Mirabilis, planting and care in the open field. Mirabilis: the correct cultivation of the night beauty
If you are not the first year in gardening, then most likely you have already heard about amazing flower mirabilis. Its beautiful and unusual name corresponds to the external data of this culture. Mirabilis combines simplicity and attractiveness and bears the enigmatic name "night beauty", which he received for salient feature bloom flowers exclusively in cloudy times and shortly before evening. The plant pleases the eye and fills the space around it with an amazing aroma, which has a positive effect on the human psyche. This plant is of interest to many, so let's talk about mirabilis, growing from seeds, photo nocturnal beauties We'll see.
Mirabilis can produce flowers of various colors, depending on the cultivar. Petals can be purple, yellow, crimson, red, white, orange and yellow colors. Also, they sometimes appear multi-colored very beautiful stripes. In some cases, one bush gives flowers with petals of different colors, which can easily be explained by cross-pollination. various plants.
Many flower growers try to grow mirabilis because of its unpretentiousness. It is able to grow in areas that are practically not amenable to cultivation. With it, you can easily decorate the shaded areas of the garden, it is placed under fences, near trees and various outbuildings.
Mirabilis is great for forming a real hedge. It will not be high, unlike the bush, but it will differ in beauty and brightness. And beauty in our life is the key to psychological stability. Planting this culture will help to easily and unobtrusively break garden plot by sectors. So how do you grow it from seed in your garden?
seed propagation
After the plants have faded, they will form a lot of completely large seeds with a particularly hard shell. Their characteristics force the gardener to carry out very tricky manipulations before growing. Shortly before planting, the seed peel should be slightly damaged, for example, using a file or nail file, making shallow cuts on their surface. In the event that you do not have enough time for this procedure, seed mirabilis with a margin, because part planting material, most likely will not be able to ascend.
Prepared seeds are planted in early April in small pots. Seedlings are grown at home. The soil for planting should have a low level of acidity and be characterized by sufficient lightness. The plant does not tolerate excessive moisture, so watering should be moderate and rather rare.
You can choose another way to grow this crop. In the month of April, place mirabilis seeds in the ground, filling them with small boxes. These containers must be covered with polyethylene or glass and placed in a greenhouse. In the event that there is no greenhouse on your site, wrap the box well with several layers of polyethylene and put it in the warmest place. Seed germination will begin after about one week. After the appearance of the first sprouts, you can remove part of the insulation with landing tanks. When the first leaves form on the seedlings, the shelter can be completely removed from them. After some time, the plants dive into separate containers seven to nine centimeters in diameter.
open ground
Shortly before landing in open ground it is worth hardening mirabilis sprouts by taking them outside for a while. The transfer of plants is carried out after the soil warms up. The best time for this - the end of spring-beginning of summer, because during this period night frosts are no longer possible. Please note that the place for growing night beauties should warm up well, because they are thermophilic.
Planting of seedlings is carried out with an interval of forty-fifty centimeters between plants, deepening them quite strongly into the soil. Mirabilis grows remarkably on fertile, clayey or loamy soils. He is very loyal to the lack of moisture, withstanding long periods without artificial watering. However, water deficiency significantly delays the formation of buds, so young plants may not have time to give color before the end of summer season.
Care
As noted above, Mirabilis is very undemanding to care for. In order for the flowering of culture to be timely, in summer time It needs extra moisture. If the weather is hot and dry, watering is carried out once or twice a week in the evening. For the entire active growing season, three top dressings can be carried out using the full mineral fertilizer.
Do not use fresh organic matter, because it can harm the roots of plants and even destroy the bushes. Regular weeding, as well as the elimination of weeds, will benefit. If the plantings become very thick, they should definitely be thinned out, as a heap arrangement leads to mirabilis stretching and loss of lush flowering.
After the plant fades, wilted branches should be removed. If you don't want to allow self-seeding, collect the seeds every day.
