Morning glories are fast-growing vines that have large, fragrant flowers. If it is successfully planted, this plant can grow in all types of soil. Before growing this plant outdoors, be prepared to "fight" the morning glory to protect other plants. This beautiful plant can become an aggressive grass if left alone.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Planting Seeds
Step 1. Purchase or collect morning glory seeds
Buy seeds in packages, or collect seed bags from your friends' morning glory plants. When the morning glory flower dies, we will find a seed bag at the base of the flower stalk. These seed bags are ready to pick when they start to thin out and turn brown, and contain dark brown or black seeds.
Morning glories are cross-pollinated. This means that the seed planted may not be the same as the parent tree when it grows
Step 2. Plant the seeds after winter ends (if you live in a country with four seasons)
If you are growing this plant outdoors, wait until winter is over and the soil has started to warm up. If you want to grow morning glories indoors, plan for planting 4-6 weeks before winter ends.
If you store seeds all winter, store them in a dry, dark place
Step 3. Make a scratch or soak the seeds in water (optional)
Some morning glory seeds are too hardy to germinate quickly without help. Most people scratch the seeds or soak them overnight in room temperature water to increase the success rate. Often, seeds are available in abundance so you can skip this step, including accepting the fact that not all seeds germinate.
Some gardeners argue that soaking the seeds can lead to rot or infection of the seeds, while planting seeds in shallow, moist soil will provide the same yields with less risk
Step 4. Choose a permanent flowerpot or a patch of soil in the garden
Most morning glories do not tolerate replanting so it is better to choose a location and not replace it. If you are growing this plant in a flowerpot outdoors, choose a flowerpot 0.6 m wide and 0.45 m high. If you're growing it indoors, use a 7-inch (7.6 cm) peat soil that can be buried in your garden when you want to move your plant outside.
Plants that are started indoors are more likely to survive into mature plants
Step 5. Prepare the soil with good watering
Mature morning glories can tolerate poor soil conditions, but morning glory seeds need well-draining media. To do this, mix 1 part perlite with 3 parts soil, or mix 1 part unsalted sand with 2 parts soil.
- Do not mix sand with clay.
- You do not need to plant this plant in loose soil. Loose soil can reduce the number of flowers that will grow on morning glories, especially “Heavenly Blue” and other “Ipomoea tricolor” variations.
Step 6. Plant in a shallow hole
Plant each seed in a hole 1.25 cm deep and cover it with a little soil on top.
If you are planting this plant directly on a patch of soil, the spacing between the seeds depends on the size of the variety and personal preference. Consider planting the seeds 5 cm apart, then increasing the distance to 15-30 cm when the seedlings have grown to a height of 7.5 cm. At this height, the seedlings are well-established and less vulnerable to pests
Part 2 of 3: Caring for Seeds
Step 1. Leave the seedlings exposed to sunlight
Morning glories are very sun-loving, and can only tolerate less shaded areas. This plant should receive as much direct sunlight as possible, especially when the seedlings are young.
- Keep indoor plants near a south-facing window (or a north-facing window if you live in the Southern Hemisphere).
- The ideal soil temperature for germination is about 20-30 C.
Step 2. Moisten the soil until real leaves grow
Young morning glories may fail to germinate or die if the soil dries out. Keep the soil moist, but not soggy, and wait for germination to occur in 5-21 days (but usually within a week). Seedlings will be less susceptible when real leaves have started to grow. (The first leaf that grows is called a cotyledon, and will look different from the real leaf.)
Step 3. Move the morning glory outside (if needed)
If you are growing morning glories indoors, move them outside when the seedlings are strong and winter is over. Morning glories are sturdier than most plants, but you should start moving the flowerpot to a semi-shady spot. Move the plant to a slightly sunnier spot after a few days, or return it to a shady spot if you notice any wilting or sunburned leaves.
Keep the soil moist during the acclimatization period
Step 4. Provide a climbing pole as a place to climb
When the seedlings are 15 cm tall, provide a pole or trellis so the plants can propagate.
Or, plant the seedlings in hanging pots and let the morning glories creep along the edges of the pot
Part 3 of 3: Caring for a Grown Morning Glory
Step 1. Water the morning glory sufficiently
Mature plants are very tolerant of dry soil, you don't even need to water if you live in a cold climate. During the dry season, water your morning glory once or twice a week.
Watering morning glories with too much water can cause the plant to propagate excessively with few flowers growing
Step 2. Provide a climbing pole for the morning glory so that it can propagate
Give access to a trellis or arbor for shelter, or allow it to grow on a dead tree or a pole. These plants don't propagate onto flat surfaces, so hang a plastic net in front of a flat wall or fence if you want your morning glory to grow there. Give this plant enough space; some of these plants can grow as high as 4.6 m in one season.
Since most morning glories die every year, it is still acceptable to allow them to propagate on living trees as they will not injure the tree. (Don't try this in areas with mild winters, as morning glories can still grow)
Step 3. Don't apply too much fertilizer
Fertilize when morning glories are planted for the first time, then fertilize no more than once a month when the growing season arrives. If you fertilize too much, you will grow more leaves than flowers.
Step 4. Check for pests regularly
Since morning glories have very few health problems, you will find it easy to keep these plants healthy. Insects are rarely a problem, but you should check your morning glory regularly for fleas and other insects. A local nursery in your area can help you deal with this problem if you experience it, usually with the use of organic pesticides.
Step 5. Watch your morning glory bloom cycle
Morning glories are prolific and long-lasting blooms, although they usually take one to two months to start blooming. Each flower will bloom in the morning and bud in the evening. This is what makes the morning glory one of the most attractive and beautiful flowers to decorate your garden.
The temperature will change the color of the flowers and the length of time they will bloom
Step 6. Remove dead morning glories in winter
Morning glories can survive mild winters, but in most climates, the plant will die in early winter. Morning glories are aggressive seed-producing plants, which can be a good thing or a bad thing for the gardener. You won't have to buy more seeds for the next season, but you will see your garden filled with vines. Remove dead morning glories immediately to avoid this. New seeds usually grow in the same place, but you can collect seeds to plant later.
In warm climates where morning glories are perennial, you can grow a new plant by stem cuttings
Tips
There are hundreds of variations of morning glories, but the main difference lies in the appearance of the flowers and their maximum size. The instructions in this article apply to all common morning glories
Warning
- Morning glory seeds are poisonous. Swallowing the seeds of this plant in large quantities can cause hallucinations, nausea, and diarrhea. Keep these seeds out of reach of children and pets.
- Morning glories are aggressive plants that can easily “take over” your garden. Some variations of this plant are even resistant to pesticides, so the extraction process will be difficult. Stay alert as the growing season begins, and remove unwanted plants immediately.
