How to grow a Night Beauty flower outdoors

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

Often in the gardens, both beginners and more experienced summer residents, you can see a plant called Night Beauty. This very beautiful plant takes root well in summer cottages and does not require much effort when planting and caring for.

Varieties and varieties

The second name of the plant is Mirabilis. So, let's take a look at what varieties of mirabilis exist and which one should be planted for you in the presence of certain conditions.

1. Iolanta … The shrubs of the night beauty of this variety often grow to about 50 cm. Despite their small growth, the bushes have thick stems, so this variety is especially suitable if there are often strong winds in your area. The flowers have a bright color and stripes throughout the bud. The bush blooms from mid-June to late autumn until the first frost.
2. Red lollipop … This night beauty shrub is more impressive in size and can reach a height of almost 1 meter. It has smooth stems that branch from above. The flowers of the red candy, respectively, are bright red and quite large - their diameter is 6 cm.
3. Elvira … A small bush with lush leaves of a dark green hue. The flowers are bright, do not have a certain color and reach a maximum of 3.5 cm in diameter.

Looking at the above characteristics and photos, think about which type of plant is most suitable for you. It is worth noting that they are all the same in planting and grooming.

Growing flowers for seedlings

There are several ways to plant mirabilis. Consider the first of these, when the seeds are first planted in pots. It is best to use this planting method until mid-April. Before planting seeds in the ground, their strong shell must be slightly damaged with sandpaper, then place the seeds in a container that retains heat with water and leave for 24 hours. This manipulation will help increase the likelihood of seed germination.

The pots, in which the seeds will be for the first time, should be filled with the following composition:

• sod land;
• decayed marsh plants;
• humus (can be replaced with compost);
• clean sand;
• wood ash - oh, 5 cups per 5 liters of soil, or dolomite flour - 2 tablespoons per 5 liters of soil.

Mix all the ingredients well together and fill the pots with them more than half. It will be very good if you pour the fungicide solution on the already packaged soil. Seeds are planted based on the ratio of 2 seeds to 1 small seedling cup. Then they are sprinkled with earth and sprayed with water.

It is worth keeping seedlings at a temperature of at least 20 degrees, then after 6 days you will see the first shoots. At this time, the seedlings need the maximum amount of light.

When you see the first large leaf on the sprout, cut off the smaller one that is closest to the ground so that it does not interfere with the first one.

When the mirabilis reaches a height of 16 cm, feed it with mineral fertilizers. At the same time, you can begin to accustom the night beauty to external climatic factors. To do this, take the seedlings outside or place them under an open window for 2 weeks, increasing the time spent in their natural environment every day.

Transplanting sprouts into open ground

It is worth planting mirabilis in late spring, when the soil has finally warmed up. Around this time, they reach a size of 15 cm. Here are some tips for choosing a place to plant a night beauty.

1. Plant flowers in an area that is well lit by the sun. The Mirabilis love it.
2. The ideal soil for a night beauty is clay or loamy with a little lime.
3. Too wet soils are enemies of the night beauty, since the plant does not like a lot of moisture.
4. It is worth replanting mirabilis in pits together with the soil that was in the pot. Therefore, make sure that the holes are fairly deep.
5. Two hours before planting in open ground, the flowers are watered to make them easier to remove from the pots.

At the end of all planting work, water the night beauty again abundantly.

Growing mirabilis from seeds in the open field

Planting and caring for a night beauty flower will take less time if you plant them directly outdoors, as shown in the photo. To do this, you need to follow a few simple steps.

1. Prepare the seeds for planting with sandpaper and a thermos. We described in detail how to do this in the paragraph on growing a night beauty for seedlings.
2. At the end of April, make furrows up to 3 cm deep for the seeds.
3. Plant the prepared seeds in the furrows several at a time. The distance between seed groups should be more than 40 cm.
4. Lightly cover the furrows with soil and water the plantings with warm water.
5. Until shoots appear, keep the planting sites covered with non-woven material (film). If at this time in your region it is already quite warm weather without night frosts, then this step can be omitted.

When the first shoots appear, they must be thinned out.

Night beauty care

Night beauty flower care, like planting, has its own nuances. But the result is worth it - just look at the photo and make sure of it. The main point is abundant watering. During drought, mirabilis should be watered with plenty of water up to 3 times a week.

If the summer is rainy, then there is no need to water the mirabilis at all. The soil around the flower must be periodically loosened and weeds removed. It is most convenient to do this after watering.

Mirabilis need to be fed several times during the season. You can use compost or humus as fertilizer. But fresh organic fertilizers, on the contrary, are not recommended. The night beauty also loves mineral fertilizers with a small percentage of nitrogen content.

Signs of diseases and pests

The night beauty is famous for its high resistance to diseases and pests. Moreover, practically no pests can attack mirabilis, and of the diseases there are only a few that summer residents should really be afraid of. Such ailments include root rot, which occurs as a result of too much watering.

As a pity, the night beauty flower will have to be removed from the ground despite all the efforts put into planting and caring for it. After all, such a beautiful flower, as in the photo, will definitely not grow, but will only infect other plants. For prophylaxis, treat the soil at the site of growth of a diseased bush with a fungicide solution.

Rust and other types of spotting can also affect mirabilis, or rather, their leaves. You can get rid of this fungal disease by tearing off the infected leaves and watering the flowers with the same fungicide solution.