A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Plants and Flowers Forum How Do I Grow Four O' Clocks

I scrap up the dirt a little and plant the seeds and cover. One of my favorits.

Why are they called "four o' clocks" Is it because their flowers close at 4 p.m.???

their so asy tog row in fact i have one thats going to bloom withing the next couple days yay! its kinda scrawny something was eating some of the leaves.. but they can take it i hear... i think its because their flowers start to open around then or they smell the strongest then??? idk i just soakd the seeds after i fild them a lil bit... I actually just recently plantd mor... they are heat tolerante and drought tolerant i think> anywho i just love them

I soak mine first overnight, then plant then in pots. They sprout faster if you have some heat for them (like a heating mat or similar) In some parts of the Us they are invasive and come back year after year from carrot like tubers in the ground

Mine not only return from the tap root, but they reseed like crazy. I'm constantly thinning them out and /or digging them up to give to friends. Definitely one of the easiest flowers to grow.

This is my first year with them too. I have started them in peat pots. They are quite big right now. I am in zone 4/5 and we have still had a few freezing nights, but full moon is coming up and danger of frost is almost over. I think the 15th. Can I put them outside yet? or wait a couple more weeks? Will mine reseed here?

I think they are called that because they OPEN around 4 pm, not close then.

I'm getting a picture of them now........

I've grown them for years. they have got to be one of the easiest to grow! I've never soaked the seeds. sometimes I don't even plant the seeds, just throw them under the mulch. funny, here in zone 9 four o'clocks don't open till around 7 during the heat of the summer. and they also open at sun up for an hour or so. Do they open in the mornings in other zones?

Here's my seedlings. I didn't soak the seeds either, just popped them in the soil. Can I harden these off and get them in the ground now? Or do you think it's too early?

Are they vine-like?

If the frost is over plant them I'd say. Mine open at 4:00 and smell great but close at dark.

no they're not vine like. looks like they are seeking more light. I don't believe a light frost would hurt them, but a freeze would. I wouldn't chance it either way. hey, what color are yours? interesting, they have red stems?
oh, and my curiosity won't let this go....what's with the full moon? does the moon have something to do with night time temps?

The full moon pulls moisture from the earth and stimulates growth and germination. Just like it affects the tides, making them extreme highs and low tides. (the new moon does this too) It's something to do with the moon and sun lining up. So, the old farmers say plant your root vegetables before the full moon around the time of last expected frost, and plant your above ground veggies after that full moon. The excess moisture around that time will become frost if the temps are low enough, but after that you should be all set. Does that make sense. Sooo, with the new moon the night of May 5th and the full moon here the night of the 19th and our typical last frost date for zone 4/5 being anywhere between May 10 and May 25th, I am going to guess that to be sure May 20th would be the last chance for a frost in my area.

My seedlings have had consistent light inches from them from some florescent shop lights since germinating, so I don't think that the curve of the stems could be a lighting issue. Hmmmmmmmm, not sure.

I'm not sure of the color either, I got the seeds through a seed swap last year. I'll go check the packet again and see if there was any notations about the color.

Okay, the packet says they are red 4 O'clocks. They came from Comfrey, another member here.

Cool, about the moon! makes sense.
hhmmm...never seen red ones. I bet those will be very pretty! maybe the variety you have are somewhat viney? sounds like you have been giving them plenty of light.

Yes, I can't wait to see them. The flower reminds me of petunias, am I right?

Here's a link to a picture I found through an image search. Red 4 o'clocks

Yes much like very small petunia's, Mel. Here they are great in wild areas or waste areas because of how invasive they are. They both reseed prolifically and come back from the tap roots. Most of my survivors are yellow but I also have multicolored ones. Blooms open at 4 pm here and often again at sunup.
They grow to about 4 ft here. You can tip pinch yours, Mel for a stronger stem and bushier growth.

Thanks Tina. I just pinched a few of them back to see how they do. Because of the zone here, I don't think they would be invasive at all. Which is good. It says they are hardy to zone 7 so any more that I get would probably be from self sowing, not the tubers. I think the reason they are flopping and trailing could be the seed depth, they look a little shaky right at the soil level. I'm going to start hardening them off this week, after this rainy weekend passes.

Thanks to everyone for all the info, I was wondering about them and I'm not even the one who started this thread.

More than likely, you could dig and store the carrot type root for the winter if you really liked it or for a particular color. They are grown as annuals everywhere but here the root lives over, not the tops.

Thanks for the info.I think I'm going to like growing four o' clocks.