Ipomoea as an ampelous plant. Ipomoea perennial planting and care

Ipomoea is one of those plants that flower growers are happy to plant in the garden near summer arbors. Braiding them with its long shoots, the plant creates not only a stunning effect during flowering, but also provides such a necessary shade. You can grow this vine even in a metropolis, but already as a potted balcony culture. You should not be afraid of long creeping shoots - having arranged suitable conditions for the flower, not only the owners themselves, but also passers-by will admire its flowering throughout the summer.

What should be considered when planting morning glory at home in a pot, in addition to the usual growing conditions? First of all, these are three factors:

choose the right time for sowing seeds;
choose the right pot and soil;
provide good lighting;
take care of the support for the creeping stems.

When to sow?

Ipomoea has a very rapid growth, the seeds usually germinate well and grow quickly, so you should immediately decide whether to grow seedlings in an apartment on the windowsill or sow the seeds directly in a pot on the balcony, where they will grow further.

You can sow at the end of March. If it is not possible to provide good lighting and support for seedlings, you can sow the seeds immediately in a pot and leave it on the balcony. In this case, this should be done no earlier than the end of April, and then the seedlings themselves should be thinned out.

When planting morning glory immediately in a pot (or transferring the finished seedlings to the balcony), it must be borne in mind that it is thermophilic and the bushes will not survive temperatures below 2 degrees Celsius.

What kind of pot do you need?

For morning glory, you need to pick up a fairly large flowerpot. For one plant you will need at least 3 liters of soil. A drainage layer must be laid at the bottom of the pot - the flower does not like stagnant water. Accordingly, he himself should be light and loose.

The role of lighting for flowering morning glory

The most suitable place for a flower pot is the southern balcony. It will also be nice to bloom on the east or west side of the house. But the northern balconies, unfortunately, are not very suitable for growing creepers. It is quite possible to get a green bush there, but the lack of light will adversely affect flowering: it will be very scarce or not come at all.

Features of care for potted morning glory

Several bushes can be planted in one flowerpot, making the distance between them at least 20 cm. When transplanting morning glory seedlings on permanent place in a pot, you should know that she does not tolerate it well. This should be done by transshipment, trying not to damage the roots.

In order for the vine to branch well and not stretch, the seedlings must begin to pinch at the stage of 4 true leaves.

Separately, it is worth mentioning the support for the flower: it is installed even at the seedling stage, when the seedlings are low, otherwise they will intertwine with each other. In the pot itself, you can build a structure of bamboo sticks, setting them in the form of a wigwam, or put a decorative plastic lattice.

Video about growing morning glory from seeds

Ipomoea is a tropical liana of stunning beauty, the most numerous in the Bindweed family - there are about 500 species. These are annual and perennial plants, which are vines, bushes, trees, growing naturally in tropical and subtropical regions. There are also food crops: water spinach and sweet potato. Flower growers use creepers that open inflorescences in the early morning, before all flowers. Surprisingly, field bindweed, an indestructible weed, is a relative of the magnificent morning glory.

Ipomoea garden grows in our gardens - an annual liana, about 5 meters long with heart-shaped leaves, multi-colored flowers resembling a gramophone trumpet, opening in the morning or all day in cloudy weather. plant from the very beginning of summer until the onset of cold weather.

Growing annual morning glory from seeds

Sowing in the ground

Ipomoea is sown in the ground from late March to mid-May. Seeding depth - 1-2 cm. Sow in rows less often, leaving 5-6 cm between seeds. The sowing site is usually chosen next to a fence, gazebo, or other vertical support that the plant will braid. It is necessary to water in moderation so that an earthen crust does not form on top. Seeds sprout in a couple of weeks and grow quite quickly, drowning out weeds. But you should not rely on the "survivability" of morning glory, all weeds need to be weeded, and the seedlings should also be thinned, leaving a distance of 7-8 cm.

Ipomoea can be sown before winter in autumn at any convenient time, as long as the weather permits. The plant will not sprout until spring, the seeds require stratification. Liana aggressively propagates by self-sowing, keep this in mind if you sow it in the garden: you still won’t be able to remove the seed boxes on time, there will be too many of them. Therefore, take the beauty a place where she will not clog cultural plantings.

