Sure. It's easy and fun. The flowers die back and a good sized black seed somewhat bigger than an eraser head grows that resembles a black hand grenade. They are ripe when you tip the plant and the seed rolls out into your hand. Sometimes there's a little green on the mostly black seed, but that's ok and those seeds are viable.

If you want to save them over the winter, leave them out to dry for at least a week or two. They can appear dry but still mold if you store them in plastic like I do.

They really are easy. My twin 4 year olds are driving me crazy collecting them. They are so excited that they can "help" me collect seeds that they are mauling my plants!

Help! I've been collecting my 4 o'clock seeds in a glass for weeks now and thought they were dry, so I put them in little plastic bags to give to friends. A few days later, and they're all moldy! I quickly got them out of the plastic bags and scattered them on a pie plate to dry. Is it too late? Are they ruined? Do I have to throw them out or are they salvageable? How do I know when they are truly dry? Is there a way to do it myself? Please help!!!

foofna
no you dont have to throw them away.
wash them good and dry on a terry towel-
make sure all the green leaves etc. are gone

when collecting from outside
leave them to dry for about 4 days
on a newspaper

You might try cutting some of the seeds open to see if the mold has penetrated it. Just tell your friends the viability might be affected.

I find that a lot of them fall out. Just pick them up off the ground--they're so big, they're easy to spot...

A few months ago I transplanted a 4 oclock from my dads in Texas to my home in Michgian. It has a rather large tube (root) and the plant grew very large and produced lots of flowers. I don't see any black seed I see a 1/2 pea sized little green ball in the green part of the flower stem. Is that the seed? Maybe the seeds are not as big since I transplanted it? any help would be great, I don't think the plant will survive the Michigan snow and want to collect some seeds.

that's the seed, give it a few days to turn black.

:)

Any one have any of the original (thicker leaves) seeds - the deep pink ones or know where I might purchase them? My mom's lawn was poisoned by the city and she lost all of hers and had no seeds because they come back each year. I found seeds, but the variety is not as hardy and not as pretty and she doesn't like the multiple colors. Thanks for reading.

PJ,
Post on the Seed Exchange Forum. Also you need to fix it so you have a member page.
Remy

I've found a ton of 4 o'clock seeds laying on the ground that were still green. Can I save these or will they go bad?

The black ball-shaped seeds are very easy to see and collect. When you are ready to sow them, try soaking them in room temp water overnight before planting. They have an extremely hard outer shell but this seems to soften it.

My collection method is easy. I take a large bowl, bigger the better, put them under the bush as best I can and then "gently" pat the plant toward the bowl. you will get a lot of loose leaves and flowers, but they are pretty easy to sort out after that.

I collect tons of them off the ground when I dig up the root in the fall.

I just started my four o' clocks last night. I forgot about how their seeds look like little hand grenades! (been a few years...) I felt like a kid all over again when I looked at them.

Trish, I started mine maybe about Feb 22nd. You can tell I am super excited. I have about 6 of them that sprouted, and moved to a 4 inch pots.

I used coir pellets, because I was too lazy to do it in soil mix.

They seem to germinate at a different rate, so there are still few that are just starting to wake up now.

Good luck with you 4 o clocks.

Angelina

Here is a link that might be useful: Mirabilis jalapa seed propagation indoors

These re-seeded so well here in GA that I decided to stop growing them.

If any of you with four o'clock seeds have some extra I would greatly appreciate a few. I am willing to to do a SASE or SASBE. Thank you! Email me at: dawnybrewer@gmail.com

Dawn

dawn1972- garden web name

They should be 50 cents at Dollar General. Cheaper than postage. Dollar General has a lot of open-pollinated 50 cent flower and veggie seeds. Four o'clocks self-seed a lot, so you might wanna put them away from your best areas. I think I finally got rid of all of mine. I highly recommend the chartruese leaved one that has bright violet flowers- Limelight may be the name. it is the prettiest by far. I think one of the big box stores sells it. You can grow them from cuttings, too, I think. I don't remember if they come true from seed, though.

Wynnho- thanks a lot.

I absolutely LOVE 4 oclocks. I have some that the flowers are luminiscent. Lots of different colors and so easy to grow. they do get very high and sometimes need staking, or let them cover the ground.