On the backyards of summer residents, you can increasingly see an exotic plant with beautiful flowers and a magical smell. The flower is called mirabilis, or night beauty, its distinctive feature is the opening of buds in the evening and at night. During this period, its unique fragrance spreads throughout the district. No special skills are required to plant and grow this plant.
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Features of growing mirabilis
The flower is a night beauty native to Mexico. It became widespread in the 18th century. As a result of extensive breeding work, the following plant varieties have been bred:
- multi-flowered (up to 5 multi-colored buds on one bush);
- undersized;
- tall;
- terry.
You can find mirabilis with flowers that have a rainbow or striped color. Depending on the variety, the plant can be used as a hedge or border, for decorating flower beds and rockeries.
The cultivation of this ornamental crop can be done with tubers or seeds.
Sowing mirabilis in pots should be done in March-April in a universal moist soil. Before sowing, seeds must be germinated by wrapping them in a damp cloth and placing them in a warm place or soaking them in water for a day. The container with seeds is covered with foil or glass.
When green shoots appear, the shelter is removed. Young plants require a lot of light and moisture for normal development. After 2-3 weeks, flower picking and transplanting are performed. The night beauty is transferred to a permanent place after the threat of frost has disappeared.
Planting the plant with tubers in open ground is carried out in late April - early May. Before the onset of stable heat, young shoots are covered with a non-woven material.
Mirabilis care
Night beauty grows well on neutral loamy or clayey soils. Loves open spaces with lots of sunlight.
It is advisable to water the plant once every 3 days. In hot weather, additional irrigation is required.
The decorative culture reacts to a lack of light and moisture by stretching and scanty flowering.
For normal development, the plant needs regular feeding - once a month. Mirabilis responds well to organic fertilizers such as bird droppings or mullein. You can use humate infusion. Top dressing is applied to the root area of the plant.
The night beauty needs shaping. It is trimmed and pinched, getting any shape - a pyramid or a ball. The culture responds to this with exuberant flowering.
In the northern regions, the flower is dug up in the fall, the roots are dried and stored in the basement in a box with sawdust or sand at a temperature of 5 ° C.
In warmer zones, the night beauty is not dug out, but properly cut and mulched.
Knowing how to apply in practice simple recommendations for growing a flower, even an inexperienced gardener is able to cope with this task.
Have you tried growing mirabilis?
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