Angel trumpet is a flowering plant which belongs to the Nightshade family. It is the same family as that of tomatoes, potatoes, petunias, etc. The average height of these shrubs are 3 to 5 feet. Its leaves are oval-shaped and are 7 - 8 inches long. Its flowers are exotic, consisting of 5 large lobes and are most commonly found in white color. In some varieties, yellow, blue or red colored flowers are found too. Its fruits are covered with spines and hence referred to as thorn apple. The native land of these plants are southeast Brazil. Today, it is propagated in various parts of the United States and Mexico. The best way to propagate them is by planting angel trumpet seeds.
How to Plant Angel Trumpet Seeds?
The ideal time to plant angel trumpet seeds is the spring season after the cold winter is gone. Planting the seeds is quite an easy task. When it is done under right condition, then you can find the seedlings started growing in no time. The step by step instructions are as follows:
Step 1:The first step involves picking of the seeds. You have to pick up the dry seeds in the early part of the year. Select those seed pods which have dried up completely. You can identify this when you see that the outer shell of the pods have split because of dryness. If you do not find this kind of pods, then take some pods that are almost matured and then dry them off the tree. Store these seeds in refrigerator till the right time for planting them arrives.
Step 2: This plant's seeds take a lot of time to germinate. For this reason, you have to prepare the seeds well in advance in order to facilitate faster germination. Before you plant them, take out the flat and yellow colored seeds from the pod and cut their surface with a knife. Then soak them in a bowl of water overnight. On the next day, drain out the water and use them for planting.
Step 3: Take a large-sized pot or container for planting the seeds as these plants grow really fast. Fill it up with a potting mix covering about four inches of the container. Select a light potting mix for this purpose as it provides a good drainage. Heavy potting soil should be avoided as it retains large amounts of water which in turn can rot the seed much before germination. Mix some compost into the soil to improve its quality.
Step 4: Give some water to the soil so that it can settle into the pot properly. Now sow the prepared seeds directly into the pot. For this, you have to make an indentation into the soil which should be about one-fourth inch deep. Place a seed into it and cover it up putting some soil over it. Do not press too much of soil over it. Then add some more water into the pot.
Step 5: These seeds require humid conditions with warm days and cool nights for germination. Keep the container in one such area where it will receive partial sunlight. The soil should be watered in such a way that it remain moist but do not get flooded. If the weather condition in your area is hot and dry, you need to water the soil everyday. Usually, germination of the seeds begins within 2 - 3 weeks of planting the seeds.
When the young plant has emerged out of the seeds, you have to take care to keep it healthy. It requires a lot of water and nutrients to produce those attractive blossoms. Add some common fertilizers to the soil after a gap of 2 - 3 weeks. Keep the area surrounding the plants free from weeds by mulching regularly. Bear in mind that various parts of the angel trumpet are poisonous. Hence, you should not plant them in your flower garden if you have small children and pets at home.
