Night beauty is a flower that blooms in the evening, usually around 16: 00-18: 00, when the day's temperatures cool down. These funnel-shaped flowers come in variations of yellow, red, white, pink or striped. The plant continues to bloom from spring throughout the summer, until the first colds of autumn. Planted outdoors, it can reach a height of between 46 and 91 cm, or be a little lower when grown in pots.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Planting in the Outdoor Garden
Step 1. Wait until the temperatures are no longer warm
Plan to plant the seeds during the spring when the danger of frost has passed.
- Depending on where you live, the period can vary between early April and mid-May.
- Night beauty grows fast, so there's no need to plant her indoors early. It is advisable to wait until the weather is no longer warm, so that you can sow it directly outdoors.
Step 2. Soak the seeds
When you plan to plant the seeds, place them in a saucer the night before and cover them with water. Leave them to soak overnight.
- The pods of these seeds are very thick so there is a chance that they will not germinate well if they are not fully submerged.
- When ready, they should be slightly swollen, but still firm.
- Keep in mind that if you plant them during the rainy season, when the soil is completely soaked, it is possible to omit this step and plant the dry seeds directly in the garden.
Step 3. Choose a sunny location
Night beauty grows best when planted in a spot where it enjoys direct sunlight or is in partial shade.
- For optimal growth, choose a place that regularly receives 4-6 hours of sunlight per day.
- If there is too much shade, the plant risks withering, weakening and not producing flowers.
Step 4. Work the soil
Use a garden shovel or garden fork to dig up the soil in the area you are going to plant. Work it to a depth of 30 or 60cm.
It should not be necessary to modify the terrain. Although this flower is thriving when the soil is rich and well-drained, it generally thrives despite the conditions of the soil, even when the soil is of rather poor quality
Step 5. Gently insert the seeds into the soil
Place each seed in the soil with your fingers, no more than 1.25 cm deep.
Be sure to cover them with a layer of worked earth to protect them from the elements and wildlife, especially birds. They must not be deeper than 1.25 cm
Step 6. Place the seeds 30-60cm apart
Usually, one seed is planted every 30cm of space.
Over time, the need will arise to thin out the seedlings, so that they have a distance of 60 cm. For this reason, you can also choose to leave a space of 60cm between each seed, saving you the effort later
Step 7. Water properly
Gently water the seeds using a watering can or misting the water with a garden hose. Make sure the soil is completely moist, but not soaked.
- Keep in mind that seeds usually germinate for 7 to 14 days, depending on how high the temperatures are. The warmer they are, the faster the buds are born.
- It is imperative that the soil remains moderately moist when the seeds sprout. Do not soak it with water, however, otherwise you risk it leaking from the ground.
Part 2 of 4: Planting in Containers
Step 1. Soak the seeds
Arrange the thick-poded seeds in a saucer or cup. Fill the dish with just enough water to cover the seeds, and let them soak overnight.
- Since they have rather double pods, these seeds germinate much better when they soften in water.
- In any case, they should remain firm even after soaking, despite becoming a little softer and swollen.
Step 2. Find a suitable sized container
It is necessary to use a jar or other suitable container that has a capacity between 4 and 20 l.
The ideal would be if the vessel had four or five drainage holes. If you keep it indoors, place it on a saucer to prevent excess water from messing up when it drains from the jar
Step 3. Any type of all-purpose potting mix should work
These flowers do not need special soil.
Water well. Wet the soil with water before planting the seeds. It must be very moist, but not soaked
Step 4. Water well
Wet the soil with water before planting the seeds. It must be very moist, but not soaked.
- Let the excess water drain before you place the seeds.
- It is necessary to make sure that the soil is moderately moist throughout the germination process. This phase usually lasts a week or two.
Step 5. Place 4-7 seeds in the container
Gently press each seed 0.60-1.25 cm deep into the soil. Spacers evenly.
