How to grow Mirabilis outdoors

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

Mirabilis (Night Beauty) is a herb from South America. A photo of an ornamental plant allows you to appreciate the funnel-shaped flowers, which can be single or collected in attractive inflorescences. Correct fit and further care contribute to the beauty of the night beauty.

Flowers traditionally bloom in the afternoon and remain open throughout the night, but wither in the morning. Novice growers are interested in when to sow seeds and how to take care of the plant in the future. In fact, planting work is planned only for the warm season, after which care will please with ease and speed.

Features of planting works

Planting and caring for a night beauty flower are exactly those issues that deserve special attention.

For a flower, it is undesirable to choose damp and acidic soils. The plant thrives on a clay and loamy area, so it is advisable to add lime to the soil.

A suitable soil composition will contribute to the correct development of the ornamental plant.

Mirabilis is best grown with seeds. The most important thing is to know when to sow the seeds.

1. In the greenhouse, seeds can be sown in early April. It is desirable that the greenhouse be warm. It is recommended to soak the seed for about a day before planting to improve its performance. The sprouts will become a little stronger in 1-2 weeks, after which they are picked into correctly suitable containers. If necessary, tall plastic cups can be used to help the plant root properly. Then you need to know exactly when to sow the seeds outdoors after the greenhouse. It is advisable to plan an outdoor transplant for June, making sure there is no risk of spring frost.
2. In early May, you can plant seeds in an open area. This option is suitable for the southern regions of Russia. When planning when to sow seeds directly into the soil, you need to be guided by the weather conditions. It is advisable to abandon too dense planting. Flowers are best planted at a distance of about 40 centimeters from each other.

Sometimes for planting, you can save the tubers of the flower. They are sometimes placed for the winter in special containers filled with peat and sand. Then the containers are placed in a dry room, which should be warmed up to 3-7 degrees. It is important to note that this method of propagation of an ornamental plant can be ineffective.

Some tubers may die by spring, so consider when is the best time to sow southern plant seeds, taking into account the climate and weather conditions. The night beauty flower is southern, so it is very vulnerable to frost and needs warm, sunny weather. Frost can lead to the death of the plant, lack of lighting - to poor growth or lack of the desired decorative effect.

The southern flower will certainly surprise you with a strong aroma, therefore, it is not always recommended to plant a night beauty next to a residential building. Otherwise, planting and leaving will not cause any problems even for novice growers.

How to properly care for a plant

Having decided when to sow seeds, you need to take care of proper care. It largely depends on how beautiful the mirabilis flower will be. Many growers admire the photo of a southern plant, but in reality they can achieve similar results on their own and decorate their private territory.

In addition, planting and care is based on very simple principles that can be taken into account even by novice growers.

1. Lighting and temperature … Mirabilis is a southern plant, therefore it is very important to remember the correct temperature regime and sufficient illumination. The plant is recommended to be planted in sunny areas. Young flowers are very sensitive to spring frosts and low temperatures, so even in May, immediately after planting, a temporary warm shelter may be required. However, recently, hybrid plant varieties have appeared that have increased cold resistance.
2. Watering … The flower can tolerate a lack of moisture normally. That said, over-watering can be fatal. For this reason, moderate but regular watering of the plant should be observed. Severe drying out of the earth and the appearance of a coma are also considered highly undesirable.
3. Top dressing … The plant needs regular fertilization. It is advisable to use special liquid fertilizers, focusing on the state of the night beauty flower. Over-feeding can negatively affect the condition of the plants, so it is enough to schedule fertilization about once a month.

Dangerous diseases and pests

The flower can please with resistance to diseases, parasites. However, the southern plant is often attacked by root rot, which manifests itself with excessive watering. Unfortunately, a flower that has been affected by root rot must be removed from the site.

After removing the plant, you will need to treat the soil with a special fungicide solution. In the future, you will need to carefully monitor watering to prevent such a recurrence of the problem.

In rare cases, signs of rust or mottling may appear on the bushes of the southern plant. Both diseases are fungal. For this reason, all affected parts must be removed and further sprayed with fungicides.

How to increase the chances of successful plant growth

Mirabilis requires taking into account certain characteristics of its cultivation.

1. The first flowers should please with their appearance in June. If buds appear on the bushes of a southern plant, and they remain closed, more intensive watering will be required.
2. It is forbidden to use organic fertilizers for feeding. They can lead to decay of the root system. Mineral dressings are a good choice and are ideal for flowering crops.
3. It is recommended to regularly remove weeds from the ground and loosen the soil. You also need to regularly thin out the plantings, removing precisely the weak bushes of the southern flower. Such activities can improve the development of healthy plants.

The most popular varieties of Mirabilis

The southern ornamental plant surprises with the variety of its varieties. Every florist has the right to choose exactly the plant that fits perfectly into his private plot and emphasizes the adjacent territory to the house.

1. Elvira Is a herbaceous plant up to 60 centimeters tall. The cultivar can form a lush bush with bright green foliage and numerous flowers. On a white or yellow background of flowers, the diameter of which is up to 3.5-4 centimeters, you can notice pink blotches. Such beauty is guaranteed from July until the first frost in the fall.
2. Iolanta Is a large ornamental plant with flowers up to 2.5-3 centimeters in diameter. Flowers can be solid or with strokes, stripes. The variety of colors is surprising: yellow, white-pink, lilac. The buds open only after 4 pm and remain open until dawn. The flowering period, with proper care and conditions, begins in June.
3. Mathis - This is a plant with elongated-rounded bushes, the height of which reaches 30-80 centimeters. The flower petals are crimson and purple-red, white, yellow and orange in color. Flowers are almost always monochromatic.
4. Red lollipop … The plant can grow up to one meter. Large, funnel-shaped flowers often appear on wide and smooth stems. It should be noted that Red Lollipop is a variety that exhibits resistance to adverse weather.
5. Yalapa … This plant grows only up to 60 centimeters, but at the same time it surprises with its bright green stems and shoots. The bushes delight with monochromatic or multi-colored flowers, which open before night and close at 10 o'clock in the morning. In cloudy weather, Yalapa can delight with open buds throughout the day.

Planting and care will delight even beginners with simplicity, so the southern mirabilis plant will certainly delight with its beauty and become a worthy living decor of a private plot.