Night beauty flower how to grow at home

The flowering plant, the night beauty, is increasingly conquering the corners of the gardeners' plots. This plant fell in love with the fact that it is distinguished by its hardiness to weather conditions, it tolerates drought well and at the same time is not demanding on the soil.

This is a fairly tall plant with a lot of straight shoots and beautiful bright flowers, the cultivation of which does not require special skills.

Description of the flower and methods of growing

Night beauty, or Mirabilis Yalapa, a native of South America, or rather, from Mexico, was brought to Europe in the middle of the 18th century.

A distinctive feature of the night beauty is herself bud opening phase, it blooms in the evening hours and at night, while a unique aroma is spread throughout the entire district.

However, it is not recommended to plant these plants in the areas of those who have allergies or intolerance to strong aromas. It is grown in two ways, by sowing seeds or planting tubers. It has a large number of colors, while on one bush there can be up to 5 different color colors of the buds.

Types of night beauty flower or mirabalis

1. Multi-flowered.
2. Terry.
3. Tall.
4. Stunted.

Plants on which flowers have a color that goes from almost black to white buds look most impressive. There are also varieties of peduncles that have striped or iridescent.

There are two ways how to grow a night beauty on your personal plot:

• seeds;
• tubers.

Growing seedlings of a night beauty from seeds

If you want to grow mirabilis on your plot, growing from seeds is one of the possible ways. Sowing is done late March, early April, and in the regions of Siberia and the Far East, it is best to sow in early March.

In this case, you can be sure that the plant will fully develop and delight you with a riot of color. Before sowing, the seeds should soak for a day in warm water. This is done to soften the hard shell after being saturated with water.

The land for sowing seeds can be taken universal, the plant is not too demanding. Seeds deepening into damp ground 0.5 cm and spill with warm water again. The container with the sown seeds is covered with glass or foil and placed in a warm place.

After 2 weeks, the first shoots appear. The shelter is removed and the plants are placed on a light-colored windowsill. In the phase of the first true leaves of mirabilis dive into separate cups and make sure that the soil does not dry out.

On warm spring days, young mirabilis can be taken out into the fresh air for hardening. They should be planted in open ground when the threat of frost has passed. Disembarkation is best done in rainy weather, then the plants will quickly take root in a permanent place of growth.

Growing from tubers

Store-bought tubers in winter are best stored in the refrigerator on the vegetable shelf before planting.

Night beauty tubers can be planted in open ground when the soil warms up to a depth of 10-15 centimeters, somewhere around mid-April, early May.

If sufficiently large sprouts have already appeared on the tubers of mirabilis, then the flowers should be at night cover with plastic bottles or non-woven fabric.

After the period of night frosts has passed, the shelter is removed and the plant is given complete freedom of growth. However, if the shoots of mirabilis are too long and weak, they should be pinched, leaving no more than 10 centimeters.

Planting Mirabalis in the open field

The soil for a night beauty should not be too acidic. It's best if it will clay or loamy soil... On the site intended for planting mirabilis, there should be a sufficient amount of light, since in the shade or partial shade the plant does not bloom well and stretch.

Mirabilis is an aggressive plant and can displace neighbors in the flowerbed, so planting should take place in spacious areas or by the fence, thus forming a hedge.

However, there are also undersized varieties this flower, the cultivation of which can be carried out in pots or planted to frame flower beds, rockeries, borders. Low-growing varieties of mirabilis look good in the neighborhood with the following types of flowers:

• Tall roses.
• Delphiniums.
• Peonies.

Mirabilis, planting and caring in the open field for which does not require special skills, lends itself very well to shaping.

It can be pinch, trim, while flowering will only intensify. Shoots formed by cutting the stems in the form of a ball or pyramid look beautiful, since they are all instantly covered with flowers and become fully blooming.

Night beauty care rules

On hot days, a night beauty should be irrigated with water in the evening, while watering should be carried out every 3-4 days... From an excess of moisture, the plant can stretch out and stop blooming.