Growing homemade morning glory from seeds

Ipomoea home in the substrate, after scarifying the seeds - violating the integrity of the shell, or soaked for swelling for a day in water at a temperature of 25-30 C. If swelling does not occur, the shell should be pierced with a needle and soaking should be repeated.

Ipomoea is propagated by seeds that remain viable for three to four years after harvest.

Choose the soil according to the species, so African varieties like soil for succulent flowers with the addition of crushed expanded clay, while American varieties need to mix two parts of leaf humus, adding peat, vermiculite, coke fiber one part and half crushed expanded clay.

Plant two to four seeds in small cups with a substrate, form a mini-greenhouse, covering with film, glass. A temperature of 18-20 degrees is required, watering as needed, ventilation, removal of condensate. Expect friendly seedlings after 10-12 days.

Care for home morning glory

When the seedlings reach about 15 cm in height, tie a rope at the base of the sprout, pull the other end up and fasten it - a growing flower will climb along this support. As it grows, you will have to move the morning glory a couple of times into a large container using the transshipment method to avoid exposure and damage to the roots. For more side shoots, pinch the seedlings above the 4th leaf.

When and how to plant morning glory in the ground with seedlings

The seedlings of morning glory garden are also grown in the manner described above. The grown seedlings are transplanted into open ground in late May - early June, when the soil has warmed up enough and night frosts that threaten the young bindweed are not terrible.

Using the transshipment method, young shoots, keeping a distance of 10-15 cm between seedlings, immediately establish a future support - a stretched fishing line, a lattice of rods.

How to care for morning glory at home

Provide perennial morning glory a lot of light and regular moderate watering, in order to avoid stagnation of water in the roots, drainage at the bottom of the pot is required. In May-August, they water a little more often, keeping the ground moist, in September and winter they water less often, after the top layer of the earth has dried. It is worth feeding every 2-3 weeks during the active growth stage, using fertilizers for cacti or ornamental plants. Follow the measure, adhering to the concentrations recommended by the manufacturer, because an excess of nitrogen-containing fertilizers leads to intensive leaf formation, preventing lush flowering.

Pruning morning glory perennial at home

Ipomoea grows intensively, gradually exposing the lower stems and unsightly plants with long "tails" are obtained. To maintain the aesthetic appearance of the plant, the morning glory is cut and pinched, forming a dense crown with many side lashes.

Usually three central shoots are left, which are pinched over the 4th leaf, and then the side shoots are also shortened. The crown is formed depending on the type of support and the space allotted to the plant.

In the spring, morning glory is cut short, and the resulting lashes are used for grafting and rejuvenation of planting material.

Ipomoea propagation by cuttings

Ipomoea cuttings Indian photo

Perennial vines propagate using cuttings and leaves, such as Indian and Ipomoea sweet potato. The cut shoots are cut into cuttings 15-20 cm long, keeping two internodes, the lower cut is made at an angle of 45º at a distance of 15 cm down the node. Remove the leaves from the bottom, place in water, waiting for the roots - they will appear quite quickly - for 3-5 days. Green cuttings are planted from March to April, semi-woody - the entire summer period.

Diseases and pests

Creepers suffer from fungal diseases (white rust, different kinds rot), viruses (there are about twenty), but white edema is a physiological disease. Fungi often appear from waterlogging - some can be overcome by removing the damaged area, treated with a fungicide, but with rot you have to get rid of the plant altogether.

Only burning the plant will save you from viruses. White edema appears from excess moisture in the form of "blisters" on the leaves, which lead to yellowing and leaf fall, but observing proper watering, this problem can be avoided.

Pests are spider mites, aphids, but by detecting them immediately, you can quickly and effectively disinfect plantings. Treatment with soapy water will help against aphids, and ordinary spraying with cold water is disastrous for a mite, however, only systemic insecticides can cope with both aphids and mites that have taken root.

How to collect morning glory seeds

It is advisable to collect seeds from the second or third buds. After the flowers wither, a box will appear in their place. Brown color with a cross-shaped lapel - it will dry out, slightly open after a month. After pouring the seeds from the box into a paper bag, write the name of the variety. Germination lasts approximately three to four years.

