How To Grow Morning Glories

Morning Glory is a term used to refer to over 1,000 species of flowering plants, which belong to the Convolvulaceae family. This five-petaled flower is botanically named Ipomoea and these are essentially vines or climbers having thin stems and heart-shaped leaves. Morning glories come in many colors including red, purple, magenta, blue, white and pink. These begin to bloom during March and they continue to bloom throughout the summer. Such plants are treated as perennials in tropical areas and annuals in colder climates. Morning glories are fast-growing vines and can reach up to 15 feet within one season. The flower 'Morning Glory' has been so named since its bloom lasts for a single morning and dies in the afternoon. However, the plant gets filled with new flowers each day. Morning glories are easy to grow, especially in warm and sunny areas. These grow in moderately fertile soil and require less maintenance. In the following lines, we will provide you with tips on how to grow morning glories. Follow them and find your garden blooming with these pretty flowers.

Growing Morning Glory Flowers

Planting Morning Glories In The Garden

Things Needed

Seeds
Water
Compost
Spades
Trowels
Supports
Garden Hose
Liquid Plant Fertilizer

Instructions

In order to grow morning glories in your garden, you first need to plant the seeds. The timing for this will be no more than a week before the last frost date.
Before planting the seeds, soak them in warm water for 24 hours. This will help speed up the germination process. You can also remove the thick coat of the morning glory seed, to expose the seed hasten the germination process.
Be careful with the seeds, as these are highly poisonous.
For planting the seeds, choose a site that receives full sun and has well-drained, average soil.
After you have selected the site, it is advisable to add one or two spades of compost into the soil.
You can add mulch into the soil to retain the moisture.
Now, plant the seeds in the soil, making sure that they are about an inch deep. To grow one morning glory, plant at least two or three seeds. You can pull out the extra plants when they are an inch or so high.
After the plants start growing, it is the time to add supports. Depending on the variety of morning glory, the supports need to be 10 to 12 feet high. You need to gently twine the young plants around the support.
During the growth phases as well as otherwise, keep your morning glory flowers evenly moist.
In the later summer season, make sure to fertilize, the plants at least once, with liquid plant fertilizer. Take care, not to fertilize too much as it would not encourage the blooming of flowers.
You only have to water sparingly or water during dry periods. Make sure, not to over water.
Morning glories attract several pests. Treat the plant with insecticides to protect the plant.

Other varieties of morning glories can also be planted.

Planting Morning Glories In Pots

Things Needed

Seeds
Water
Spray bottle
Potting soil
Pots or containers
Small shovel
Grow light

Instructions

Firstly, soak the big seeds of morning glory in a cup of warm water and leave them overnight. Soaking these hard seeds in warm water will soften the seeds and help them to germinate quicker.
Using the small shovel, fill the pot of any container with potting soil. Make sure the pots or containers have holes at the bottom for the excess water to drain out.
You can use pots or containers made from plastic, clay, stone or wood.
Make sure to fill only 3/4th of the gardening container with potting soil. Potting soil composed of peat, composted bark, sand and small amounts of fertilizer, will be apt for growing morning glories.
Water the pot until the excess water drains out.
Place only three seeds in each container and cover them about ½ inch of potting soil.
Using a spray bottle, moisten the soil with water again.
Place the pot outside in full sun or under grow light. If you are using grow light, then, you can turn it off at night.
Provide a fence or wall for the vines to grow on. The seedlings will grow in one week’s time.

Morning glories are very beautiful flowers that grow in warm areas. These vine-climbers thrive when exposed to a lot of sun and its strong color attracts butterflies and birds. One of the 1,000 species of flowering plants in the Convolvulus family, the morning glory flower is a trumpet-shaped flower and it blooms during the mornings.

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