Top dressing is carried out once a month, and mirabilis loves organic fertilizers, so it is best to apply to the root zone mullein or bird droppings... If there are no natural organic fertilizers, then you can dilute the humate infusion and spill the root zone.

Since the night beauty is a perennial plant, in the fall after the first frost, all green shoots should be cut off at a level of 10 centimeters from the ground and allowed to dry well, then dig out the rhizomes, dry in the sun and put in boxes, covering with dry sand or sawdust. You must not forget about it, this is part of leaving.

Store, like other nodule plants, in a basement at a temperature not lower than +5 degrees. Care must be taken to ensure that mirabilis flowers do not grow too early, and when buds of growth appear in the winter months transfer the tubers to the refrigerator.

However, in the southern regions of our country, the night beauty winters excellently in the soil, you just need to cut off the shoots and mulch the soil with straw or sawdust.

Growing a night beauty is not difficult. With proper care, every gardener will be able to grow on his site a beautiful plant with a large number of bright colors and an indescribable aroma, to the envy of everyone around. And even at night to delight your eyes with a beautiful view of a blooming area.

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With the discovery of the American continent, many amazing plants were brought to Europe, among them was the night beauty flower.

The plant from Mexico and Peru gained popularity first in botanical gardens. After obtaining species adapted to the climatic conditions of Europe, it was widely used for growing in the open field as an ornamental plant.

Even the Spanish discoverers of America drew attention to the flower described by local Indians. The plant with spicy, fragrant flowers, the powerful leaves of which give a lot of shade - attracted their attention.

Botanical description of the Mirabilis jalapa flower

The Latin name for the night beauty is Mirabilis jalapa. Literally translated as an amazing flower from the town of Yalapa.

The Night Belle is usually a straight-stemmed perennial plant. Shoots are quite brittle, branch well. Leaves are elongated, green, with solid edges, smooth, sitting on short petioles. Taproots form tubers, thanks to which the plant resumes its growth in spring.

Fragrant flowers deserve special attention, their peculiarity to open in the evening, and close at dawn, is the basis of the name.

Mirabilis growing at home

Hard seeds appear in place of the flower. On summer evenings, a pleasant smell from a blooming flower bed suggests that the night beauty has opened her flowers.

This happens only at night, because moth moths are the main pollinators for mirabilis. The color of the flowers can be either uniform: white, red, yellow, or variegated.

Flowers with different colors can be present on one plant, and even within one flower there can be different color combinations. Flowers on one bush can open at the same time:

• red
• purple
• orange
• yellow
• white

New batches of buds open from the beginning of summer, continuing to bloom until the onset of frost. The night beauty flower is so unpretentious that in many regions it has become a familiar plant in a feral form.

After winter, its plantings are restored by scattered seeds, so it is quite easy to grow it outdoors.

Flower night beauty mirabilis in the photo

Mirabilis is propagated by both seeds and tubers. The collected seeds are able to maintain their germination capacity for three to five years. Also in the retail network you can buy tubers of this flower.

You can sow seeds directly into the ground after thawing and warming up the soil at the end of April. Plant seedlings in early spring. Planting in a permanent place in open ground, seedlings of a night beauty is possible in the last decade of May.

In regions with a fairly cool climate, it is preferable to propagate the plant with tubers or grow through seedlings. So when sowing with seeds in a cold summer, the flower may not have time to bloom.

Flower night beauty: reproduction, planting and care

When choosing a site for planting a plant in the garden, it should be remembered that under favorable conditions mirabilis is quite aggressive. It can dissipate and take up large areas on its own.

In addition, if there are people in the family who do not tolerate strong aromas, then the place for the flower should be chosen away from the living space.

Mirabilis feels great on slightly alkaline soil, it is better to give preference to a clay or loamy area with good drainage.

It is important to remember that the flower does not tolerate acidic soils, therefore, additional lime may be required. This can be done at the same time as digging the ground for planting.
The plant is demanding on sunlight, it can withstand partial shade, but this will affect its flowering and growth.