Ipomoea wintering

In a harsh climate with cold winters, with a frost of zero degrees or more, only annual morning glory is grown, with the onset of autumn, the stems are removed, the earth is dug up, and sown again in the spring. It is noteworthy that morning glory famously spreads by self-sowing, so do not be surprised at the appearance of friendly shoots of a beautiful creeper in last year's place.

Especially valuable varieties are dug up, cut short and planted in pots, which are brought into the house. In February-March, plants are cut from cuttings and in the spring, when night frosts recede, they are planted in open ground.

Varieties and types of morning glory with a description and photo

Of the 500 species, only 25 are cultivated.

The most common:

Ipomoea Cairo Ipomoea cairica photo

A native of Australia, Asia, it is distinguished by dense bright blue flowers, the length of the whip is up to 5 meters. Perennial liana, densely wrapping around a support, covering everything with a continuous carpet of thick leaves with flowers scattered on top. Luxurious decoration of glazed loggias, spacious rooms, terraces. Belongs to the genus sweet potato.

Ipomoea purple Ipomoea purpurea

Annual, reaching 8 meters with single multi-colored flowers - there are varieties with white, pink, blue, purple, purple hues, the flowers can be double.

Ipomoea Nile Ipomoea nil

Ipomoea nile variety Ipomoea nil ‘Good Morning Violet’ photo

Annual up to 3 meters, large leaves, flowers dark blue, pink, purple, red with a white border about 10 cm in diameter.

Ipomoea tricolor Ipomoea tricolor

Liana up to 5 meters long, flowers of a sky-blue hue are collected in inflorescences up to four pieces.

Ipomoea ivy Ipomoea hederacea photo

American creeper up to 3 meters with pale blue flowers and carved leaves resembling ivy leaves.

Ipomoea moonflowering Ipomoea noctiflora

Also native and h American tropics, stem 3 meters long, large white fragrant flowers, blooming at night.

Ipomoea quamoclit Ipomoea quamoclit

It has openwork carved foliage, reminiscent of pine needles. Scarlet flowers are small, tubular.

Ipomoea Indian Ipomoea Indica

Perennial beautiful liana, which has a leaf with cuts into three palmate parts. The flowers are blue, with pale lilac centers.

Ipomoea sweet potato Ipomoea batatas

A perennial vine with highly ornamental flowers and maple-like leaves that forms tubers. Especially popular varieties with purple leaves, such as Sweet Georgia.

Landscape designers often use climbing flowering plants to decorate the garden. Ipomoea, planting and care in the open field, for which it does not require much effort, will thank you with a cool shade and decorative effect.

The morning glory beauty is very poisonous, so you need to take care of a protective fence if small children and pets are walking on the territory.

Ipomoea belongs to the bindweed family and is its colorful representative, because the varieties of this species are full of a kaleidoscope of colors. The plant grows rapidly and begins to bloom early. In just 2-3 months from the moment of sowing the seeds, the ipomoea vine forms a dense flowering carpet. It is the growth rate that makes the plant a popular decoration, house facades, fences and unsightly garden areas.

How to grow morning glory

Morning glory can be planted with seeds and seedlings, and new African varieties develop from underground tubers. The timing of planting morning glory in open ground in each region is different. Depending on the climatic conditions and the method of reproduction, plants are planted from the end of winter to the beginning of summer.

Sowing seeds

Seed material can be purchased at flower shops or collected on your own, the main thing is that the seeds are good quality. Sowing in open ground is carried out in the first half of spring, when warm weather sets in. Do not use seed material that has lain for more than three years - seedlings will be partial.

Ipomoea is grown as an annual plant, because it is not able to winter in the ground. At the slightest frost, the plant dies.

Planting morning glory seeds in open ground is suitable for the Moscow region, where plant care begins in early spring.

Morning glory grows best in chernozems and loams. It grows quickly and pleases with abundant flowering. On the prepared site, shallow planting holes are formed, into which one or two seeds are laid. They are sprinkled with soil and watered with warm water.

When the seedlings grow up a little, you need to take care of a strong support along which the vine of the vine will weave.

Growing seedlings

To obtain strong and healthy seedlings by the end of spring, sowing seeds in planting containers is carried out at the end of February or in March. The soil for seedlings must be prepared in advance by mixing leaf humus, vermiculite, coconut fiber and expanded clay in a ratio (2: 1: 1: 1: 0.5).

