How to Grow Devil's Trumpet Seed

Devil's trumpet, or Datura inoxia, earned its common name both with the thorny look of its seed pods and the extreme toxicity of the plant, which is lethal if consumed. Despite its dangerous reputation, many gardeners grow devil's trumpet as an ornamental plant for its grayish-green leaves and showy flowers, which are 5 to 7 inches long with a trumpet-like shape. Seeds provide the primary means of growing new devil's trumpet plants since they germinate reliably and mature very quickly. However, the seeds grow best if sown directly in the garden since the young plants do not respond well to transplantation.

Coarse sand
Compost
Rotary tiller
Garden hose

Instructions

- 1
  Soak devil's trumpet seeds overnight the day before sowing them in the garden. Place them in a bowl or bucket full of cool water. Remove the seeds from the water 45 minutes before sowing them.
- 2
  Prepare the bed before sowing the devil's trumpet seeds. Work a 2-inch-thick layer of coarse sand and compost into the soil using a rotary tiller. Till the soil to a depth of 6 inches.
- 3
  Sow the devil's trumpet seeds in groups of three spaced 12 to 18 inches apart, depending on how dense you want the planting to look when mature. Sow each seed to a depth of 1/8 inch.
- 4
  Water the bed well after sowing the seeds. Spray the soil with a garden hose until it is moderately wet at a depth of 3 inches. Maintain moisture at a 3-inch depth during germination.
- 5
  Watch for sprouting in three to six weeks. Thin the seedlings to one per group once they grow to 2 inches in height. Remove the least vigorous seedlings, leaving only the strongest.

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