Planting mirabilis seeds

If earlier growing mirabilis in pots or containers was quite problematic, now it is not a problem.After breeding miniature varieties with white and red Tea Time Red flowers and multi-colored Tea Time Formula Mixture, they can be planted in pots, pots, containers. It is possible to grow them both on balconies and on terraces. In height, these flowers will not be higher than 30 cm.

When planting large varieties in the ground, it is advisable to place them at a distance of up to half a meter from each other, miniature - up to 30 - 40 cm. The night beauty is well adapted to drought and easily tolerates dry periods.

However, it is important to know that when there is a lack of moisture, the plant stops growing and does not set buds. Therefore, in a dry summer, the plant must be watered at least after one or two days and the soil should not be allowed to dry out.

How to feed a mirabilis plant

Blooming mirabilis must be fed with complex fertilizers three times a season. This must be done before flowering, in the middle of the season and before the onset of autumn.

The night beauty is resistant to diseases and pests and does not require special protection measures. This makes it indispensable if it is necessary to plant greenery not only on the territory of a country house, but also when planting greenery in settlements.

With the onset of the first frost, it is better to dig up the tubers of the night beauty from the soil. It is better to store underground in the same conditions as dahlia tubers. In milder climates, the tubers can be left in the ground by mulching them on top.

Mirabilis or night beauty is a great flower for any garden plot. He will surprise you with bright colors and an exquisite delicate aroma all summer long.

Video tips for caring for a flower night beauty (mirabilis)

Flower characteristic

The night beauty has many synonymous names, including Mirabilis, Dawn, Tsar's beard, which means an unusual, amazing flower in Latin.

Belongs to the family of Oceans and has from 50 to 60 species all over the world. The homeland of the beauty is South America, it is found in other countries with a tropical climate and the USA. On the territory of the Russian Federation, one type of beauty has taken root with the name Yalapa.

A characteristic feature of the flower is its flowering from afternoon to the first rays of the sun. This feature of the beauty is due to the fact that its main pollinator, the hawk moth, is nocturnal.

The beginning of flowering of a flower can be easily seen from the pleasant tropical smell emanating from the place of its location. The flower can be used as a hedge, in flower beds and green lawns, as an ornamental plant in the household.

Another distinctive feature of mirabilis is that its flowers, which are shaped like funnels, bloom, having a different color of the petals, sometimes even different pigmentation of the petals.

The night beauty is a fairly tall flower 80 cm-1 m and above, has 3 to 5 flowers, 3-3.5 cm in diameter and a thickened taproot in the form of a tuber.

Night beauty can have the following color of flowers:

1. White.
2. Yellow.
3. Red.
4. Orange.
5. Purple.
6. Raspberry.
7. Mixed.

The life of a flower is limited to the time of one night, after which a fruit appears in its place in the form of a box with a seed, which can be used for growing seedlings for the next three years.

However, in the evening, the plant is again decorated with many flowers. The flowering period of mirabilis is long, blooming in May, the bush continues to delight the eye until the onset of the first frost in November.

Growing conditions

The night beauty is very unpretentious to growing conditions, although conditions that are critical for the bush can be called:

1. These include frosts, without the absence of mulch at this time, the flower does not survive the effects of cold weather and dies. It is necessary to take care in advance that during frosts the flower does not disappear by mulching.There is another way to preserve a flower for planting at the beginning of next spring, which consists in the fact that the bush with the roots is dug up, placed in a container and stored on the veranda or in the cellar in a layer of sawdust or peat until spring.
2. For planting mirabilis, it is better to choose soils with a heavy loamy structure in which it feels comfortable, blooms luxuriantly and abundantly. However, with the consent of the grower for a more meager flowering, planting on any type of soil is possible.
3. Despite being nocturnal, the night beauty loves exposure to sunlight., it is not recommended to plant it in shaded areas.
4. The flower has a negative attitude to the effects of wind and drafts.
5. Mirabilis is sensitive to soil acidity, growing well only on soils with an alkaline reaction or soils treated with lime.
6. It is critically important to select a site with a lower groundwater table, since the dawn is sensitive to waterlogging. Despite this, it tolerates long periods of drought quite well, slowing down metabolic processes, as if hibernating for this time.

