The thorn apple is definitely something special in the ornamental garden, as it opens its calyxes, which appear from July to October, mainly during the night hours and then exudes an intense fragrance. The smell of the leaves, on the other hand, is less pleasant, which should not necessarily deter gardeners from planting in the garden.
You can collect the seeds for sowing yourself, but beware: they are poisonous!
Sowing directly in the field
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 sowing should not be later than June for successful flowering of the annual plant. In order for Datura to be able to assert itself as a young plant outdoors, the planted area should be as open as possible and free from fast-growing competitors for nutrients and light. Especially when cultivating in a pot on the terrace, it is important to ensure that the plant substrate is evenly moist during the germination phase. With increasing age, the Datura is later also quite insensitive to certain dry phases.
Prefer the datura from seed indoors
In Datura germination, the following environmental factors are beneficial to germination:
- warm temperatures around 20 degrees Celsius
- permeable plant substrate such as potting soil or coconut fiber
- consistently high humidity levels
If you want to start the gardening season with young plants that are as strong as possible, you can grow Datura on the windowsill from February. Covering with foil makes it easier to care for the seedlings, although airing should be done every two to three days to protect against mold growth. Before placing the seeds about one centimeter deep in the growing substrate, you can let them soak in room-warm water overnight.
Be careful when storing the seeds
Not only the leaves, roots and all other plant parts of the datura are poisonous, the seeds also contain a high concentration of toxins. Therefore, the seeds of the annual plants should be kept safe after harvesting and should be protected from any potential access by children. Medical or intoxicating uses are also strongly discouraged, as even small amounts can be deadly.
tips
Since thorn apple seeds can take up to 20 days to germinate, special growing substrate or appropriately prepared garden soil that is free of germinable "weed seeds" should be used.