The datura is quite a special feature in the ornamental garden, as it opens its flower calyxes, which appear from July to October, mainly at night and then exudes an intense scent. The smell of the leaves, on the other hand, is less pleasant, but this should not necessarily deter gardeners from planting them in the garden.
How do you sow datura in the garden?
Datura can be sown directly outdoors from April or May or indoors on the windowsill from February. What is important is warm temperatures of around 20 degrees Celsius, permeable plant substrate, high humidity levels and a location that is as sunny as possible.
Sowing directly outdoors
The datura also thrives in partial shade, but it grows bushier and taller in a corner of the garden that is as sunny as possible. Depending on the weather, sowing directly outdoors is possible from April or May, and for successful flowering of the annual plant, sowing should not be later than June. So that the datura can thrive as a young plant outdoors, the planted area should be as open as possible and free of strong-growing nutrient and light competitors. Particularly when growing in pots on the terrace, it is important to ensure that the plant substrate is evenly moist during the germination phase. As the datura gets older, it becomes less sensitive to certain dry phases.
Growing Datura from seeds indoors
When germinating datura, the following environmental factors have a beneficial effect on germination:
- warm temperatures around 20 degrees Celsius
- permeable planting substrate such as potting soil (€6.00 on Amazon) or coconut fiber
- consistently high humidity values
If you want to start the gardening season with the strongest possible young plants, you can plant the datura on the windowsill from February. A cover with foil makes it easier to care for the seedlings, although they should be ventilated every two to three days to protect against mold formation. Before you plant the seeds about a centimeter deep in the growing substrate, you can let them soak in room-temperature water overnight.
Be careful when storing seeds
Not only the leaves, roots and all other parts of the Datura plant are poisonous, the seeds also contain a high concentration of toxins. Therefore, the seeds of annual plants should be stored safely after harvest and kept away from any potential access by children. Medical or intoxicating uses are also strongly discouraged, as even small amounts can be fatal.
Tip
Since the germination of datura seeds can take up to 20 days, special growing substrate or appropriately prepared garden soil that is free of germinable “weed seeds” should be used.