Landing mirabilis

Landing a night beauty can be done using:

1. Rhizome.
2. Grown seedlings.
3. Cuttings.
4. Seed.

In the case of planting a bush from seeds, it is produced in early May, at a temperature sufficient for survival. Before planting, to improve germination, it is recommended to soak the seeds in moistened water for six hours before planting or use a well-moistened substrate when planting.

When planting seedlings in open ground, it is necessary to maintain a distance between the bushes of 25 cm for small shoots and 60 for adults. Landing in this case is performed in late May and early June.

However, as noted above, you can plant mirabilis without soaking and germinating by watering the planting site and placing the seeds there.

The seeds obtained from the flowering of the night beauty have almost 100% germination, taking into account this it is necessary to expect the emergence of sprouts within the next few weeks. To speed up the germination process in the soil, you can use cultivation under the film.

Reproduction 1. Preparation of seedlings

Growing mirabilis sprouts from seeds is carried out at the beginning of April by planting in a pots, a cup or a special box of a rectangular and narrow shape.

When performing it, it should be borne in mind that the soil used may be acidic; it is better to add ash to the planting holes. The growing capacity must be high enough, since the root of the night beauty grows in a vertical direction; within a week, the seeds should germinate.

Improves the survival rate and increases the germination rate using the substrate. It is prepared from river sand and fine gravel mixed with turf and peat with a slightly smaller amount of the latter components.

When planting seeds for seedlings, shallow holes (2 cm) are made, located at a distance of 3 cm, where the seeds are placed and small watering is performed. It is necessary to provide a germination temperature within 18-20 ° C and access to light, provided on a home windowsill.

2. Cutting

The method is not widespread due to the easy germination of mirabilis in other methods and the relatively high labor intensity for its implementation.

Partially lignified sprouts of the bush are used, on which the cut site is dried, the cuttings are arranged in a growth stimulator and their further planting in the nutrient mixture.

Throughout the propagation period, which ranges from two weeks to a month, it is necessary to ensure the optimal growth temperature, which is 20-22 ° C, when the temperature rises by several degrees, the sprouting process is significantly accelerated.

The prepared cuttings are planted in open ground at a steady temperature in mid-April.

3. Reproduction of mirabilis tubers

The material is purchased in specialized stores, on the market, or saved last year's tubers are used.

Before planting, the tubers must be germinated at a temperature of 5 ° C in sawdust, sand or peat. This method also did not become widespread, given the large number of losses of tubers from drying out during storage during the winter.

Night beauty care

Despite the unpretentiousness of the flower, with proper care, it will thank you with a beautiful flowering, filled with a pleasant fragrance:

1. Top dressing is carried out by applying fertilizers of a complex composition from 3 to 4 times a season to maintain the density and intensity of the beauty's flowering, since it has a good responsiveness to fertilizers. They can influence the speed and intensity of shoot growth and flower bud formation. The introduction of organic fertilizers is prohibited, since this type of feeding has a detrimental effect on the roots of the bush.
2. Watering should not be excessive, since even somewhat arid conditions are better for mirabilis than waterlogged soil. Diagnosis of the need for watering is to observe the behavior of the bush. By the end of June, the flowers should begin to bloom, while the buds may be in the formation stage. In this case, it is necessary to increase the amount of moisture available to the plant, it is desirable to water evenly. In dry periods, watering is carried out several times during the week, at regular intervals, performing it in the evening.
3. Thinning the plant, weeding and plowing the soil has a beneficial effect on the nutrition of the bush, the retention of moisture in it and improves air access. Thinning of shoots must be done so that young shoots of mirabilis do not take away nutrition and energy from mature shoots, to exclude overgrowing of the bush, its coming into a neglected state. However, the night beauty also has an advantage over the representatives of the local fauna, which is that it is slightly susceptible to plant pests.

Diseases and pests

Mirabilis, in general, is resistant to the effects of diseases and pests existing on the territory of the CIS.

However, if the bush is damaged by rust or spotting due to the weakening of its immunity, it is necessary to remove the infected areas of the plant and treat it with a fungicide.

