The moonflower is a beautiful perennial plant, characterized by large heart-shaped leaves and silky flowers, with diameters of about 14 centimeters.
Coming from the American tropics - a flower lunarcolor - 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.
Ipomoea luni-flowering (another name of the moonflower)- 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.
Growing of a flower is made by plantingway, because when sown with seeds, morning glory does not have time to bloom before the onset of cold weather. Seeds of the moonflower are brown, large (like large beans), 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 rate. 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 prikopannye shoots should be transplanted into pots, put in a greenhouse and cover for the winter foliage. In spring, wintering saplings can be planted in the open ground.
First, a young moon flower grows slowly, butthen actively gaining momentum, within a few days reaching a 3-meter height. Therefore, the plant needs to establish piers in a timely manner, tie up and guide the climbing stems.
Flowering begins in June and lasts untilthe onset of frosts. In conditions of a temperate climate, the seeds of the moonflower do not have time to ripen, so the fruit 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 flower is lunarneeds fertilizing with mineral preparations with a low nitrogen content. Excess of the substance will cause the active growth of the green mass, which is 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.