Planting seedlings of morning glory in open ground is practiced in the harsh climate of Siberia, because there are long winters and care for garden plants start in late spring.

Seed sowing technology:

Seed material must be placed in a day warm water for swelling. If swelling does not occur, then each seed should be pricked with a sterile needle and placed back in water.
Swollen seeds are planted in small planting containers in several pieces, watered and covered with polyethylene. Seedlings are aired daily and watered if necessary.
The first shoots will appear in a week and a half, if the temperature is not lower than 18 degrees.
When young plants grow up to 16 cm, a thick thread or rope is tied to their base, the free end of which is fixed on top - this will serve as a support for the growing bindweed.

As young bindweeds grow, they need to be transplanted several times into larger containers. But the root ball should not be disturbed, because morning glory is bad for transplants.

Planting morning glory in the ground

The best place for planting a plant is well-lit places, but under the direct rays of the sun, the flowers quickly close, so gardeners recommend choosing a place with diffused light. In the shade, the plant grows slowly and forms small buds.

It is important to transplant seedlings correctly so that morning glory develops well:

It is necessary to transplant seedlings by the method of transshipment, preserving the earthen clod as much as possible.
The interval between plants should be at least 25 cm.
Next to each bush, supports are installed or ropes are pulled onto which the planted plants are wound.
Water each plant thoroughly.

If Ipomoea are planted near buildings, then care should be taken that they do not fall on precipitation flowing from the roof. Water flows can injure plants.

Proper plant care

In order for the morning glory planted in open ground to feel comfortable, a number of rules should be followed when leaving.

carry out regular watering, but do not allow stagnation of moisture in the soil;
fertilize plants;
carry out the prevention of diseases and pests;
timely collect seeds that ripen three weeks after the flowers wither.

For the usual methods of care, the plant will thank the lush greenery and abundant variegated flowering.

Proper planting of morning glory in open ground and caring for it will help save the gardener's strength. This unpretentious fast-growing liana is able to transform any garden in a short time.

All about growing morning glory - video

Perennial morning glory is one of the most big family from the Vyunkov family. There are over 4000 varieties of the plant. It is distributed throughout the world, more common in warm temperate and tropical climates. Despite the toxicity, it has a bright attractive appearance. The flower will become a real decoration of any personal plot with proper seating.

The plant is native to North America and South Africa. Caring for the plant is simple - it is unpretentious, quickly growing in the allotted area. Often planted along fences and walls to create a "living" hedge.

Perennial morning glory in landscape design

Bright morning glory is widely used in landscape design. It plays a significant role in the vertical gardening of summer cottages, is used to create wicker walls near gazebos and other elements in the garden. The dark green leaves of the plant are in perfect harmony with the variety of shades of the flowers themselves.

There is a special demand for varieties with burgundy, pale blue and purple color.

Due to the peculiarity of curling morning glory, garden columns, mesh fences and even trees are decorated. The use of several varieties of flowers at once to decorate one object looks quite attractive. Even when the inflorescences fade, the plant still looks advantageous on the site, changing the color of the leaves in autumn to yellow and reddish.

Often in the equipped gardens you can see the entrance arch, braided with flowers. Some species bloom at night, creating a magical atmosphere. Ipomoea is planted in garden vases with special frames of various shapes. She wraps around them first, and then goes down, creating an amazing composition.

The plant can be used for arranging ordinary flower beds and flower beds. With its help, "live" carpets are created on lawns near private houses. Flowers open early in the morning and close again at noon. In cloudy weather, they stay until the evening. Not whimsical, refers to frost-resistant.

In their form, the inflorescences resemble a gramophone pipe, they can be simple and terry. Flowering time - from the beginning of summer until the onset of the first frost. The plant prefers open light areas with plenty of sun, does not tolerate drafts. unpretentious, quickly take root in any place.

