The moon is waxing crescent so wont be full for another week and a half ,right now I only have one bloom on the Datura but it looks like it will be loaded by the time of the full moon and I know that every year I posed this same question Does the moon phase have much to do with the amount of blooms ??? Due to a wet spring I now have a lot of volunteers that I have nursed to maturity so am really waiting on the next full moon ..This year I also have some Yellows and a couple of the purple doubles
Moonflowers
Grits ~ what type of bloomer are you calling a moonflower? Is it the Datura? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datura
I love these blooms and their fragrance. I've never watched the bloom cycle in time with the moon phases. Interesting!
Please report what you observe.
Yes, it should be interesting.
we did this last year and there is a slight correlation with the moon/bloom cycles,it did not repeat with the next full moon but i don't believe i had enough plants to form a valid opinion..All that I have are the Datura ,I have a friend that has some Brugs that she has nursed through two Okie winters, but she can grow a rock from seed LOL...Today I am preparing a new bed for the Yellows filled a half barrel with leaves and whatever I could find and wet each layer as I filled the barrel,stomped each layer as I filled the barrel would fill to the top then wet stomp and repeat will add compost and topsoil in about 3 days and transplant the yellow moonflowers making sure that I have enough shade cloth to protect them ...
How did they do during the supermoon ?
sorry but I don't remember ,they only stared blooming heavy like in late June
Today I had 5 blooms and that is from about 10 plants the moon is waxing cresent at 27% illum..
The bloom count is up to 21 the moon is 32% illum. so looks like it will continue to increase (bloom count) up to 1/2 moon ..Stay tuned..
Just a word of caution all parts of this plant is poison I only mention this because this morning I was weeding a bed with the moonflowers and actually brushed against one of the blooms with my face ...I came straight inside and washed my face ,hands and arms which was a good excuse to grab another cup of Black Silk coffee...
Black silk it is! Since we discovered that, we haven't bought anything else. It is wonderful.
But then we like our coffee strong...
I don't think you have to worry about the plant unless you crush it or cut it and the juice get on you, and of course unless you ingest it.
I may have to give that coffee a try, we love coffee too.
Is Black Silk the brand name? Do they make it in decaf.?
Whole bean? I have not heard of it now drinking Tanzania Peaberry and it is strong but smoooooooth
The "moon flowers" I have grown look like huge morning glories not datura. Maybe name is freely used?
The black silk my husband likes is a folgers brand. It is strong and tasty.
C
I like strong coffee. I am thinking of sweetening with simple syrup and freezing for ice pops!
Black Silk is by Folgers.
Moonflowers are datura,
Moon VINE is ipomeia - large white
blooms which come out at night !
Honey is good.
I thought the packet I had said moonFLOWER VINE - that is why confused me.
It looked like the morninglory so must be what you are calling moon vine. Mine were open at daybreak and lasted til mid afternoon. Thanks for clarifying
This evening the bloom count is up to 64 and I don't believe it will get any higher as there does not appear to be a lot of unopened buds Hmmmm can honey bees tell time because the blooms were alive with bees...I do wonder if the toxins in the flowers could be transferred to the honey they will make from all of the pollen it is almost dark and the bees are still busy I do wonder how they find their way home after dark Maybe Gypsi will tune us in and tell us how they navigate
Very Lovely Grits, the scent is so nice too.
Remember Jo I have seen a picture of your Moonflower it makes mine look like a dwarf LOL
Thank you but that one plant has now gone to plant heaven, would that be compost?
The one I have now is a lot smaller than yours.
Nope, can't tell time those bees. Just work til they drop, or rather the temps drop and they go dormant til heat comes up.
That's beautiful,
grits!
Yesterday Monday it was raining pretty hard so did not go and count the blooms and this morning Ditto more rain then I had to leave for a very early appt and was gone all day so the blooms from the morning were gone before I got back home but just a quick count from the safety of the front porch revealed approx. the same as the day before ..I will get a count later that will be about 8pm..stay tuned to "As the flower opens"
The bloom count is at 60 the moon is 60% illum. so I do think the moon has a great influence on the bloom cycle just as I thought last year they increase as the moon increases in it's illumination peaking at 50% then beginning a slow decline until the moon is full at which time they seem to start to recharge for the next cycle..Now this is pure conjecture on my part but I intend to keep observing and reporting
I have had datura once, still dig out a few volunteers from its seeds every spring, and I got rid of it in about 2004.
I prefer the smell, growth and blooms of moon vine, when I have time to start them, but I haven't had time since the bees came. and the drought.
The bloom count has dropped to 34 blooms and the moon is 70% illum. so looks like it really does have an influence
as we approached the 1/2 moon the bloom count was at it's greatest now at 70% the count is declining we will report bac at the full moon phase Gypsi I have to wonder about your choice to not have the moon flowers as every bloom at opening time had upwards of 10 or more bees I don't believe that they are so thick there in the morning it must have to do with the pollen being maxed just as they open
I didn't have bees when I removed, but I have cats and dogs. They are a nightshade and puppies will chew and they are poisonous. Granted the dogs aren't in the front yard much, But the darned vine was also about 18 ft long, up the butterfly bush 10 ft, on the roof of the house, and all through the shrubs by its second year. I started to move it out back when I found out it could kill my dog if she chewed on it, and that was that, I got a shovel and bagged up the proceeds.
the bloom count is down to 29 this evening I am glad I started this as now I have a "have to" reason to go out at twilight and that is when all of my flowers are the very prettiest..I do know that it is just the light but the coneflowers seem brighter and the color of the dwarf Marigolds is completely off the charts
Fyi the moon is waxing gibious and is 81%
It looks like you are having a really good time with this project, good for you!!!
Today the moon is 98% illum. I had but one bloom lots of small buds looks like it is reloading for the next new moon
Gypsi, you had a Datura vine? Ive never heard of that.
It started as a datura bush but lived thru several winters, had roots all under my foundation, and it was about 15 to 18 foot to the west, and up over the porch some and 12 foot to the right and up the butterfly bush. No photos. planted in 2002, it took over in 2003, Pulled it out in 2004, still digging up seedlings.
Wow. It really loved your soil! Ive never seen one over 5 ft tall. Wish you had a pic. I would love to see that.
might have an old print, I have 10 rolls of undeveloped film from that era around here somewhere. It might like my watering habit. I water a couple of times a week, used to just lay a hose down on a slow drip in that flower bed for about 24 hours, very slow drip, totally deeply saturate the ground.
(super way to drown your wisteria, I know, I drowned mine)
The moon is past full and is waning so NO blooms since the full moon From the looks of the plants they are re loading for the next new moon
They did not wait for the new moon but just started a new cycle the evening of the 26 th then fully erupted last night the 28th with a bloom count of 61....i will continue to track this thru this cycle ,at this point it looks like the moon has just a small influence on it ...We shall see.