AT autumn time you can dig up ripe tubers and send them for storage in the cellar or in the refrigerator. Optimum temperature for this there will be a mode of up to plus seven degrees.
Mirabilis is a plant of amazing beauty, the cultivation of which does not require special time and labor costs. From resistant to the effects of diseases and pests, and will definitely please you with a beautiful and lush bloom in gratitude for the easy care.
Mirabilis, he is the night beauty, he is also the royal beard. Inconspicuous during the day, the plant begins to reveal all its charm in the late afternoon and blooms and smells sweet all night. Mirabilis, landing and departure, a photo of this exotic guest, who knows how he came to our region - all this is certainly interesting. But practical gardeners will be more interested in the other side of the question: how much laborious process maybe growing mirabilis?
The answer is unequivocal - not how much! The plant, although from exotics, has long adapted to our climatic conditions and soil composition. It can grow in the most unsuitable areas for this. True, in this case, the flowering of mirabilis will be scarce, but the structure of the bush will remain, allowing you to form hedges (low and neat) or divide the site into zones. Our plant is unanimously recognized as an annual, requiring annual renewal and repetition of the traditional cycle: seeds-seedlings-plant. And at home - in warm South American countries, Mirabilis lives 4-5 years without any transplants. It is possible to make a royal beard a perennial plant, if desired, in our latitudes. To do this, it is only necessary to dig it up by the roots on the eve of the first frost and “preserve” it in some suitable container - just sprinkle it with soil and place it in the cellar until spring. For storage of mirabilis, the temperature will be optimal +70. If you have enough time, you can slowly grow strong and healthy Mirabilis sprouts on the windowsill, so that later, when the frosts recede, you can transfer it to the open ground. It is completely unpretentious, mirabilis, planting and caring for a plant can vary from seedling to seed method (that is, planting directly in open ground). In both cases, the night beauty will not keep you waiting - it will rise, get stronger and bloom. But, when planning to plant this crop in your garden, adhere to the basic floriculture principle: even the most unspoiled plant needs human attention. It's just a weed growing on its own, and flowers need to be groomed and cherished. At least occasionally. About seeds: high-quality seed can be bought in specialized stores and collected in your garden. Germination they give one hundred percent, well, in extreme cases, 95.5%, the ability to germinate for 3-5 years. Before planting in the ground, it is not necessary to soak and germinate them - just water the holes and place the seeds. Each gardener has a set of disposable cups for diving seedlings, they successfully use the same dishes for planting each seed in a separate order, so as not to waste time on diving and not injure the plant once again. Mirabilis seeds are quite large and convenient for planting both in separate containers and in a common container. When sowing in a container, keep a small distance between the holes - approximately 3 cm, make the holes shallow and do not overdo it with watering - the royal beard does not like excessive moisture. After planting, it is absolutely not necessary to wrap the glasses or boxes with a film - the procedure becomes necessary only if you do not have time to grow seedlings by the time of planting, a greenhouse, with the role of which a piece of polyethylene will do an excellent job, will significantly speed up the process of germination and development of seedlings. The usual time allotted to mirabilis by nature for breaking through the soil and the appearance of the first shoots is 12-15 days. Under the film, the plant develops much more actively. If you missed the moment and didn’t plant mirabilis for seedlings on time, it’s not scary. There is an easy way to fix the error. Planting seeds immediately in open ground has not yet been canceled. The mirabilis planting period is the beginning of May, a fertile time when real, confident warmth envelops the earth. Warmed soil, a little moisture and a handful of ash in each hole - that's all the night beauty needs to really amaze with beauty in the foreseeable future. And one more thing: experienced flower growers strongly advise to “spoil” the seeds a little before planting - file them with a nail file or slightly split the shell with some sharp object in order to facilitate the difficult process of pecking at the core of the seed. That's what they sown. So mirabilis is growing, planting and caring for which did not take either strength or time. However, there is one nuance - weather conditions. In May, it seems that the heat is stable, but the risk of a return of frost remains. Therefore, it would be useful to cover the beds with mirabilis with the same notorious cling film. For a day, seedlings can be freed from coating. You can finally remove the "roof" only when the night air temperature is +100. Seeds, tubers - all this has been tested in the case of mirabilis. But there is another method that is not very popular among flower growers, but has the right to exist and that as many people as possible learn about it.
