Four O’Clock Formula Mix Seeds

Four O’Clock seeds are large, dark, and easy to place by hand. Direct sow outdoors after your last frost date, once soil has warmed to at least 60°F (16°C). Put each Four O’Clock seed about 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep and space plants 12–18 inches apart. If you want a head start, sow indoors 4–6 weeks before last frost in individual cells, to disturb a taproot as little as possible during transplantation. Four O’Clock flower seeds germinate in 7–14 days at 65–75°F. Soak seeds in warm water for 24 hours before planting to speed up germination time.

Four O’Clock flowers need full sun — at least 6 hours per day. They can grow in basically any soil, but give them well-drained, and compost-amended ground and you'll get noticeably taller plants with far more flowers. Waterlogged spots are a problem, so avoid planting in low areas or heavy clay without amendment. Water regularly while plants establish, then ease off. Once the root system is developed, Four O’Clocks handle dry spells without complaint. 

If plants get leggy by midsummer, cut them back by about a third and they'll push new growth within a week or two. Feed lightly once or twice during the season with a balanced granular fertilizer. In colder zones, you can dig plants up in fall, store them dry like Dahlia tubers, and replant in spring.