Need Help With My 4 o'clocks

This is the strangest thing. I have a nice bunch of yellow 4 o'clocks there are so many blooms on these plants and they even are fragrant at night. The problem is the blooms never open! The show would be spectacular if they would open. They are there closed all the time. I can open them and they will stay that way so what is wrong? Do they just take a while to mature and unfurl? I have purple and orange 4 o'clocks and they open just fine.

I think they open at dusk - i might be wrong...

Mine have always opened up around 4:00. No kidding. Could it be that you are missing them while they are open?

What a curious thing, Delisa. So some of your other 4:00's open but except the yellow ones?
I know it is not just the daylite but also the drop in temperature that encourages them to open. Are the yellow ones maybe in an area that is holding heat, like next to the house foundation? Or near your AC unit? Or maybe they get more direct sun during the day and it damages them somehow?

I'm curious to find out why this is happening.

These yellow 4 o'clocks never open no matter what time of night. They are not by the house foundation or AC although I do have a orange pink on that is and it is opening. Here is a photo I have taken tonight hope it is not to dark in the background to see the yellow beside the open fusia color 4 0'clocks.

Delisa

Delisa, I think Shoe is on to something there. I have red 4 o'clocks in filtered sunlight on the east side of the house and they open around 10 in the morning, and when it starts getting hotter, they open in the afternoon....go figure....not a genius here...LOL.

"eyes"

How weird! I have some yellow ones in a pot and they have yet to open, although all the others are blooming just fine. By chance, did we get them from the same source?

HI Norma: A friend of mine bought tubers from Dutch Gardens and I started mine from her seed.

Delisa

Mine don't overwinter up here, but they do reseed. Most times they're open and releasin that wonderful, unique 4 o'clock aroma by 8:00p.m. Every now and then a couple blooms will be open before that time. However, I've never had mine open at precisely 4 o'clock on the dot. I've opted to call mine "8 o'clocks."

Just wondering if your yellows ever opened up, Delisa. Any word yet?

They are not opening thanks for asking. The funny thing is the yellow are the largest plants and the other color smaller plants are opening. I hate to pull them up, but if no blooming by winter I will not keep them for next year.

Some have stated that they feel I expect them to bloom to early like exactely 4 oclock, but I have been out at all hours checking the bloom status.

Delisa

Hmmmm....I'd leave em...don't pull 'em! Maybe they'll open later in the year and stay open very late. Who knows. Consider it an "experiment"....see what they do.

Delisa, i had a few 4 o'clocks a couple of years ago were a hybrid, i think they were called baywatch and were supposed to open at 8 instead of 4, and be very tall. they didn't do well for me. it's hard to believe a 4 o'clock could be defective but maybe the hybrid produced defective seeds.

These are my red 4 o'clocks that open between 8 to 10 am!! They are on the southeast side of the house.

"eyes"

Very pretty they look pink in the photo!

Delisa

They're truly a pinky red, with some yellow towards the center.......these seeds I got from our own Dave.

"eyes"

I have a pretty and unusual color (I think). I got it at a greenhouse that employees the handicapped. They were trying to get rid of some 4 oclocks and gave it to me. I figured it was a common fusia color, but here it is and very pretty. I just collected 5 seed off of it tonight.

Delisa

Update: Arnold and the girls love yellow 4 O'clocks!

Delisa

I'm rolling on the floor just cracking up!!!!!!!!! Great recycling idea for the yellow 4 O'CLUCKS...LOL

Mine always open at 5:00pm. Hubby says it is the time difference. LOL

Delisa, what an odd problem with your 4'oclocks, (like that 4'oclucks), did any of them ever open. I plant seed as the tubers are not hardy here. I plant the Broken Colors variety, they are so pretty. They are planted around my chicken yard back far enough so the banties can't reach them through the 2" chicken wire fence!!! Donna

Delisa-
I LOVE the color of that orangey pink four o clock!!!

Any chance you'd want to swap a few seeds? I have some seeds for peach, and may still have some 'teatime' which is a light lavender...I also have some 'broken colors' if you like those...
Plus tubers of the regular yellow, white and fuchsia...

By the way! I have chickens, too! Aren't they great?
-T

Yes I really love the chickens. I have a little bantam silky girl that hangs all over me. Will dmail you about the seed.

Re the 4 oclocks - /try giving them a shot of hydroginized fish fertilzer, or something else. Sometimes when they're grown from seed they don't have the resources from the tubor to open. (does this sound like I know what I'm talking about?) LOL, These are just my theories, as I've had this problem before. It is not consistent as some of mine from seeds open fine. I do notice though the ones that I've grown into tubors over the last couple of years bloom better, and keep disease and pests off better. Other things I've tried is change water pattern, ie let dry out, or if they dry out, keep a bit more moist.
Good luck Rj

I have another type yellow, paler, but opens. Thanks

Dogs!...I thought sure I'd posted a pic of one of my favored bi-colors!

Just for your pleasure and enjoyment...looks kinda like a piece of candy, eh? Love this one!

Shoe-
Looks like a great "broken colors" mutation. Love the lemon with raspberry streaks...

How's the farm this year?? It's been a weird year here...
I'm really enjoying the canavalia you sent me...didn't get to plant the "magic beans" this year, but definitely saving a special spot for them for next year!
-Taylor

Great to hear from ya, Taylor. And I'm glad to hear you are growing the canavalia...you may need to save ME some seeds this time. I didn't grow any out the past two years and the seed I had simply turned to much when I finally got around to sowing them.

Farm is doing well, and busy. Doing many more plants this year in an effort to increase income and I tell ya, it's whippin' me! However, it's much preferable to punching a time clock!

Will do!
I no longer have your address, but if you'll send it to me by email, I'll get these right out to you.
I have mainly the jack bean, ...the sword have not produced ANY seeds for me...(yet)

If they do, I'll save you some of those, too, at a later date...
-T