Mirabilis or Night Beauty is a herbaceous plant native to South America, introduced to Europe in the 18th century. Its name is translated from Latin as "amazing". It is connected with the peculiarity of this flower, inconspicuous during the day and demonstrating all its beauty in the evening and at night. With the onset of dusk, the mirabilis bush, inconspicuous in the daytime, gradually becomes covered with bright flowers of the original form and begins to smell fragrant. Thanks to this property, the plant received a different name - Night Beauty.

The plant belongs to the Niktagin family (nocturnal). Outwardly, it is a tall, up to 1 meter, bush, with straight, densely leafy stems. The root of mirabilis resembles a branched carrot in shape. The Night Beauty flower forms funnel-shaped buds of various colors. The unusualness of this plant is also in the fact that several colors can bloom simultaneously on one bush, which is associated with the ability to re-pollinate during growth.

Mirabilis is a perennial by nature, but in countries with cold climates it is mainly grown as an annual, since it is not always possible to preserve its tuber in winter. Planting and caring for this plant in the open field is not particularly difficult, so even a novice florist can grow it.

Popular varieties and types of Mirabilis with photos

In warm countries, about 60 types of mirabilis are known. In our climate, only a few of its varieties have taken root:

• Yalapa... Differs in long flowering from early summer to the first frost. The bush is of medium height - from 80 centimeters to 1 meter. The leaves of this species are dark green, oblong. Flowers are white, pink, yellow, purple, variegated.
• Long-flowered... The height of the bush is up to one and a half meters. Flowers - white, large.
• Round-leaved... Low-growth view with a height of 30 centimeters. Leaves are oval, sticky. At the tops of the shoots, corollas are formed of three purple-pink flowers with a diameter of 1 centimeter.
• Multi-flowered... The height of the bush is about 80 centimeters with bare straight stems. Leaves are ovoid. In the axils of the leaves, inflorescences of six tubular buds are formed. The diameter of the flowers is 4-6 centimeters, the color is purple.

Mirabilis Yalapa

The following plant varieties are best known:

• Elvira. The bush is 60 centimeters high, flowers are 4 centimeters in diameter.
• Iolanta. Low-growing variety, no more than 50 centimeters. The flowers are small, bright in color, with contrasting strokes.
• Tee time ed. Densely leafy spherical bush. Differs in increased resistance to cold.
• Red lollipop. Tall variety, up to 100 centimeters. The flowers are large, red in color. Unpretentious care.

Mirabilis multiflorous

Where to plant mirabilis

A native of southern countries, mirabilis loves sunny, warm areas. The maximum illumination of the night beauty bushes throughout the day is the main condition for good growth and abundant flowering. It is absolutely not permissible to plant mirabilis in the shade, in partial shade the flowers will be small, and growth will be slow.

The second condition for the selection of a site is the absence of excess moisture on it. Waterlogging is harmful to the flower and can cause rotting of the roots. The ideal location is a small hill with a drainage layer.

The soil for mirabilis needs light, loose, consisting of loam, peat, sand in equal amounts. The plant does not tolerate acidic soils, therefore dolomite flour or ash must be added to the substrate.

Planting methods

Mirabilis can be grown and propagated vegetatively and by seed. Each of them differs in some rules and techniques.

Mirabilis can be propagated in several ways.

Planting by seeds through seedlings

For early flowering mirabilis, it can be grown through seedlings. Sowing seeds is carried out in separate cups or pots. Each container can be planted with two seeds. Sowing is done at the end of March. In this case, by the time of planting in open ground, the plant will be strong and completely ready to change the growing conditions.

For sowing, the pots are filled with a light, nutritious substrate. Ready-made soil is quite suitable for any flower crops. The seeds of mirabilis have a hard shell, therefore, before sowing, they must be kept in a damp cloth for 6-12 hours. After that, they are laid in the soil to a depth of 2 centimeters.

