Moon flower - the perfect charm of the night

The moonflower is a beautiful perennial plant, characterized by large heart-shaped leaves and silky flowers, with diameters of about 14 centimeters.

Flower of night magic

Coming from the American tropics - a flower of the moon color - in garden floriculture is grown since 1733 as an annual. The peculiarity of such a garden vine is the blossoming of white flowers with the onset of the night - the spectacle is unusual and fascinating, accompanied by a rustling rustle. Then a quiet clap is heard - and a beautiful moon flower is revealed at one point. The night space is immediately filled with an incredible aroma: sweetish-almond, with a note of freshness and romance. With the rising of the sun, the flowers wither, they can remain open all day long only in cloudy weather.

Ipomoea luni-flowering (another name of the moonflower) is a summer culture blooming in late July-August. The plant feels comfortable in sunny areas with any nutrient soils, preferring moist loams. Watering it is required regularly, not allowing the stagnation of moisture.

Reproduction of the moonflower

Cultivation of the flower is done in a seedling manner, because when sown with the seeds of the morning glory it does not have time to blossom before the onset of cold weather. Seeds of the moonflower are brown, large (like large bean), have a very strong shell. Seedling is performed in late March - early April. Preliminary it is recommended to make scarification - a partial violation of the covers of the shell in order to accelerate the germination and increase the germination index. In this case, young shoots will appear in a week.

The moon flower can be multiplied by layers. To do this, shoots that grow during the summer near the root neck, are dripped (not separating from the mother plant). After 1.5 months, their rooting takes place. Before the onset of cold weather, the pricked shoots should be transplanted into pots, brought into a greenhouse and covered with foliage for the winter. In spring, wintering saplings can be planted in the open ground.

First, the young moon flower grows slowly, but then it actively grows, reaching a 3-meter height in a matter of days. Therefore, the plant needs to establish in good time the supports, tie up and guide the climbing stems.

Night Ipomoea care

Flowering begins in June and lasts until frost. In conditions of temperate climate, the seeds of the moonflower do not have time to mature, so the fruits should be cut off and dried, first in the sun, then indoors. Store the planting stock is recommended in paper bags.

To ensure abundant flowering, the moon flower needs to be fed with mineral preparations with a low nitrogen content. Excess of the substance will cause the active growth of the green mass, which takes place at the expense of flowering. Also, the moonflower can be affected by a spider mite.

The plant of the night - the moon flower (photo is presented in the article) is used in plantings around arbors, on grating windows, at the entrance to the house, in arched compositions.