Mysterious night beauty-flower, photo, planting and caring for the plant

When a night beauty flower blooms, it would be interesting to see and learn a photo, planting and caring for it. A friend gave me seeds, I sowed them in the country. We only go there for the weekend in the afternoon, and in the evening we go back to the city. Yesterday morning I noticed buds on my bushes, but I did not see the flowers themselves during the day. I don’t understand, they were ripped off by someone or was it some kind of illness and they crumbled without opening?

Originally from warm African countries, this plant grows mainly in the southern latitudes of our homeland. Our gardeners fell in love with it not for large flowers, but for their original coloring and feature of flowering at night. Therefore, a night beauty is called a flower, a photo, planting and caring for which is not so difficult as it might seem due to the origin of the culture. In our climate, he feels comfortable enough and nothing prevents him from blooming profusely and for a long time.

The scientific name of the plant is less known - it is mirabilis, that is, "amazing". And there is something to be surprised at: this is the coloring, which on the same bush can be very different for different flowers. And, of course, the very time of flowering - at night. Although there is a fairly understandable explanation for this, because it is at night that mirabilis is pollinated by hawk moth. And this butterfly does not move during the day, only after sunset.

Night beauty flower - photo, planting and caring for it

By its nature, mirabilis is a perennial plant. But he usually does not survive our winters and dies off. As an annual, mirabilis most often propagates by seeds - they are large, sprout quickly enough and practically everything.

There are two ways to plant seeds:

1. At the end of March, sow each seed in a separate glass with light nutritious soil. Transplant seedlings into the garden in the last decade of May.
2. When the frosts pass, at the end of April, plant the seeds immediately in the open ground in the holes, keeping a distance of 40 cm.You can put a couple of seeds in each, then lush curtains will grow.

In order for the seeds to sprout faster, they are recommended scarify and soak before sowing.

How to care for a night beauty

For mirabilis, it is necessary to take away a solar flower bed, where he can show his beauty in full force. It is not worth planting in the shade - there the bushes will begin to stretch out. Because of this, shoots, especially young ones that are fragile, will break.

Caring for a night beauty consists of frequent but moderate watering. You cannot fill it, the flower does not like this. The bushes do not need to be formed, they themselves turn into rounded balls. But if the mirabilis is reluctant to branch out, you can pinch the tops.

If the soil is fertile, the night beauty can do without top dressing. On poor soil, it is advisable to fertilize it at least three times per season. At the same time, only mineral complexes should be used for dressing. The flower does not tolerate organic matter, the root system dies from it.

After the end of flowering, in late autumn, usually the bushes here gradually die off, and in winter they completely disappear. But, if you wish, you can try to grow the night beauty as a perennial. In this case, reproduction by tubers will help - this is exactly the root of the plant. In the fall they need to be dug up and stored in the cellar, and in the spring they must be planted again in the garden.

Growing the night beauty mirabilis from seeds