Nurturing Morning Glories: Learn To Cultivate and Tend To Morning Glory Blossoms
Title: Master Growing Awe-Inspiring Morning Glories with Our Ultimate Guide
Tonya Barnett & Nikki Tilley - Features
Growing morning glories can be quite the pleasure, their vibrant blooms creating a delightful spectacle throughout the summer season. These plants, popular for their eye-catching appeal and extraordinary ability to attract pollinators, are well-loved by gardeners worldwide.
However, before jumping into adding them to your ornamental beds, proceed with caution. Morning glories have a gene for constant spread and can become invasive in many cases. To better understand how these plants grow, let's delve into the various species of common morning glories.
Quick Morning Glory Facts:- Botanical name: Ipomoea- Height: 6-10 ft. (1.8-3.0 m.)- Spread: 6-10 ft. (1.8-3.0 m.)- Sun exposure: Full Sun- Gardening tips, videos, info and more delivered right to your inbox! Sign up for our platform newsletter today and receive a free copy of our e-book "How to Grow Delicious Tomatoes".- Soil requirements: Neutral, Well-Draining- Hardiness zones: Annual- When to plant: Spring
Caring for Morning Glory
Light
For blooming morning glory plants, full, bright sunlight is beneficial. Setting them in ornamental beds is often the easiest solution for achieving this requirement. Though a full-sun location is best, these flowers can tolerate brief periods of shade during the afternoon.
Growing morning glories indoors may seem appealing, but the results are typically disappointing due to insufficient indoor light, causing the plants to become leggy or producing weak, stunted growth.
Temperature & Humidity
As tender annuals, morning glory plants thrive in warm temperatures. Residents of mild climates may also have success with the plant, but growth may slow during cooler weather conditions. Morning glories are well-adapted to a wide range of humidity levels, making them quite adaptable to diverse environments.
Watering
Ensuring that morning glory plants receive approximately 1 inch (2.5 cm.) of water each week will promote optimal growth. In many areas, rainfall will account for this water requirement. Gardeners in exceptionally dry regions, or those experiencing brief periods of drought, may need to employ supplemental irrigation. Here, watering from below, using drip irrigation or soaker hoses, is recommended.
Fertilizer
Routine feeding throughout the season can aid in promoting blooms. Growers suggest utilizing a low-nitrogen fertilizer, such as a bloom booster, specifically formulated for ornamentals. Fertilizers with high nitrogen levels should be avoided since they encourage excessive leaf growth rather than flower formation.
Compost
Morning glories are versatile when it comes to soil types. Well-draining garden beds are essential, ensuring water moves freely. The addition of compost at planting time can be beneficial, though excessive fertility may lead to excessive foliage rather than blooms.
Problems, Pests & Diseases
Morning glorie's tend to be disease-free. Fungal issues, like rust and powdery mildew, have been reported; however, most can be effectively managed through proper garden sanitation and watering techniques.
Common pests that affect morning glories include leaf miners and Japanese beetles. While larger numbers of these species can cause significant cosmetic damage, their presence seldom results in the loss of mature plants.
When and How to Plant Morning Glories
Morning glories are best propagated from seed. Growers can start sowing into indoor trays 2-3 weeks before the last frost date in spring to get an early start on the growing season. Direct sowing in garden beds after all chances of frost have passed is more common. When provided with warmth and consistent moisture, seeds can typically germinate within 1 week after planting.
How to Grow Morning Glories in a Pot
Although morning glories may not do well indoors, container culture is suitable for those with limited space. Dwarf varieties and most any type can flourish in pots when provided with the right pot, growing medium, and trellis.
Selection of a Pot and Growing Medium
Proper selection of a pot and growing medium is vital, as good drainage is essential. Morning glories will grow in most soil types, but garden beds with excellent drainage are crucial for promoting healthy growth.
Support & Training for Morning Glories
Morning glory plants climb using twining stems, making them suitable for growing on structures. Selecting trellises or arbors that are well-suited to support the plant aids in safety, stability, and aesthetics during the growing season.
Training them is seldom necessary since most vines will naturally climb structures. When choosing a trellis or arbor, consider its height, strength, and overall ability to be secured sturdily.
Deadheading & Pruning
Though morning glories are known to bloom continuously throughout the summer, each bloom's beauty is short-lived. Deadheading—removing faded blooms to encourage new bud formation and keep plants looking tidy—is recommended. This practice not only enhances the garden's appearance but also helps control the morning glory's spread by preventing seed production.
Pruning may only be needed to control the plant's size if wanted.
Propagating Morning Glories
Morning glories can be propagated in a variety of ways, but learning how to grow them from seed is the most efficient method for reproducing heirloom and open-pollinated types. Other propagation techniques, such as multiplying through cuttings, layering, or rooting in water, may be helpful when working with hybrid varieties, which may not grow true-to-type from seed.
Best Morning Glory Varieties to Try
- Grandpa Ott: A classic heirloom variety, Grandpa Ott is appreciated for its deep purple coloration and hardiness. This cultivar is an excellent choice for beginner gardeners and garden soil with poor fertility.
- Heavenly Blue: Heavenly Blue morning glorie's are known for their magnificent floral display. This cultivar quickly envelops supports and blankets them in breathtaking shades of true blue. In ideal conditions, their blooming season can extend into fall until the first frost.
- Mount Fuji Mix: Blending various shades of pink, blue, purple, white, and pastel tones, this unique variety produces visually stunning garden trellises and arbors. As with other morning glory cultivars, the mix reseeds readily, ensuring new plants return year after year.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Do Morning Glories Take to Grow?
Morning glories grow quickly. From planting, gardeners can expect seeds to germinate in approximately 1-2 weeks. The time until maturity (flowering) can vary depending on type, with most blooming by mid-summer. Continual deadheading aids in enhancing the production of flowers, but it's not always necessary since mature plants will continue to bloom regardless.
Do Morning Glories Grow Back Every Year?
Morning glory plants are typically annuals, meaning that they grow, bloom, set seed, and die within a single season. However, in regions without frost, annual morning glories can return the following year due to their prolific seed production. Conversely, in regions with colder climates, the plants will not return naturally; they can be managed if the seeds are collected and strategically planted the following spring.
Nikki Tilley
Nikki Tilley, our former Senior Editor and Archivist, has been gardening for nearly three decades. She has also authored six gardening books.
Incorporating morning glories into a home-and-garden scene can offer a captivating touch to one's lifestyle, with their vibrant blooms adding charm to summer displays. To ensure success, place these plants in pot-and-garden settings that offer full sunlight and well-draining soil. For added allure, consider growing them in home-and-garden projects such as home-made trellises, arbors, or other home-garden structures.