Seeds for seedlings
Which container is better
Planting outdoors - when the weather permits
Unpopular cutting method
A plant with this interesting name, originally from Mexico. Its real name is mirabilis. This perennial, up to 75-80 cm high, can often be found in our area in the form of low hedges, as well as in the flower beds of city parks and squares.
Due to the unfavorable climate for the plant, our gardeners grow "Night Beauty" as an annual plant. It attracts with its uncomplicated beauty, and at the same time is not without charm.
My friend florist loves mirabilis and is happy to experiment with it in his garden, planting it in different corners and zones, hanging it in a flower pot and forming bushes in individual containers. I suggest you take a closer look at this. overseas plant and understand what its real charm is.
So, the mirabilis plant is low, but very spectacular, its height can be different, ranging from 30 cm to half a meter and above.
- The stems are erect and woody towards the bottom.
- The leaves are egg-shaped, located on the petioles, have a bright green tint.
- Funnel-shaped flowers are collected in inflorescences, they have a wide variety of colors, they can be white, crimson, red, yellow and orange. As a rule, their opening begins after 16-17 hours, depending on the region, and continues until dawn. That is why the plant received such an attractive name "Night Beauty". Interestingly, on cloudy daytime, the flowers stand open until the sun comes out.
- The attractiveness of this culture was appreciated by true fans unusual colors, because on one bush sometimes flowers form and bloom in several shades at once. Color palette may start with color pink, and ending in crimson, there are petals with stripes of salmon, burgundy and orange colors. In a word, the bush turns into a real miracle of nature, from which it is difficult to take your eyes off.
- After flowering, large one-seeded fruits begin to form on the bush, they have round shape, brown shade and sharp ribs. The advantage is that they are quite long term storage, up to 3 or more years.
Growing mirabilis from seeds
Since the fruits of the plant have a rather dense shell, they should be subjected to scarification. This means damage to the shell with sandpaper or file. After processing, the fruits are placed for 24 hours in a thermos with a temperature of at least 40 degrees.
Thus, we help the thick and strong peel to soften faster, and the sprouts to hatch without problems and at the right time.
Prepared seeds should be sown no later than mid-April, then in early July you can enjoy the lush flowering of the "Night Beauty".
The substrate should be prepared in advance, it should consist of the following components:
- sod land - two parts;
- peat - two parts;
- humus - one part;
- sand - half a part;
- ash - half a glass;
- dolomite flour - two tablespoons.
The ingredients should be thoroughly mixed and placed in cups, exactly ¾ of the volume of each container. Next, you need to disinfect the soil with some kind of fungicide. We plant a couple of seeds in each container, sprinkle with soil and water.
From above we cover the cups with a film, making a mini greenhouse, and set the crops in a warm place, where the temperature corresponds to 20-22 degrees.
Provided that the previous activities were carried out according to the rules, shoots will appear pretty soon, in a week. After the appearance of the first sprouts, the film should be removed, and the cups should be placed as close to natural light as possible.
After the appearance of the first true leaf in two sprouts sitting in the same container, pay attention to the strongest and strongest, it must be left, and the one that is weaker should be removed.
After you have decided on the seedlings, you can start feeding. Preparations are best suited for this type of plant: Mortar, Krepysh, Fertik for seedlings.
At home, mirabilis needs timely watering, but you should not reach fanaticism, excess moisture the plant does not tolerate. Water only when the soil dries out.
As soon as the height of the seedlings reaches 15 cm, they should be transplanted into larger pots. This must be done carefully, by the method of transshipment earthy coma. Then feed again, but with a fertilizer with a mineral composition.