Seeds of a night beauty germinate at a temperature not lower than 22-23 degrees. Seedlings should be kept in a bright place with a temperature of at least 18 degrees. It is necessary to water the sprouts sparingly, after the soil has completely dried out, since the plants will die from stagnant moisture.

Once every 2 weeks, the seedlings are fed with the preparations Krepysh, Solution, Zdraven, etc. Seedlings at the age of 2-3 weeks begin to harden, moving first to the balcony or loggia, and then to the street. The time for "walks" is gradually increased.

Mirabilis prefers moderate watering

After the onset of heat, around mid-May and early June, the seedlings are transplanted into open ground. The distance between plants is 25-30 centimeters for low-growing varieties, 50-60 centimeters for tall ones.

Important. With the threat of night frost on the plants, I install a frame greenhouse, because even at temperatures from +1 to +10 degrees, the plants will die.

Seed planting in open ground

Mirabilis seeds can be sown directly into open ground, bypassing the seedling stage. Planting mirabilis seeds in open ground is acceptable mainly for the southern regions. In the middle lane, sowing in open ground has to be postponed until the onset of real heat in early June. Moving the sowing dates leads to the fact that Mirabalis begins to bloom much later than possible. But if the spring is warm, sowing directly into the ground is quite possible.

After six hours of soaking, the seeds are embedded in the soil to a depth of 1.5-2 centimeters. After sowing, the garden bed is watered with warm water and covered with foil. Thus, greenhouse conditions with sufficient humidity and optimal temperature are created for the seeds. After about 2 weeks, seedlings appear under the film and the garden bed can be opened.

Mirabilis can be sown with seeds directly to a permanent place

Planting tubers or rhizomes

In the process of growth, mirabilis forms a rhizome, which from the second year transforms into a developed tuber. The rhizome or tubers can be dug up in the fall and stored until spring for planting. This method of planting allows you to get a powerful, well-developed mirabilis bush.

The main problem of planting tubers and rhizomes is their preservation until spring. The storage and planting of mirabilis tubers is similar to the storage and planting technology of dahlias. An important point with this planting method is the question of when to dig up mirabilis in order to use the tubers in the spring. The mirabilis tuber is dug out of the soil from mid-September to mid-October, depending on the air temperature. It is important to have time to remove the root from the soil before the onset of the first frost, otherwise the root may die.

After removing from the soil, the tubers (rhizome) are cleaned of the soil. To prevent the multiplication of fungal infection, the tubers are washed with a disinfectant solution (potassium permanganate, Fitosporin-M). After processing, the rhizome (tuber) is dried in the shade for 3-4 hours and placed in a box with sawdust. Several specimens of tubers are positioned so that they do not come into contact with each other and are completely covered with sawdust. The storage temperature of the root or tuber is + 5-6 degrees, with a humidity of not more than 70%.

Mirabilis can be propagated by tubers

During storage, it is necessary to periodically check the condition of the tubers and if buds begin to awaken on them, it means that the room is too warm. The tubers should be immediately placed in a colder room or in the refrigerator. The awakening of the shoots ahead of time will lead to the death of the shoots. Such a tuber will not be suitable for growing a full-fledged mirabilis bush.

Advice. A tuber that has awakened ahead of time, in order to preserve a valuable variety, can be planted in a spacious pot, and then, when the heat comes, the plant can be planted in open ground.

Ideal storage conditions for mirabilis – dry basement or cellar. If they are not available, the tubers can be stored in the refrigerator by placing them in the vegetable drawer. In spring, the tubers of mirabilis are planted in open ground with a sprout upward to a depth of 20 centimeters. Before planting, the tubers are heated in a warm room for seven days.

Before planting, the tubers of mirabilis can be pre-germinated by placing them in a warm, bright place. Before laying out for germination, the tubers are lightly sprinkled with warm water. As soon as the shoots reach a height of 3-4 centimeters. The weakest of them pinch so that the main stem develops from the largest and healthiest.

Mirabilis tubers need to germinate before planting

Cuttings

This method of planting and breeding a night beauty is not the easiest and fastest, but sometimes it is resorted to to preserve a valuable plant variety. A semi-lignified shoot with several internodes is used as a blank cuttings.