Popular plant varieties

The amazing plant has many species, but not all are used for growing in the garden. Each of them can bring fresh notes to the arrangement of the site, give it bright and rich colors. The most popular types of morning glory include:

tricolor. Can grow up to 2 meters in height. Large leaves have a deep green color. The diameter of the flowers reaches 10 cm. The inflorescences can be of various colors and shades. The flowering phase is from July to October;

"Tricolor"

purple. The stem reaches 4 m. Oval bright green leaves have pointed ends with a small notch at the very base. Funnel-shaped flowers grow up to 6 cm in diameter. Several representatives of the variety have double inflorescences;

"Purple"

moonflowering. Her unique ability flowering at night allows landscape designers to create unique compositions. Plants grow up to 3 meters, white flowers up to 10 cm in diameter. They have a pleasant almond aroma;

“Moonflowering”

Cairo. Grows up to 5 meters. The species is native to Australia and Asia. Shoots have palmate, lobed and carved leaves. Ipomoea gives lush bloom inflorescences of blue color;

"Cairo"

sky blue. Blooms early in the morning, is especially popular with the British. Blooms from July until frost;

“Sky Blue”

Nile. The stems grow up to 3 m. The hue of funnel-shaped flowers can vary from red and pink to purple, blue and dark blue.

A separate group should include morning glory with openwork foliage and tubular flowers - kvamoklity. Popular varieties are lobed, pinnate, fiery red, Slaughter and many others. Varieties of palmate, Brazilian and Mauritanian morning glory received less distribution. Breeders continue to breed new varieties and plant species. Hybrids are distinguished by a wide variety of shapes and colors. Terry inflorescences among them are much more common.

Methods for propagating and planting a climbing flower

Ipomoea reproduces in several ways:

self-seeding. After the seeds ripen, the plant sheds them. They overwinter in the ground, and in spring appear as sprouts from the ground;
seeds. Purchased or harvested seeds are sown in specially prepared soil;
seedlings. Seeds are germinated in rooms or greenhouses, and then planted in the ground;
cuttings. The possibility of reproduction in this way exists only in some types of morning glory.

The new plant develops quickly, grows well in calcareous loose soil. Periodically, the earth is enriched with organic fertilizers. The distance between flower crops should not be less than 20 cm apart. Gardeners most often use the second and third breeding method of morning glory. How Ipomoea is grown is detailed in this

Growing with seedlings

Growing seedlings is justified for regions with a cold climate. Already formed shoots are planted in open ground.

Before planting seeds, it is necessary to prepare them in advance, this is mandatory for keeping plants in pots. To make them swell, they are dipped in water for a while. The soil for planting is fertilized in advance.

You need to start growing seedlings at the end of March. So it will germinate by the beginning of May and will be ready for planting. To land, you need to take a number of actions and take into account some features:

prepare cups or small pots, pour a sufficient amount of prepared soil into them;
to a depth of 3-5 cm lower 1-3 pcs. seeds;
water the soil abundantly;
when growing seedlings in large boxes, it is worth installing special supports when young greenery appears. They will allow the plants to weave and not get confused with each other;
for the healthy development and growth of young morning glory, rooms with good illumination and a stable temperature of at least +18 ° C are selected;
the appearance of the first shoots should be expected on the 10th day after sowing;
watering plants is carried out with water at room temperature;
grown flowers need to be transplanted from time to time into more spacious containers. This will allow them to develop faster;
to ensure good branching of the plant and the formation a large number side shoots, you can pinch its top;
seedlings that have reached 20-25 cm can be planted in open ground.

Planting morning glory in the ground should be as careful as possible. The roots of the plant are quite delicate and can be easily damaged.

The soil in the pot can be moistened to facilitate the transplant process. After disembarking, it is worth immediately installing a support for. But in this article,

Breeding morning glory seeds

Using seeds is the best way for warm regions. They are planted at the end of May, when the earth warms up completely. Before planting, the seeds are placed in water at a temperature of 25-30 ° C. If they swell poorly, their shell is pierced with a needle and placed back into the liquid.

Ipomoea seeds

Planting seeds in the ground has its own nuances and sequence:

small depressions are created with a distance of 20 cm;
each hole should be additionally fertilized with wood ash or bird droppings;
1-3 pieces are lowered into the pit. seeds and fall asleep;
the soil is abundantly watered with warm water;
after the appearance of the first stems, special supports are placed near the plants.

To ensure an active set of green mass by the plant will allow the introduction of potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus into the soil along with fertilizers.

Video

For a good example of planting morning glory with seeds, see the video below.