After the young mirabilis get used to the new container, and move away from stress, they can begin to harden. In order for the plants not to get sick after transplanting into open ground, do it gradually, at first taking the pots out to the balcony or veranda only for a few minutes.
Such short hardening procedures will help the flowers to adapt to the external environment faster in the future.
It must be said that the landing of the "Night Beauty" seed way can be carried out directly into the soil, but in this case, the flowering of the plant will be somewhat receded.
Seeds are planted in the soil to a depth of no more than three centimeters. After watering with warm water, the crops are covered with a film, the seedlings that have appeared are thinned out.
Planting seedlings of "Night Beauty" in open ground
Do not rush to plant seedlings, wait until the night frosts are completely over, as the plant is very sensitive to sub-zero temperatures.
The site should be sunny, do not forget that mirabilis is a real southerner. You should know that given culture aggressive enough to win a place in the sun and start taking food from other plants.
For better growth bushes, the earth should be limed, remember also that low-lying places are completely excluded.
The distance between the bushes must be strictly observed. We plant seedlings fifty centimeters apart to the depth of an earthen coma.
A few hours before planting, water the seedlings abundantly, so it will roll over better, as the roots will be saturated with moisture, and the adhesion to the soil will be stronger. After planting the plants, water them to the very root and mulch the soil around.
Proper care for mirabilis in the garden
Mirabilis is one of those garden plants that do not require special care from you. Caring for them is simple and pleasant, as the culture is unpretentious and non-capricious.
The main thing for every gardener is that the plant blooms on time and profusely, the colors of the inflorescences are bright, and the process itself lasts as long as possible. All care activities should be aimed precisely at this.
Mirabilis does not need to be watered often, but abundantly, of course, if there is no abnormal heat. In this case, watering becomes more frequent several times, up to about three, four times a week. After moistening the soil, loosen and remove weeds.
As for dressings, they must be done several times a season. Enough 3-4 times:
- at the very beginning of the vegetative period;
- before the buds begin to actively form;
- in the very middle of summer;
- at the end of the season.
As a fertilizer experienced gardeners compost or humus is used, as well as mineral supplements, to which mirabilis reacts very well. Fresh mullein or any other manure is best not to use.
Pests and diseases
It is safe to say that given plant very well resists all kinds of attacks from outside harmful insects. The only thing that can make a flower sick is - root rot. As a rule, it arises from an excessive abundance of moisture.
If this happens, then you are unlikely to be able to save the flower, it will have to be removed. The land needs to be watered disinfectant until the disease spoiled the rest of the bushes. Fundazol is well suited for this purpose.
Fungal diseases can also appear on the leaves and stems of the Night Beauty. Here, fungicides sold in specialized stores will help as an "ambulance". Remove flowers and leaves with signs of disease and treat all plantings with a disinfectant solution.
Among the most popular varieties Mirabilis can be called: Iolanta, Red Lollipop, Elvira, T Time Red, T Time Fomula Mixche.
"Night beauty" or mirabilis, is a real decoration of the garden in the evening, when its multi-colored gramophones bloom in all their glory and begin to exude a delicate aroma. Try to grow a flower in your garden and you will fall in love with it once and for all.
All people love beautiful flowers, but necessity stops many complex care behind the plants. In such cases, we recommend that you start growing mirabilis. These brightly scented, tropical flowers are hardy and don't require a Ph.D. in Horticulture.
Description of Mirabilis
Mirabilis - in Latin Mirabilis - is a genus of plants that belongs to the family Nyctaginaceae (Nightflowers). It includes 50 species, but only one of them is common in the Russian Federation - Yalapa, which is sometimes called a laxative.
Among gardeners, this plant is known as "Dawn" or "Night Beauty", because it blooms in the evening and blooms until dawn.
Where does Mirabilis grow?
Homeland Mirabilis - South America. Grows in warm tropical countries, therefore, in our country it is more common in the southern regions. In warm regions mirabilis is known as perennial, and where it is much colder, it grows like an annual, as the roots freeze through in winter.
