Moonflower is a beautiful perennial plant, characterized by large heart-shaped leaves and silky flowers, in diameter of about 14 centimeters.
Flower of night magic
Coming from the American tropics - the moonlight flower - has been grown in garden floriculture since 1733 as an annual. A feature of such a garden creeper is the blooming of white flowers with the onset of night - an unusual and bewitching sight, accompanied by a rustling rustle.
Then a soft clap is heard - and the beautiful moon flower opens at one moment. The night space is immediately filled with an incredible aroma: sweet-almond, with a touch of freshness and romance. With sunrise, the flowers fade, open all day long can only remain in cloudy weather.
Ipomoea moonflower (another name for moonflower) is a summer culture that blooms in late July - August. The plant feels comfortable in sunny areas with any nutritious soil, prefers moist loam. Watering it is required regularly, avoiding moisture stagnation.
Moonflower propagation
The flower is grown in a seedling method, because when sown with seeds, morning glory does not have time to bloom before the onset of cold weather. Moonflower seeds are brown, large (like a large bean), have a very strong shell. Sowing for seedlings is carried out in late March - early April. It is preliminary recommended to carry out scarification - a partial violation of the coat integument in order to accelerate germination and increase the germination rate. In this case, young sprouts will appear in a week.
Lunar flower can be propagated by layering. To do this, shoots growing during the summer near the root neck are instilled (not separating from the mother plant). After 1.5 months, they root. Before the onset of cold weather, rooted shoots should be transplanted into pots, brought into the greenhouse and covered with foliage for the winter. In spring, overwintered seedlings can be planted in open ground.
At first, the young lunar flower grows slowly, but then it is actively gaining momentum, reaching a 3-meter height in a matter of days. Therefore, the plant needs to establish supports in a timely manner, tie up and direct the curly stems.
Care for morning glory
Flowering begins in June and continues until frost. In a temperate climate, lunflower seeds do not have time to ripen, so the fruits should be picked and dried, first in the sun, then indoors. It is recommended to store planting material in paper bags.
To ensure abundant flowering, the lunar flower needs to be fed with mineral preparations with a low nitrogen content. Excess substances will cause active growth of green mass, which occurs at the expense of flowering. Also, the moonflower can be affected by a spider mite.
Night plant - a moon flower (photos are presented in the article) is used in plantings around arbors, on lattice windows, at the entrance to the house, in arched compositions.