Not far from my garden there is an empty lot with a hedge of Four O' Clocks that grow an flower like mad. I try not to pass the abandoned property very often because these plants just remind me just how much I stink at trying to get these seeds to germinate. I've tried for years to grow Four O' Clocks from seeds with little luck. On this abandoned property they grow in almost full sun, watered only by rain and they thrive.
They're called Four O' Clocks because the plant has a habit of blooming after 4:00 PM, but I took these pictures at 5:00 PM. I think these flowers need a better alarm clock, no?
Even unfurled the flowers are interesting to look at and resemble trumpets. The red, pink, yellow and white blooms put on a display in the late evening when they open up.
The large and black seeds, that resemble miniature grenades, are easy to spot because the Four 0' Clocks, don't develop a seed pod. You can find them cradled, where the petals of the bloom were prior to being pollinated, when they are really ripe. I'm amazed at how readily these Four O' Clock seeds germinate, grow & bloom year after year without any help. I guess their durability is why they are such a popular annual garden plant. Maybe next year I'll break down and just buy some, because no matter what I do I can't get a single seed to germinate.
I made a short video that demonstrates where to find the seeds on the Four O' Clock, what they look like and how to collect them.
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22 comments:
Thank you, MBT. That's a wonderful post on one of the flowers from my childhood that holds a lot of good memories.
We never planted Four o'clocks but once -they always seeded themselves and thus were very popular .
Oh! But they were open at 4 PM! You can't expect the flowers to observe something as stupid and recent as Daylight Savings Time.
Just sticking up for the plants here.
@ Carolyn, Maybe you can tell me what the secret is with these seeds then. :0)
@ MrSubjunctive, Haha, good point.
Four-o-clocks were the first seeds I planted as a kid. They're nice and big and easy for little fingers to handle. I don't know of any tricks to getting them to germinate. They do need warmth (70 degrees or higher.) They have a pretty hard seed coat - maybe you could try nicking a few and soaking a few to see if either strategy helps, or try starting a few indoors where you can control the temperature, light, and water more. Another benefit of starting them indoors is you could start them earlier and maybe get blooms earlier. I remember being impatient as a kid waiting for them - it took a long time before they bloomed.
Winter seed sowing softens the coat over time, without needing to knick it. (I'm lazy, I know!) I love four-o-clocks and am wondering now why I didn't grow any this year.
Garden Girl @ Monica,
Thanks for the tips...but I'm not exaggerating when I say I can't get these seeds to sprout to save my life. I've tried all of the tricks in the seed sowing arsenal and have come up short every time.
I convinced there is a vast conspiracy among the Four O' Clock community to not grow for me. I've purchased seeds, I've collected them from these plants and nothing.
They hate me. :0(
snaps are really nice..!
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I wonder if the secret is to not baby them. I've heard friends say once you have them, you'll never need to buy them again, or plant them. I bought several once, and it's true. They just seed and reseed on their own.
I suggest you just buy one plant, or dig up some seedlings in that abandoned plot next spring, and then let them seed themselves.
May I recommend my favorite 4 o'clock? Limelight. The lime green foliage w/magenta flower=lovely.
I didn't know they would grow so far north. What happens to them over winter? They seed freely here (Miami) and I'm constantly pulling them up. I can tell you that they don't like direct sunlight but they tolerate everything else, including our horrible alkaline soil.
Most of mine were magenta until I found some yellow ones, which don't smell so sweetly. Recently I came across white, which is new to me, and in the same patch white with splotches of pink. I have yet to sow the seeds I gathered to see if I can also get white and pink.
I'm happy to send magenta or yellow seeds to those that want some. Let me know.
I have not tried to grow these--but now I want to! They are so pretty and I love the idea of things just growing on their own.
I'm not familiar with them at all, but if they will grow in Chicago and in Florida, I guess they will grow in Virginia. I plan to put them on my list for next year. I love the multi-colors. Will let you know how it goes. thanks.
Four O'Clocks make a tuber which can get VERY large. I have dug many that weighed 6 pounds or more. Just dig a tuber and let it reseed itself!
Don't feel bad, I cannot grow marigolds to save my life.
I am passing on a meme given to me by the Seed Scatterer. She says for you to post on your blog, 7 things about yourself that we don't know. Then pass it along to 7 other blogs, that we would enjoy visiting. And don't forget to link it back to me.
Enjoy!
Lelo,
That's what I'm going to do next year. I even planned to take some cuttings of the plants in the empty lot this spring but I completely forgot.
Penny,
They die down and the seeds come up this far north. It is possible the tubers Janie mentions overwinter although everything I read about them says they aren't hardy in our zone.
Kaylen,
They are really nice and a provide good interest in a garden at night.
Webb,
Hi, thanks for stopping by and good luck with yours.
Janie,
That's funny marigolds are so easy for me to grow from seed. :0) I did that meme in '07 and I shared the link with you on your blog.
Have any of you tried putting down the seeds in the Fall? They are self sowing plants, and Fall is when they drop their seeds themselves. It works for me. I had a lovely batch this summer from seeds I dropped in the fall. I do this for Cleome and Nigella as well.
Karen,
When you say self-sowing, do you mean that you don't cover the seeds with soil? I live in Central Florida and a friend game me some seeds and practically all of them came up. They are magenta and yellow. Do you know if squirrels eat them? I hear the seeds are extremely poisonous.
Karen Monaghan,
Thanks for the tip on how you deal with the seeds,
Karen,
What we mean by self-sowing is that the seeds will fall to the ground and they will sprout where they fall all on their own without human intervention.
I don't know if squirrels will eat them but as far as how poisonous they are I've only read that if eaten will cause upset stomachs and cramping. Haven't come across any info saying they are so poisonous as to cause death.
As for Mr. Brown Thumb not being able to germinate the four o'clocks, you might try putting some Miracle Grow potting soil in a pot and put the seeds just slightly under the soil. That's how I started some of my seeds that a friend gave me. I put them in the sun and the potting soil kept them moist so that the seed cover softened. Good luck, Mr. Brown Thumb
I also had trouble for years trying to germinate four o'clocks until I found one book which said to just press them on the surface of the soil. I also presoaked them in warm water overnight then just pressed them into the soil leaving part of the seed exposed to the light and what do you know, they germinated about 7 days later. Because they naturally self seed, thats an indication that they need light to germinate as they just fall to the ground, sit on top of the soil and germinate freely. We need to copy mother nature. Hope that helps.
Also if they self-seed they probably need to go through Winter before they sprout. Try Winter Sowing (outside). It will work for sure and if you cover them with baggy or plastic cover (cut holes for ventilation)they will start growing when right time comes in Spring. Of course, you can just put them on ground where you want them just like they would do naturally in Fall. Don't pamper them.
Thanks for the tips Tidewater later, Anonymous and Magan.
cut a branch and stick in the pod. thats what did
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