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How to plant 4 o'clock tubers

17 years ago

Could someone please tell me how to plant 4 o'clock tubers? Do they get planted vertically or horizontally? How deep are they planted? These are for my mother for Mother's Day as they are her favorite flower and I just want to be sure I'm doing it right.

Thanks in advance!

Linda

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Comments (3)

azalyssa
17 years ago
Vertically. Not sure how deep; I've always started them from seed. They're not picky, though. Just cover them up and add water and sun!
leslie197
17 years ago
Sorry, I bought mine 5 or 6 years ago as small plants and planted them as you would any small plant, so I have no idea about how deep or which way the tubers would go.

I would, however, suggest planting them in a sheltered spot, or any warm microclimate that you have, if you want them to return well in zone 5. The tubers are supposed to be hardy to 10 degrees F & it is usually suggested that they be mulched heavily here. My yard has too much winter wet and the temp is borderline for us here for this to work well for me..

The two huge clumps I currently have were from the ones I planted on the west side and south side of the house right next to the wall. All the others were strictly annuals for me. I have a mix of colors, with yellow predominating. I have often wondered why so many yellows survived.
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They are not really bulbs but tuberous rooted perennials. And not very hardy ones at that. These are generally grown and sold as annuals in colder climates (lower than zone 8). I'd plant in a container that can be stored overwinter or allow them to go to seed - they tend to reseed rather freely. Nuzzle the tuber down into the soil with just the hint of the green above the soil surface. They grow fast, so you will enjoy flowering this season.
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I have NEVER grown 4 o'clocks b4 this year (my 1st winter sowing year). And can I just say that my husband is getting a whole heaping amount of entertainment out of these little plants. Mine are only about a foot or so tall. They definitely have plenty of blooms on them. However...WHEN they bloom remains a mystery to me. I keep missing the show somehow! So everyday hubbie watches me run out to the yard at certain times of the day hoping to see these crafty little flowers in full bloom. I have yet to succeed. But at this point, I am determined. **waves fist in air** As God is my witness, I will see these flowers in bloom this season! :oP
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Hi Not_A. Well, to be truthful, Mom didn't say Bowling Balls. We do have some families visit this site--we need to kepp it family friendly--and so I substitued the word Bowling for Elephant ;-) My Mother got her tubers from a neighbor on the end of the block--when he gave them to her they were larger than a softball. Mom grew them probably another five or six years before I remember them being so large. So, it's quite likely that the tubers were a good eight or nine years old when they were that size. Her garden was in the Upper Catskills, on the north face of a mountain, and in a micro-climate of zone 4b, once in a blue moon it went down to -30, but that was very rare.
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I've been overwintering mine in a mixture of peat and vermiculite in large ziploc bags - I leave the top of the bag mostly open. They start sending out shoots around March - April and patiently wait until I can get around to putting them in pots (and then transplanting them outdoors).
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lboyce
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks everyone for your help! I sure do appreciate it. I have always bought the plants but just cannot find them anymore.

leslie...I didn't realize the tubers were hardy to 10 degrees. My mother lives upstate New York when it sure gets a whole lot colder than 10 degrees during the winter. She had some planted for her before but they did not come back..not sure where they were planted but I will let her know about planting in a sheltered area and throwing TONS of mulch on them and if all else fails, if they bloom to get the seeds.

I was sure the tubers got planted vertically but was having a "senior moment" and for the life of me couldn't remember! Thanks again!

Linda

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