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4 o'clocks

ellenr22 - NJ - Zone 6b/7a

17 years ago

Hi, Y'all-

My 4 o'clocks are finally a-poppin'!

Just when I was ready to give up.

elen

I have planted the cypress vines and cardinal vine. They seemed to germinate overnight.

I have California Poppy and Salvia in the garden, still in container, getting used to the wind and full sun there. I'll probably plant them today.

And today I'll move to the garden - yarrow and gallairdia, both which germinated really well.

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Comments (7)

lovelycherry
17 years ago
oh, happy day!
You go girl!
Cherry
vera_eastern_wa
17 years ago
Good going!!

I gave up on my first sowing of 4 O'clocks, but the 2nd sowing of the pink variety sprouted within 8 days! Still waiting on the white.
Doesn't that yarrow look pretty when it's so young? I wintersowed them last time around and they bloomed late summer for me and were double in size by fall. This year they tripled in size and are sending up bloom stalks right now :D

Enjoy,

Vera
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In general, once a plant sets seed it's done what it's life purpose was. It can stop flowering and devote energy to maturing the seed. The best way to deal with that is either a light shear when most of the flowers are done, or better, individually remove the seed pods as soon as the flowers fall off. Some plants flower again, 4 oclocks are likely to, if you leave them alone. The first flush of flowers are the most significant though. If you cut them back severely, they'll go dormant, die, or just make new vegetative growth in the amount of time before frost. They don't like cool weather, and they don't probably have time to get new growth to the point of flowering much. If you expect them to return next year, you need to give them time to just recharge their batteries and store food in the tubers. They are not perpetual flower machines, if you want those, plant impatiens or marigolds, or morning glories.
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Sphinx Moth's love Four O'clocks & Moonflowers. I posted the picture I took last night on one of my plants, White-lined Sphinx Moth. I had no idea some have pink on them! I'm in z7 and here's a good example of how you need to do nothing to the plants over winter. Just let them die off and they'll come back in droves, ice and all. Years ago I planted a small patch in front of the house. Years later we added-on to the house which covered the original 4 o'clock bed. Here they are growing wild, I didn't plant them. These pictures don't do them justice, except the one with the Moth. I neglected them badly this year and finally got around to watering them yesterday and they are about to explode with pink blooms. I am glad they came up where no one can see them except us because there aren't any flowers until dusk. I had to pull up a lot of them to keep the "hedge" in order. BTW, same thing happened to our Moonflowers. Planted them in one spot and now they're all over the place! Moth East side of house. South side. We have a big yard so it's an organized jungle next to the house. Cats love to hunt there. Had to pull them away from our dog fence, the gate wouldn't open because of them!
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in the garden.. we usually need to get things early ... so they can prosper during the warms days.. and cool nights.. of spring .... to get a root mass down.. to make it thru the heat of summer in july/august ... and that is why it MIGHT be too late in mother earth.. depending where you are.. and what summer holds ... its a different world in a pot ... so give it a try ... no need to use up all your seeds.. just try a few ... and i might keep the pot itself.. out of direct sun .. after the babes pop up ... just so they dont fry ... very bright shade should be fine ... just some protection from blistering sun ... and extreme heat.. if any .... they can get to be a rather large plant.. so you dont need a lot in a pot.. depending on the size of your pots ... keep us posted ... whats to lose.. experimenting.. ???? ken
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I've never thought to grow it in a container! I'm in z5 and planted seeds many years ago.... one plant that I grew close to the foundation on the north side of the house has been able to survive our winters and has come back every year.
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ellenr22 - NJ - Zone 6b/7a
Original Author
17 years ago
glad to hear about yarrow, vera.
This is my first time to WS it. I love yarrow!
I have a lot of wild yarrow growing in my garden.
er
bakemom_gw
17 years ago
My direct sown 4:00 have just started popping! They really like the warm temps.
sqftgarden_in_wnc
17 years ago
My volunteer 4:00s started popping up several weeks ago. I direct sowed in the same bed that they were already in when we moved into this house in August 2006. I also noticed in more recent days volunteers below that bed and the bed to the side. They are eager little volunteers in my yard. Guess I'll have plenty of 4:00 seed to save and trade! I have "Marvel of Peru". Are there other varieties?
ellenr22 - NJ - Zone 6b/7a
Original Author
17 years ago
I also direct sowed some May 1. I hope they come up too. So far I don't see anything.

I don't have volunteers like I usually do. I had a bunch of volunteers come up during the warm spell in winter, then they got zapped when real winter returned.

ellen
vera_eastern_wa
17 years ago
Ok wonderful! I finally see the first roots busting out of the white ones....YEAH!!!!

My Yarrow seeds were harvested from a Yellow variety (Moonshine I think) but they all bloomed white for me. I don't really care as it's the texture of leaves I'm after.
{{gwi:352447}}

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