Care before and after flowering

The flower is unpretentious and does not need special care. Ipomoea requires regular moderate watering, but it is worth making sure that water does not accumulate at the roots. Fertilizers are applied during the period of active growth of morning glory. Will optimally enrich the soil nutrients once every 2-3 weeks.

It is important to strictly adhere to the dosage indicated on the packaging of mineral fertilizers.

It is worth paying attention to pruning the plant. Sick and damaged shoots must be removed in a timely manner. The procedure is carried out after flowering, preparing the flower for a dormant period. Pruning in the spring is designed to thin out the bush. Periodically, the ground near the flowers is loosened, creating a natural air exchange at the roots. The soil is enriched with oxygen.

The plant needs to provide a good and strong support for growth. It can be a metal wire or a specially stretched mesh. When planting morning glory near fences, arbors and walls, the installation of additional supports is not required.

Plant pests and their control

The process of caring for morning glory necessarily includes the identification and elimination of its diseases and pests. The main enemies of the plant include spider mites and aphids. The flower is affected by many fungal, viral and physiological diseases.

The negative impact of fungi is most clearly observed through the root system of the plant. Ipomoea can be saved by removing the affected areas of the rhizome and treating the cut sites with a fungicide. Flowers affected by rot are completely removed.

Plants exposed to viral diseases must be burned to protect healthy seedlings. Many diseases result from improper care, excessive or insufficient watering, the effects of high humidity and low temperature.

About appearance spider mite evidenced by the presence of a thin cobweb on the stems, characteristic points on the leaves. Plain cold water will help fight the pest. It only needs to be sprayed on the affected areas for a few days.

Plant damage by spider mites.

Preparing for winter

After the flowering of annual varieties, the aerial part of the plant dies off, and on New Year fresh seeds are planted. Perennial species should be prepared in advance for wintering. They can be transferred to a house or a specially prepared greenhouse.

In an adult plant that has wrapped around a support, most of the stem is cut off, leaving only small shoots. Extreme care is needed with root transplanting; pre-prepared portable pots can be used. Flowers from winter gardens are cut only a little. With the onset of warm spring, they will again let out young shoots.

Ipomoea is widely used in decorating gardens and home gardens. Its curly stems wrap around fences and walls of arbors, creating a "living" hedge. unpretentious plant easy to grow at home. Providing proper care will achieve active development flowers and their abundant blooms. A variety of shades of inflorescences will pleasantly amaze any gardener.

Ipomoea or farbitis belongs to the flowering genus, which is the most numerous of the Bindweed family. Representatives of the genus in the wild can be found in the tropics and subtropical regions. This annual or perennial plant can be shrubs, trees or vines. In floriculture, creepers are grown everywhere, the flowers of which open early in the morning earlier than other flowers. Graceful Ipomoea flowers turn to follow the sun throughout the day. The stems of this climbing plant during the flowering period are completely covered with luxurious flowers, which can have a variety of shapes and colors. The field loach weed, with which all flower growers struggle, is a relative of the chic morning glory, a welcome inhabitant of any garden. Ipomoea flower will decorate any garden, but to grow it, you need to make a little effort. How to care for this highly ornamental plant in order to grow luxuriantly flowering vines?

Varietal varieties of morning glory

Most often, various species forms are grown in our gardens. This vine is very widespread in Japan, and Japanese breeders have bred many of its varieties. In addition, Japan's Ipomoea is considered a medicinal plant.

The Grandfather OTS variety is very popular among our gardeners. It is also called the Grand. This is the earliest variety in terms of flowering. The flowers are very large, up to 5 cm in diameter, saturated purple with dark streaks. The bush grows very lush, the shoots reach a length of 3.5 meters.
The next very popular variety is Pink Lollipop. This is a variety of domestic selection with very beautiful, bright pink flowers. color flower heart Ivory, in diameter, the bells reach 8 cm. The foliage of this variety is much lighter than that of other varieties.
Dakopa - this variety has slightly purple with blue tint petals, like a translucent flower with a pink core, it is also called blue morning glory. The flowers of this variety are similar to exotic butterflies. The variety blooms very profusely, and sometimes foliage is not even visible because of the flowers.
A rare Rosita variety has bright red flowers that are painted with white strokes. For growing on the balcony, this variety is considered the best. Its shoots reach a length of 2 meters, and some flower growers grow Rosita in a flowerpot.
Of the double flowers, the most popular variety is Serenade to the Sun with carved, very hairy bells. The edges of the flowers are painted with patterns, and their color is wine red with white stripes.
The brightest flowers of the Ipomoea variety Giselle are sky-blue in color, reaching a diameter of 8 cm.

