A Guide To Four O’Clock Flowers

Four o’clock flowers are colorful, vibrant, and downright lovely to gaze upon. There are so many reasons that so many people love to have them in their own gardens, especially during the warmer months of the year.

How to Grow and Care for Four O’Clock Flowers

Are you interested in growing some of your own four o’clock plants? If so, look no further, as we have gathered all the information you are going to need in this guide.

So, let’s get started. Here is all you need to know about growing four o’clock plants.

What Is A Four O’Clock Flower?

The Mirabilis jalapa, often known as four o’clock flowers, is a charming decorative garden flower that is often used to decorate cottage landscapes across the nation.

They are prized for their exquisite colors, which occasionally streak in some kinds to produce spectacular broken hues.

These flowers open up over the night after they bloom in the late afternoon, and close again till later in the day due to the bright sun in the morning. This is why they were given their name, the ‘four o’clock’ flower; they bloom between 4pm and 8pm.

The Broken Colors Of Four O’Clock Flowers

While many four o’clock forms exhibit solid hues, others display spectacular stripey and speckling patterns. 

These colors give the appearance of watercolor paintings, and appear incredibly beautiful.  They are also distinctive, since no two four o’clock flowers in broken colors are alike.

Mirabilis jalapa seeds are available for purchase in stripey pink and white patterns, gorgeous yellow and pink combos, and so many more.

There are countless color combinations to discover, and the swirling pattern on each flower is distinctive and truly stunning.

How To Identify Four O’Clock Seedlings

Four o’clock flowers naturally reseed themselves, so you do not need to do it yourself. In light of this, it would make a lot of sense for you to be able to determine the appearance of four o’clock seedlings so that you can recognize them quickly.

The lush green seedlings of the Mirabilis jalapa blooms have broad cotyledons and triangle-shaped, sharp true leaves. With each fresh batch of leaves, the true leaves emerge in pairings, and they extend in opposing directions.

How To Plant Four O’Clock Flowers

Four o’clock seeds basically develop themselves, as we previously indicated, therefore there is not a requirement for manual labor. Here is how you grow your own, nevertheless, in the event that you choose to do so.

In a nutshell, you should sow Mirabilis jalapa seeds in potting soil or any garden of your choosing, about a half-inch deep. They might also grow by themselves, from seeds that were left outside at the conclusion of the previous growing season.

You can plant your four o’clock seeds inside or outside, but the process will differ slightly depending on which one you decide on. Additionally, you can plant bulbs instead of seeds, and you can plant both seeds and bulbs within container gardens.

Below, we have created step-by-step instructions on how you can grow your four o’clock plants, using four different methods.

Planting Four O’Clock Seeds Inside

Here is how you can plant your four o’clock seeds inside, e.g., in your greenhouse. 

If the temperatures stay above freezing after the seeds germinate and reach a height of a few inches, you may want to consider transferring them outside. You will want to harden the plants up beforehand, though.

Find A Suitable Location

To begin with, you must decide where you will plant your seeds. You could consider using a dish or egg carton and fill it up with potting mix, since this is an easy route to go down.

Poke A Hole

The next step is to carefully pierce a hole in the middle of the earth for each individual seed. Make sure the hole is the right size for each seed.

Add The Seed

You can insert a single Mirabilis jalapa seed into each hole after it has been prepared. Once the seeds have been added, you can cover it up with a little soil.

Mist The Seeds

Once you have added each of the seeds and covered them up, you can lightly water them to add some moisture into the soil.

The best way to do this is to fill a spray bottle with water, and gently mist the seeds.

Position The Seeds In Sunlight

The seeds will need light in order to germinate. To encourage this process, place the carton or dish at a window where they will receive plenty of sunlight.

Keep An Eye Out For Progress    

The final step is to simply wait for the seeds to grow.

Continue to mist them with water every so often, and keep an eye on them to witness their growth.

Planting Four O’Clock Seeds Outside

Planting your seeds outdoors may be a better idea, as this will guarantee that they will be exposed to constant sunlight during the day. Here is how you can do so.

Find A Suitable Location

First, you will need to find a place that gets adequate sun, and contains enough room to sustain the plant’s unruly development. This should be, at least, a foot or two of depth.

Poke a Hole

The next step is to carefully pierce a hole in the middle of the earth for each individual seed.

Make sure the hole is the right size for each seed.

Add The Seed

You can insert a single Mirabilis jalapa seed into each hole after it has been prepared.

Once the seeds have been added, you can cover it up with a little soil.

Add A Place Marker

Since you are planting the seeds outside, you will need to add a marker to remind yourself where you put them.

Create a plant marker, and place it next to the seeds to remember where you put them.

Water The Seeds

Use a little water to moisten the seeds and the soil, but be careful not to add too much water.

Keep An Eye Out For Progress 

The final step is to simply wait for the seeds to grow. Continue to water them every so often, and keep an eye on them to witness their growth.

Planting Four O’Clock Bulbs

If you have already grown some four o’clock flowers, you may want to dig up the bulbs during the winter, especially if you live in colder regions. 

The good news is that, if you save them, you can replant them in the spring. Here is how you can plant some four o’clock bulbs in your garden.

Find A Suitable Location

First, you will need to find a place that gets adequate sun, and contains enough room to sustain the plant’s unruly development. This should be, at least, a foot or two of depth.

