Great gardeners are oftentimes asked what their secrets are in growing thriving plants. However, they usually reply that there is actually no real secret and that having a beautiful garden is no magic as well. Accordingly, the key is being able to follow the basic guidelines in growing plants.
Some plants are easy to grow and some are not. It is therefore safe to start with easy to grow and maintain plants so you can be guaranteed of a successful project. It comes as a pleasant surprise to some people that Morning Glory is one of these plants.
Morning Glories are plants with trumpet-like flowers that usually open in the mornings and close in the afternoon. They have heart-shaped leaves with slender stems that come in different varieties and in colors of purple-blue, sometimes in pink and the darker version of magenta and white. Here are some steps and information to start your Morning Glory planting:
Be Ready for the Morning Glory
Quite the opposite with the hard-to-plant idea, the colorful and lovely Morning Glories can grow quite aggressively once you start growing them. You better have a space for them as they usually run wild and may cover trellises and fences of your garden rapidly.
What You Need
Morning Glory is easily bought in seed packs from your local garden store. You can also ask for some seed pods from a friend as many garden lovers share these kinds of things. Choose quality seeds for best germination. You must also have garden soil, organic compost or vermicompost, and planting pots.
When You Should Plant
After you scratch or soak the seeds you can start to plant the seeds directly in the garden after the frost weather. But if you are starting with indoor planting, start after 4 to 6 weeks after the frost.
Where You Should Plant
If you are picking a site in your garden, it is best that you pick one where the Morning Glory will get full sunlight. As we already talked about in the beginning, they can immediately self-seed if the location is convenient and they have the area to grow.
If you want your garden to pop-up with splendid blue blooms, plant Morning Glory vines near a fence or pergola where they can be a great display of trumpet-like flowers good for pictures and areas for celebrations and events.
Start Your Gardening
Many start planting Morning Glories in pots where they can control the heat for the young plant. Place the seeds just on the surface of the mixed soil and compost with 2 to 3 inches spaces between them and place a layer of soil and pat lightly to make sure they are in place.
The best temperature for the plant to germinate is 77-95°F (25 to 35°C). Then water the plants well during the whole time of germination making sure that there is a drainage hole in the pot so you can hydrate it but still keep it moist.
The Germination Phases
Wait for 7 days and you will see that your seeds will start to be visible above the surface of the soil. Then after 8 to 9 days, the first leaves called cotyledons will appear. After 12 days the leaves will continue to grow higher in height. And on the 25th day a burst of 3 to 4 leaves will be visible. Now, they are ready to be replanted.
Re-Planting Your Morning Glory
If you are going to replant your Morning Glories, take note that the 50% common garden soil that you will use should be mixed with 30% organic compost and 20% coco peat or coco coir. The coco peat or coco coir will keep the plant moisturized for a longer period of time especially when the sun is scorching hot.
Carefully take out some Morning Glories with the help of a trowel tool making sure that the roots are intact then place the space left with additional soil. Dig 4 to 6 inch-deep holes in the potting mix and place the plants you want re-planted.
Cover the plant with soil and pat gently then water. Then wait again for the process of germination. And when the plant has already reached 10 to 12 inches tall, place a stake or trellis so that the Glory Morning vines can climb there.
You can start with a trellis made up of 3 to 4 sticks of 4 feet put together with thread. The good thing about this is you can just add sticks as the plants are starting to climb. All you have to do now is to occasionally water the plants and wait for the charming flowers to bloom.
Conclusion
Morning Glory is beautiful, yes it truly is. But it also has its flaws. Though this may be said to come from the family of sweet potato vines, it is not that edible. This is due to the indole alkaloids found in some variants that can be poisonous to children and dogs when ingested. It is therefore best to make sure that they are placed in a safe location.
Make some research first before purchasing your seeds. Choose safe Morning Glory variants to make sure that you can enjoy its blooms without worries.
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