Four seeds should do well in a 4L bowl. If you use a 20-liter container, you can sow a dozen without the risk of them heaping up
Step 6. Place the container in direct sunlight
Place the container in a sunny spot where it can receive around 6 hours of sunshine per day.
- If it's warm enough, you can place the container outdoors on the porch, balcony, or yard.
- If they don't get enough sunlight, plants could grow long and thin and flowering could suffer as well.
Part 3 of 4: Daily Care
Step 1. Thin out the seedlings
Once the seedlings have taken root, prune them so that they are 60 cm apart.
- If you are growing them in containers or you still want them to stay low and not overgrowth, you can leave them only 20-30cm apart.
- Wait until the stems have already developed two sets of leaves before pruning them. Keep the healthiest and strongest ones and remove the weakest ones.
Step 2. Keep the soil moist
Night beauty is quite drought tolerant, but you shouldn't leave it without water for more than a day or two.
- Try to give the plants at least 2.5cm of water each week, whether it be rain or watering with a hose or watering can.
- Note that container-grown flowers require more regular watering than those planted outdoors.
Step 3. Apply a mild fertilizer every month
Choose a water-soluble, all-purpose flower fertilizer, and apply it before a rain or when watering your plants.
Choose a "10-10-10" fertilizer, which contains equal parts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. In doing so, it will promote the overall health of the plants
Step 4. Treat plants against insects and diseases only if necessary
The beauty of the night rarely has insect and disease problems, so we strongly advise against using methods to prevent these inconveniences.
If any problems arise, treat them with the appropriate pesticides or fungicides. The product can be both organic and chemical
Step 5. Consider extracting the tubers before winter
Each bush should produce a large tuber underground. If you live in a place where the climate is mild, you can safely leave it in the ground - this measure will not cause any damage to the plant. However, if you experience a particularly cold climate, you will need to remove it in late fall.
- Store the tubers by wrapping them in newspaper inside a cardboard box or wooden crate. You can also store them in peat moss or sand. Do not use plastic containers or other containers with lids as they risk rotting.
- Place the tubers in a garage, shed, or similar space. They should stay in a dry, dark environment all winter.
- Plant the tubers again in spring. In the same place where it grew, dig a hole large enough for the tuber. Place it back in the ground, cover it with soil and take care of the plant as before.
Step 6. Consider covering the area with mulch
If you do not want to extract the tuber from the ground, you can protect it during the winter by covering the area where you planted it with 2.5-5 cm of organic mulch.
- Organic mulch can consist of leaves, grass, wood chips, and newspapers.
- Mulch provides the right insulation and keeps the soil a little warmer.
- Be aware that, especially in cold climates, mulching may not be enough to protect the tuber during the winter.
- If you grow plants in containers, it is best to fill the container with mulch during the spring or summer to decrease water evaporation. This will prevent the soil from drying out excessively.
Part 4 of 4: Collecting the Seeds
Step 1. Wait for the seeds to be produced
Seeds are formed when a bush flower dries up and the stem falls off.
- Once dropped, you should see pea-sized black seeds around.
- Each plant should produce it in large quantities.
Step 2. Collect the seeds
Pick the seeds with your hands or wait until they fall off the stem on their own. If they fall to the ground, pick them up as soon as you see them.
- If, once fallen, they are left on the ground, other plants can grow there.
- Another way to harvest the seeds is to gently shake the stems that contain the seeds, making them come loose and fall to the ground all at once.
Step 3. Dry the seeds for 5 days
Spread them on a clean, dry paper towel and leave them in a dry place for five days.
- They can rot if stored while still wet, so this pre-drying step is very important.
- Dry seeds indoors to prevent birds and other animals from taking them.
Step 4. Keep them in envelopes
Place the dried seeds in a letter envelope. Label it, then seal it carefully and store it in a dry environment.
- You can also use paper bags. The paper allows air to circulate.
- However, do not use an airtight container, such as a plastic one. In this type of container, the seeds risk becoming moldy or rotting.
