Only a careful care program encourages the miracle flower to have a never-ending period of bloom. Do you still have questions about proper cultivation in your mind? Then read precise answers here, directly from garden practice.
How do I properly care for a miracle flower?
Proper care for the miracle flower includes regular watering, fertilizing with compost, horn shavings and liquid fertilizer, occasional cutting back and protected overwintering of the tubers. Propagation is easy by seeds.
How do I water the miracle flower correctly?
In a full sun location, the miracle flower loses a lot of moisture every day. Therefore, on warm summer days, water the plant in the early morning hours and again in the evening. To prevent waterlogging from forming, check with your finger whether the soil has actually dried out.
Should I fertilize a Mirabilis jalapa?
In order to produce the lavish blossoms every day, the miracle flower spends itself completely. Therefore, fill up the floral batteries with regular fertilizer applications. This is how you fertilize the miracle flower in an exemplary manner:
- When planting in May, enrich the soil with compost and horn shavings
- From mid-June, add a liquid fertilizer for flowering plants (€14.00 on Amazon) to the irrigation water every two weeks
In September, stop the nutrient supply so that the miracle flower prepares for the coming winter.
When and how should a miracle flower be cut?
Just before putting it away for winter quarters, cut the miracle flower back to 5 cm. Until then, pruning is limited to regularly cleaning out the withered flowers to make room for the next buds. If the plant outgrows you in the middle of summer, you can safely shorten shoots that are too long.
Can the exotic flower overwinter?
The life force rests in every miracle flower bulb for several years. Even though the South American plant is not hardy, it is still worth the effort to keep it protected over the winter. Dig up the tubers in autumn to cut off shoots and roots. Knock off most of the soil. In the dark winter quarters at a cool 5 to 8 degrees Celsius, store the tubers in a dry and airy place.
Tip
The pea-sized seeds of a miracle flower make propagation child's play. The ripe seeds can be harvested in autumn and stored in a dry, cool and dark place until spring. The best date for sowing is in March. When planted seed-deep on moist seed soil, germination occurs within 14 days in a partially shaded, warm window spot.
