taken out on warm days in the sun for hardening. Plants should be planted in a permanent place no earlier than 4 true leaves appear on each sprout. After planting the seedlings, so that it adapts faster, cover the flower garden with foil. The bushes are opened 4-5 days after planting.

With direct sowing of seeds into the ground, there are almost no differences from planting them on seedlings. The only thing that needs to be done is to cover the flower garden with foil so that the night temperature drop does not interfere with the germination of the night beauty. The plants are opened in the phase of 3 true leaves. In case of recurrent frosts, the flowers are covered again.

Care

The plant is undemanding to care, but this does not mean that you can completely ignore it. The mirabilis will need minimal care.

• Watering

The southern plant tolerates drought well, and does not require abundant watering. At the same time, with a prolonged absence of water, mirabilis will cease to bloom. In case of heavy rains, the flowers are not watered. If the weather is dry for more than a week, then every 4-5 days, evening watering is carried out. At this time, care must be taken so that water does not fall on the leaves of the plant.

To preserve soil moisture for a longer period after watering, it is recommended to loosen and mulch with sawdust.

• Top dressing

Lack of nutrients in the soil causes poor flowering. Fertilizers should be applied once a month. It is recommended to use complex formulations for decorative flowers. It is also helpful to feed the plants using wood ash. To do this, the bush must be well watered with settled water, and then sprinkle the soil around it with ash. Organic feeding is not required for the night beauty, as they will acidify the soil, and the plant does not like this. You should not feed the flower and more often than the recommended one, as the excess of nutrients will become a strong impetus for the growth of leaves, but not for the laying of buds.

• Weeding and loosening

The plant requires high soil air permeability. Because of this, it is necessary to loosen the soil around the bush at least once a week. At the same time, weeds are removed, if any. Such care is carried out in the evening, when the sun will not excessively evaporate moisture from the soil.

Major diseases and pests

Mirabilis is highly resistant to pest attacks, as well as to most common garden flower diseases. Sometimes, with excessive watering, the florist may encounter decay of the bush. It is no longer possible to save the plant in this state. Therefore, a diseased bush is dug up and thrown away (it is unsuitable for compost), after which the earth is watered with a manganese solution.
In rare cases, spotting may appear on the flower, which is a fungal disease. In such a situation, all diseased parts of the bush should be cut off and then treated with an antifungal compound, which can be purchased at a flower shop. If more than 1/3 of the bush is affected by the disease, then it makes no sense to treat it - it is better to burn the plant to avoid spreading the infection.

Mirabilis, with the right place for planting and proper care, will delight the owner with flowering for a long time. The bushes look beautiful both in individual plantings and in a flower bed, so you can find a place for them in any garden. Growing seedlings from seeds will allow you to achieve the earliest possible start of flowering.