Poke A Hole

The next step is to dig a hole in the middle of the earth for each individual bulb.

Each hole will need to be twice as large as the bulb itself, in order to give it room to expand.

Drop The Bulb Into The Hole

Next, place each bulb into their individual holes, either placing the root ends pointing down into the soil, or lying them sideways.

Fill The Hole

Once you have placed all the bulbs into their holes, you can refill the holes with soil.

Make sure that each bulb has been completely covered.

Water The Bulb

Water the bulbs thoroughly, making sure that the soil is moist.

Keep An Eye Out For Progress 

Finally, you can allow your bulbs to grow with time.

Don’t forget to continue watering them during this process.

Planting Four O’Clock Seeds Or Bulbs In Container Gardens

The final way to plant some four o’clock flowers, whether you decide to use seeds or bulbs, is to plant them in some container gardens. 

Find A Suitable Pot

First, you are going to want to find a pot that is a suitable size for your four o’clock plant. Only plant one seed or bulb in each pot.

Dig A Hole

Once you have added the soil, make a hole in the center that is size appropriate for either your seed or bulb.

A hole for a bulb will need to be significantly larger than a hole for a seed.

Drop The Seed Or Bulb Into The Hole

Next, place the seed or the bulb into the hole that you created in the soil.

Fill The Hole

Use the soil to cover up the seed or the bulb, making sure that it has been completely covered up inside the pot.

Water The Seed Or Bulb

If you have planted a seed, lightly mist it with some water from a spray bottle.

If you have planted a bulb, you can be a little more generous with the watering process.

Keep An Eye Out For Progress 

Once you have completed all the steps, you can step back and watch your plant grow! Remember to continue watering the plant as time passes, and be sure to keep the pot in direct sunlight so that it can reap enough light exposure to fully grow.

Are Four O’Clock Bulbs Better Than Seeds?

There is no definite answer to this question, as four o’clock plants that grow from bulbs will be slightly different to those that grow from seeds. This does not mean that bulb-grown plants are ‘better’ than seed-grown plants, however.

The flowers that bloom from bulbs will be significantly larger than those grown from seeds, so this is something that you should take into consideration.

Bulb-grown four o’clock plants will also grow more prolifically, producing more flowers as they expand. They also grow a lot faster.

The Germination Period Of A Four O’Clock Flower

It will take, roughly, somewhere between a week and 10 days for four o’clock seeds to germinate. This process can be faster or slower depending on external factors, such as the amount of sunlight it is exposed to, and how often it is being watered.

Generally speaking, a four o’clock plant will germinate faster while placed underneath grow lights, as it will be receiving constant light. If you live in a sunny area, the plant may also thrive in the garden, as it is being exposed constantly to sunlight.

The Average Size Of A Mature Four O’Clock Plant

How to Grow and Care for Four O’Clock Flowers

When fully grown, a four o’clock plant will reach an average height of around 1–3 feet tall in total. The flowers themselves will spread at around 2 inches (5.08 centimeters) wide, with five curved petals making up the diameter.

Four O’Clock Flowers: Annual Or Perennial?

Any gardener will undoubtedly find themselves wondering, prior to planting a new plant, whether it is annual or perennial. You may be wondering the same thing about four o’clock plants.

Surprisingly, the answer will change based on where the plant is being grown. Four o’clock plants will thrive as perennials in hotter regions, noticeably in zones 7 to 10. 

However, when planted in colder areas, they would be considered to be annuals. When grown in cooler climates, the bulbs of four o’clock plants can be dug back up during the colder months, and replanted during the spring.

If you do not dig the bulbs up during the winter, they will end up dying eventually.

The best way to save time, effort, and money is to dig them up at this time, and preserve them until you can replant them when the weather starts to warm back up.

Can You Reuse Four O’Clock Bulbs?

Yes, you can reuse four o’clock bulbs. The best way to do this is to dig them up during the colder months, when the flowers begin to wilt and die. You should place the bulbs in a bag, and store them in a cool area until winter has passed.

If you’d prefer to save yourself the effort, you could always simply buy some new seeds in the spring and start the process all over again.

However, it is worth noting that four o’clock flowers grown from bulbs are much larger and more vigorous than those grown from seeds. 

This process is also worth completing if you have grown some uniquely colored flowers over the past few months, and you’d like to bring them back when the weather warms up.

How To Transplant Four O’Clock Plants

It is easy enough to transplant four o’clock tubers after digging them up, and storing them away during the winter.

You simply plant them the same way as you would plant any other kind of perennial, and continue to water and nurture until they have grown.

When To Transplant Four O’Clock Tubers 

As you already know, four o’clock plants will struggle to grow and thrive in colder climates.

You would be best waiting until the weather starts to warm up, or until it is no longer frosty out, before attempting to replant them. 

Final Thoughts

If you are growing four o’clock plants in a warmer climate, you can feel assured knowing that the seeds will, eventually, replant themselves.

This will save you a lot of time and energy, and you can rest knowing that those beautiful, colorful flowers will last in your garden.

If you live in colder areas, you may want to consider digging up the bulbs before the plant has died. By doing this, you can replant them during the spring, and watch them regrow as larger, more flamboyant flowers.

Four o’clock plants are not particularly high maintenance, and they are so worth the little effort that goes into them. We highly recommend growing some in your own garden.

We hope you found this guide helpful.

Diane Peirce
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