Mirabilis is often referred to as "the joy of the budding gardener" because it is so easy to plant and care for. Not only a personal acquaintance with the plant, but just photos - bright, juicy, colorful - make you want to grow such a miracle in your garden. Growing mirabilis from seeds does not require special equipment and complex skills, just follow the seedling care instructions and enjoy the delicious twilight aroma of the Night Beauty.
The buds bloom in the afternoon, wither after a few hours, but then others bloom to replace them - and this goes on all night. Sometimes mirabilis begins to bloom in bad weather, when the sky is covered with clouds. The season lasts from May until the first frost.
The appearance of the flower
Mirabilis jalapa - herbaceous plant growing in strong compact bushes. In rare cases, they reach more than a meter in height, but usually do not exceed 80 centimeters. Roots swollen, tuberous. Mirabilis flowers look like patterned funnels or a gramophone trumpet. They amaze with a variety of shades: there are white, yellow, pink, red, orange, crimson-purple, lilac, purple.
Many photos of mirabilis show that the flowers are both plain and colored in two or more shades. An interesting feature: on one bush there can be flowers of various tones! Sometimes the petals are striped.
After the plant has faded, ribbed dark brown fruit-boxes appear, each of which contains one seed, which will certainly come in handy when growing mirabilis. Germination lasts up to three years. The seeds are large, oval, dark, the surface is wrinkled and hard.
How to grow a night beauty
Growing from seed is one of the most reliable ways. AT southern region plant seeds immediately in the soil, but not earlier than the first days of May. Then the earth is already warm enough, and the seeds have a chance to take root. If you use a semi-warm greenhouse, then plant mirabilis in early April. Still, this way of landing is risky.
It is more efficient to plant seeds at home.
Planting seeds for seedlings
Take deep cups for seedlings, plant one or two seeds there. The sprouts will be large enough, and if you plant more, then the seedlings will have to be thinned out. In a few days, mirabilis will rise, and after about a month and a half (in June), plant it in open ground.
When planting on permanent place residence, observe the interval between sprouts. The gap is from 25 cm (for dwarf plants) up to 60 (for tall bushes).
It is not necessary to soak the seeds before planting, it is enough to moisten the substrate well. Keep in mind that soaked seeds will sprout much faster - in just 1-2 days.
Yulia Petrichenko, expert
For seedlings, a substrate is needed, consisting of the following parts:
- turf;
- peat;
- river sand or fine gravel.
Take a little more sand than turf and peat. Some gardeners plant seeds in loam or clay soil with the addition of lime - the unpretentiousness of mirabilis allows for variations. Remember: the flower does not tolerate acidic soils!
Cups for growing Mirabilis should be deep, because the roots grow down, not in breadth. Before planting the seeds, add ashes to each of the holes - ash soils favorably affect the growth of the Night Beauty.
Other ways to propagate mirabilis
Mirabilis can also be propagated by budding, but this is more difficult than growing from seeds. To do this, separate the semi-lignified cutting from the plant and dry the place of the cut. Then place in a special growth stimulator to activate rooting, and plant in steamed nutrient soil. With careful care and regular watering room temperature the stalk will successfully take root, and in May you will plant it in open ground.
There is another way to propagate mirabilis - with the help of tubers. Most botanists and gardeners agree that this method is not optimal. Dig up the tubers and place them in sand or sawdust. Store at a temperature of approximately +3-5 until the next sowing season. However, practice shows that this method is unreliable, and most tubers die due to insufficient moisture and lack of nutrients.
Mirabilis Care
Mirabilis - unpretentious flower and does not require constant monitoring and care, it easily tolerates drought.
Important growing principles:
- mirabilis loves warmth;
- organize good lighting, but protect the flower from direct sunlight;
- treat him with top dressing several times a season (no more than 3-4 times);
- fresh compost and manure are detrimental to the plant;
- the soil should not be overdried (mirabilis will react to this by temporarily stopping blooming), but waterlogging should also not be allowed;
- carefully pick off wilted buds.
