Grow a vibrant garden with Four O'Clock Mix Seeds.
Four O'Clock Mix produces fragrant 5 cm (2) trumpet-shaped flowers that open in the late afternoon. It blooms in great varieties of red, yellow, crimson, white, and pink. Many flowers are mottled, striped, veined, or speckled in contrasting colors. Hummingbirds love these flowers. They are also tolerant of poor soil and heat.
SKU: 142191
Common Name: Four O'Clock
Botanical Name: Mirabilis jalapa
Growing Information
Safe for Bees
Good For Pollinators
Grows Best In:
Full Sun|Part Shade
Days to Germination:
10 - 15 days
Water Needs:
Average 2.5 cm (1") per week
Growing Height:
50-60 cm (20-24")
Key Features
Plant Type: Flower
Plant Lifecycle: Annual
Fill Weight (grams): 2 g
Approximate Seed Count: 12-15
Characteristics: Attracts hummingbird and songbirds | Fragrant | Easy to grow
Planting Method: Start Indoors
Color: Red, yellow, crimson, white and pink with many mottled, striped, veined and speckled
Water Needs: Average 2.5 cm (1") per week
Days Until Bloom: 80 - 110 days
Harvest/Bloom Season: July to Frost
Landscape Use: Bedding
Resistance: Deer
Tolerance: Poor Soil|Heat|Drought
Instructions
Planting Depth: 1.3 cm (1/2")
Seed Spacing: 1.3 cm (1/2")
Plant Spacing: 30 cm (12")
Instructions for Nutrient Care:
Feed plants SUPERthrive once per week. Mix 1.2 ml (1/4 tsp) per 4L (1 gallon) of water in a watering can and apply solution to the base of the plants.
Suggestions
Growing Suggestions:
Flowers only open late in the afternoon making them poor as cut flowers because they may not remain open.
Pinching back the early flower buds will help your plants to promote more branches and grow bushier. Wait until the plant is 20-25 cm (8-10") tall, cut off the top couple 5 cm (2") of the plant, directly above a set of leaves. Within a week, you will notice new stems sprouting from where you had cut the plant. This process will also cause the entire plant to branch out even more, giving rise to additional stems. The new stems will be longer because they will grow from the bottom of the plant instead of along the main stem.
Four O'Clock's do best in full sun, and can tolerate partial shade, but may grow spindly with reduced blooming.
Regularly removing spent flowers, known as deadheading will promote continuous blooming and encourage the growth of fresh buds. If you have a large cluster of plants, trimming them by around one-third is a simpler alternative to deadheading.