Planting a mirabilis and caring for it in the open field is a simple process. The plant pleases with blossoming flowering all summer, without demanding special attention in return. "Night Beauty" is also called this flower in the people enthusiastically responds to the minimum watering and several complex feeding for the entire season.
Flower mirabilis in landscape design
An unusual flower will be an ornament of the garden, a balcony, a loggia. Depending on the variety, the height of the plant and its place in the overall landscape composition vary. High bushes are planted in the background, low - on the front. With a night beauty, chamomile, lavender, marigolds, and bells will make friends. Those who do not know what the mirabilis looks like, it is worth paying attention to the hedges - high grades form amazing decorative fences. Effectively look saturated inflorescences in a single planting. Cultivate mirabilis in pots on terraces and balconies.
Mirabilis - varieties
Living in warm areas of America and Mexico, mirabilis is pleased with its diversity. Here in the native land grows about 60 varieties of this flowering plant. Our climate zone turned out to be suitable only for one species - Yalap's mirabilis or laxative. However, and Yalapa appears before the horticulturists in different roles - the most popular varieties of this species are:
- garden flower mirabilis Iolanta - is a shrub up to 50 cm high, with thick branched stems. From June to the first frosts, the plant blooms with bright colors with striped stripes;
- Red lollipop is a shrub up to 90 cm high, with light green stems branching at the top. Large flowers have bright red color;
- Elvira is a medium-sized bush with dark green leaves and bright colors;
- Ti Time Red - medium height plant with very branchy tip and rich pink inflorescences;
- Ti Time Formula Mix - a bush globular, reaching a height of 70-90 cm with bared stems below. The variety is distinguished by mottled funnel-shaped flowers of small diameter.
Mirabilis - landing
Mirabilis, landing and care in the open ground is done in several ways. Excellent shoots give seeds, less often the plant is planted with tubers. The site for it is better to choose a well-lit and spacious, with clay or loamy soil. Sour soil does not have a flower to your liking, and the night beauty will not feel comfortable in the lowland or overly humid place. Planting and caring for the mirabilis do not present difficulties for experienced gardeners. However, some subtleties of the process need to be taken into account.
How to plant mirabilis?
In warm climatic zones, the answer to the question of how to plant a mirabilis means the direct planting of seeds in the open ground. As soon as the soil warms up, pre-prepared planting material is placed in the soil. In the furrow, the seeds are spread evenly with an interval of 7-8 cm, each seed is deepened by 3 cm. Then the site is watered and covered with a nonwoven material to protect the first shoots from frost. When the threat of the latter passes the shelter is removed, and the shoots are thinned out.
In the regions where spring does not spoil the warmth, the night beauty is planted with seedlings or tubers. This method is considered more labor-intensive, but the result is guaranteed. Sprouted seedlings in advance - in early April, the seeds are prepared and sown in special cups, filled with slightly alkaline soil. The first shoots at home appear after 1-2 weeks, at this stage the first top dressing is applied and begin to harden.
When to plant mirabilis in the open ground?
The question of an individual character - when to plant mirabilis in the open ground? In this case, you need to focus on weather conditions and the availability of planting material. It is believed that having reached 10-15 cm seedling mirabilis is ready for planting. But before you transfer seedlings to the open ground, you need to make sure that the soil is well warmed up, and the threat of frosts is over.
Mirabilis - growing
Seeding on seedlings or direct planting in the soil - the seeds of a night beauty require preparation, and seedlings of special care:
- Cultivation of mirabilis from seeds begins with soaking the planting material in warm water and its scarification (slight damage to the rigid outer shell).
- If we are talking about the germination of seedlings, the seeds are distributed two into a separate container with a slightly alkaline substrate, watered with a solution of fungicide and covered with a film.
- The cups are kept at a temperature of 18-20 ° C.
- After the appearance of the first shoots, which occurs no earlier than 5-6 days after planting, the film is removed and the crops are moved closer to sunlight.
- If seedlings gave both seeds, after the appearance of the first leaf, a weak germ is cut off so as not to interfere with the development of the strong one.
- At the same stage, the crops are fertilized with special preparations (Rastorin, Fertik, Krepysh).
- Sprinkle the seedlings of the mirabilis after the complete drying of the earthy coma.
- When the seedlings grow up they dive into large pots.
- For hardening, young mirabilis are carried to fresh air, gradually increasing the residence time.
Mirabilis, planting and care in the open ground can be made from tubers. This method is common among experienced gardeners. Harvested in the autumn or purchased in the store nightlife tubers in winter stored in a cool place at a temperature of not less than 5 ° C. In the ground they are planted in late spring, when the soil warms to a depth of up to 15cm. The first shoots of the plant are covered until the threat of frost passes.
Flower mirabilis - care
Strong seedlings or shoots of the night beauty are not demanding in care. The plant does not need frequent watering and top dressing. Mirabilis in the garden will delight bright continuous flowering, if you water 1-3 times a week in case of arid summer. There is no need to artificially moisten the soil if the summer was rainy. The plant responds well to fertilizing - the first time you need to make fertilizer at the beginning of the growing season, the second - in the middle of summer, the third - at the end of the season. Like mirabilis, such procedures as loosening the soil and weeding the weeds.
What is the temperature withstand mirabilis?
With proper care, the plant blooms all summer, right up to the first frost. Being thermophilic, the mirabilis does not respond well to a decrease in temperature below 15 ° C. Spring frosts are destructive for seedlings and first shoots. Dug up tubers in winter can be stored at a temperature of not less than 5-7 ° C. In the southern regions, it can hibernate in a muddy soil. For cultivation of seedlings of Mirabilis flowers in a room it is necessary to maintain a temperature regime within 28-22 ° С.
Do I need to pinch the mirabilis?
The night beauty is not in vain considered a favorite of landscape designers - the plant can be pricked and pruned, giving the bush the most intricate shape. At the same time, the reaction of the perennial mirabilis to such procedures pleases - after the pruning, the blossoming only increases and the entire bush is covered with new bright flowers. Pinch gardeners and weak young shoots sprouted from the tubers.
Flower mirabilis - top dressing
According to the description, a native of South America - mirabilis - unpretentious, but the rules for the care of this garden plant provides for feeding. Well recalls the night beauty for complex mineral fertilizers , but from fresh organic in this case it is better to refuse. The root zone can be fertilized with humus or compost . The procedures are carried out during the growing season, in the middle and late summer.
Plant mirabilis - diseases and pests
Among the insects, the plant has no dangerous enemies. It is resistant to pests. Unfavorable affects the overmoistening of the soil - the flower affects the root rot. Therefore, in the process of caring for the mirabilis, you should not overdo it with watering or set off for planting a site where moisture stagnates. Rust or spotting may appear on the leaves - this is the result of infection with fungal diseases. Fungicides can help with them.