How to Grow Datura Moonflower

Put on a pair of leather gloves. Gather a seed pod from an established datura plant in late summer once the spiny, round outer hull begins to crack open. Sever the pod at the base using pruning shears.

Pry open the hull using the tip of a gardening knife. Remove the black, rough-textured seeds. Discard any shriveled or discolored seeds. Store the seeds in a plastic bag until the following spring.

Sow the seeds in early spring around mid-March. Plant them 1 inch deep in 4-inch plastic pots filled with an equal mixture of coarse sand and garden soil. Sow two seeds in each pot.

Pour 1/4 cup of water into each pot to saturate the top 2 inches of soil. Water again with 1/4 cup of water once the surface of the soil feels dry when pressed.

Set the pots near a large window with southerly exposure where they will receive sunlight for at least six hours each day. Maintain temperatures around 60 F during germination.

Remove all but the healthiest datura seedling from each pot once they grow to 2 inches in height. Move the pots outdoors to a sunny, sheltered spot once daytime temperatures reach 65 F.

Plant the datura seedlings 4 to 6 feet apart in a sunny bed with excellent drainage once all danger of frost has passed. Water the seedlings to a depth of 3 inches after planting.

Water to a depth of 2 inches every seven days during the first growing season. Cease all supplemental water in the autumn of the plants' first year. Do not resume watering in the spring since the plants do well with naturally occurring rainfall.

Let the plants die back in the autumn frost. Remove and discard the cold-damaged leaves and stems, but do not disturb the roots since they will regenerate the following year as the soil warms.