The stalk is cut obliquely and slightly dried. Then the cut end is placed in a rooting stimulator.After this procedure, the cutting is rooted in a mixture of peat and sand or in water. Once the stalk is rooted, it can be planted in the ground.

How to care for mirabilis

The guarantee of the well-being of a night beauty is a high air temperature, maximum illumination and a sufficient amount of moisture. Watering is carried out every 4-5 days. If the air temperature is too high, in the evening mirabilis is irrigated with warm water every day.

Mirabilis responds well to fertilizing with mineral fertilizers

Important. It is not permissible to overmoisten the soil. Excess moisture will lead to stretching of the stems of the plant and the lack of flowering.

Once a month, mirabilis is fed with mineral fertilizers. Any complex fertilizer for ornamental plants will do. Top dressing is carried out strictly at the root.

Experienced growers do not advise using organic matter for feeding mirabilis, as it leads to soil acidification. Excess acid in the soil can lead to decay of the roots of mirabilis. Fresh manure or compost is absolutely contraindicated for the Night Beauty.

At the end of the vegetative period, after the foliage has dried, the aerial part of the mirabilis is cut off and the tubers are allowed to ripen in the soil. Then they are dug up and stored until spring. In southern regions with mild winters, the rhizome does not need to be dug up. For the winter, it is covered with a layer of straw or sawdust.

When growing a night beauty as an annual, it is necessary to collect seeds for sowing next year. Large black seeds with a hard shell are formed in the wilting flowers of mirabilis. They are collected, dried and stored in paper bags until spring.

Mirabilis seeds keep well in paper bag

Diseases, pests and methods of dealing with them

Mirabilis is resistant to common flower diseases and pests, but it is susceptible to some problems during cultivation. They are mainly associated with violation of the rules for caring for a night beauty.

One of the diseases is rust. Infection is indicated by brown spots on the leaves. The fungus infects the plant through water when it is watered. This disease cannot be treated, therefore, mirabilis with signs of the disease is dug up and disposed of. The rest of the bushes are treated with a fungicide: Hom, Oxyhom, Fundazol.

When the soil is waterlogged, mirabilis suffers from root rot. The diseased plant lowers its branches, begins to dry out. If this problem is identified, the bush is dug up and disposed of, the hole in which it grew is treated with Fitosporin-M.

Pests bypass mirabilis. The only danger for him is aphids, and then only if they move from another plant located nearby. If aphids are seen on the night beauty, the bush must be washed a couple of times with a solution of laundry soap, and then treated with an insecticide - Actellik, Aktara, Iskra, Karbofos, etc.

Mirabilis is quite resistant to disease

Growing tips for growers

Mirabilis independently copes with the formation of a bush, so it does not need pruning. However, during flowering, you need to regularly cut the wilting buds. This technique stimulates the formation of new flowers and prevents self-seeding of the plant.

However, it is not forbidden to pinch and prune the branches of the mirabilis to give the bush an elegant or any unusual shape. Pruning the branches of the plant is only for the benefit of the night beauty, which after this procedure becomes even more magnificent and begins to bloom more abundantly.

Sometimes novice growers are faced with the problem of the lack of flowering of mirabilis. If from the middle to the end of June flowers did not appear on the plant, then the plant does not have enough moisture. In this case, you need to increase the number of watering, after feeding the bush.

During the flowering of mirabilis, it is recommended to remove all wilted inflorescences

Compositions with other plants in the garden

The use of mirabilis in landscape design depends on the height of a particular variety. Tall bushes can be used as hedges and as a backdrop for low-growing flowers. Low-growing varieties can be planted in flowerpots, balconies and loggias. On the flowerbed, the night beauty looks great in combination with marigolds, chamomiles, bells, lavender.

An interesting solution to using a night beauty is to create a hedge with her help. For these purposes, it is recommended to use tall varieties of mirabilis. The bushes create a fairly dense flowering wall, forming an original enclosure.

You can get acquainted with the peculiarities of growing mirabilis from the presented video material. Happy viewing!