Useful properties of the plant
Mirabilis in landscape design
Mirabilis is best known as ornamental plant. It is beautiful and fragrant, so gardeners are happy to use it for decoration. household plots. Some lovers keep mirabilis at home, in spacious tubs filled with clay soil- this option is not suitable for everyone because of the strong and pungent smell of the plant.
Mirabilis is often used in landscape design. Dwarf bushes are planted in flower beds and in flower beds, and colorful hedges are formed from tall, almost meter bushes. The aroma of flowers always attracts large evening and night butterflies.
Application in medicine
In addition to decorative functions, mirabilis has useful properties. Its tubers are often used as a laxative, and the flowers as a food coloring. Some parts of the plant (such as leaves and stem elements) are believed to have anti-inflammatory effects. A decoction of the leaves is a good drawing agent for abscesses. Mirabilis leaf juice is known as a wound healing drug.
In some cases, mirabilis leaves can be eaten, but this is not recommended unless absolutely necessary.
Mirabilis flower, night beauty, royal beard - the names of the same garden flower. A real storehouse of beauty and unpretentiousness, even for beginner flower growers.
Growing a night beauty does not require special skills. It is unpretentious, takes root on any soil, hardy to climatic surprises. Yet pleasing to the eye bright inflorescences and beckons with the secret of its night flowering.
Mirabilis flower opens fragrant buds after 5 pm and keeps them all night long. This is where the name “beauty of the night” came from. The flower is always full of buds. Some bloom, others appear.
The night beauty is a bush that some flower growers grow as an annual, others as a perennial. Funnel-shaped flowers have five petals and reach a diameter of up to 2.5 cm. The color palette of Mirabilis varies from pure white to bright scarlet.
Flower care night beauty
The night beauty is distinguished by its unpretentiousness. To enjoy all summer abundant flowering plants, you must follow a number of rules:
- Once in 3-4 days we water the flower in the evening.
- Important! The flower cannot be filled. Otherwise, instead of bright colors you will get long, barren stems.
- We fertilize only organic fertilizers. It can be mullein or bird droppings. We apply fertilizer strictly under the root.
- After the first frost, the plant is pruned, leaving 10 cm above the ground.
- When the cuttings of the cut flower dry up, you should dig the rhizomes, dry them and put them in wooden box, previously sprinkled with sawdust.
- We store dug tubers in the basement or underground. The temperature should not be below +5 degrees.
- Rhizomes should be refrigerated if they sprouted too early.
Video: Storage of mirabilis flower tubers
Rules for growing mirabilis from seeds
For successful cultivation flower growers recommend adhering to a few simple rules:
- Sowing is carried out in late March - early April.
- Before sowing the seeds in the soil, it is necessary to soak them in warm water for 24 hours.
- For sowing, you can take a universal soil.
- Immerse the seeds 0.5 cm deep, water warm water and cover with glass or film.
- Seedlings should be in a warm place, perhaps even near a central heating battery.
- After 2 weeks, when the first sprouts appear, it is necessary to remove the film or glass and place the container with seedlings on a bright windowsill.
- Picking in individual cups is possible after the appearance of the first true leaves.
- In the open ground, the night beauty is planted when the frosts are behind. The best time to transplant is a rainy day. So small mirabilis will quickly take root in the soil.
Video: Planting mirabilis from seeds
Other ways to plant a mirabilis flower
Mirabilis can be grown by purchasing ready-made tubers in the store. Until planting, they are stored in the refrigerator, and they are planted in open ground in mid-April, when the earth warms up by 15 cm.
Having planted tubers in open ground, they are covered with cut plastic bottles. In case of sudden night frosts.
Remove shelter when frost passes. If the plant is weak, then you can pinch it.
Decorating your front garden with mirabilis flowers is a matter of minimal effort. Having provided the night beauty with proper care, you will breathe in all summer delicate fragrance lush flowers.