All morning glory is easily propagated by seeds that retain their germination capacity for four years. Seeds can be sown both immediately in open soil, when the air and earth are warm enough, and for seedlings at the end of March.

Sowing seeds

Before sowing the seeds, they should be soaked for a day in water at room temperature. When the seeds swell, they can be sown. It happens that a small particle of seeds swells in 24 hours. Such seeds must be pricked with a needle and soaked again in water for the same time. Ipomoea seeds usually germinate in 10 days. The ideal room temperature for friendly seed germination is +18 degrees. Seeds can be sown in boxes filled with a specially prepared substrate, or in peat pots, which will greatly facilitate planting seedlings in open ground. Particular attention should be paid to the composition of the soil for sowing seeds, since each variety of morning glory needs a certain soil. If you are planting morning glory of African origin, then it needs a substrate for succulent plants with the addition of crushed expanded clay. American varieties will not be able to grow in such soil. For species of American origin, it is necessary to mix two parts of leaf humus, a part of peat and half a part of fine expanded clay. For American species, it is good to add chopped coconut fiber to the substrate.

Ipomoea seedling

Ipomoea must be carefully looked after until the seedlings reach a height of 15 cm. Seedling care consists in regular airing, loosening the soil and watering. It is necessary to water tender shoots very carefully so as not to break the plant. But when the seedlings get stronger, it can be transplanted into open ground in the garden.

Annual morning glory, just like perennial morning glory, are grown in seedlings, although some flower growers sow this flower immediately in open ground.

Location selection

Growing and caring for morning glory is a very exciting activity. The fact is that morning glory flowers have one very interesting feature- under the midday sun, the buds close. It is advisable to choose a site in light penumbra for morning glory. Well, if you are ready to put up with flowers closing in the middle of the day, then feel free to plant the vine in a sunny place, for example, along the fence. It is also desirable for the liana to choose a site protected from winds and drafts, because the fragile shoots and flowers of the liana can damage gusts of wind.

This is perhaps the most universal plant for garden! If you decide to plant a perennial morning glory, then planting and caring for it does not take much time. Perennial types of morning glory plants can be grown both by sowing seeds directly into the ground, and by seedlings. The liana is not at all demanding on the composition of the soil, but if we talk about preferences, then for morning glory it is optimal to choose a site with loose, calcareous soil.

If you plant perennial plant species, then you should put three seeds in one hole. The bed under the liana is first dug up, and then small holes are dug, which are spilled with water. The seed planting depth is about 2 cm. And do not forget to stick the sticks in the place where the seeds are planted so as not to forget about them.
If you plant seedlings, then the main condition is the preservation of an earthen clod around the roots, since morning glory is very difficult to tolerate transplants. Holes for seedlings should be made spacious. The distance between seedlings should be at least 20 cm. The time for planting seedlings in a permanent place in the garden is early June. If you decide to grow an annual morning glory, then planting and caring for it will not inherently differ from planting perennial species.

Read also: How to plant and care for ixia

Care

Morning glory requires minimal care. The main thing in growing this plant is watering. It is necessary to water the vines often, as soon as the soil dries. But, on the other hand, it is also impossible to overdo it with watering, because excess moisture in the soil can cause rotting of the roots, which will lead to the death of the plant. Water the vines as needed, keeping the soil moist around the roots.

This plant reacts very poorly to temperature changes. It needs warmth to grow successfully. When the air temperature drops to +4 degrees in autumn, the plant begins to die. In the spring, with the early planting of morning glory, the plant may die due to May frosts. That is why it is more expedient to grow a vine in seedlings, so that the plant has time to bloom over the summer and please with an abundance of bright flowers.

Ipomoea, these are unpretentious flowers that practically do not need top dressing. If you apply too much fertilizer, then this may have a bad effect on flowering. But you still need to feed morning glory. In order for the plant to quickly kick out the shoots in the summer and tie up many buds, in the spring, fertilizers with nitrogen must be applied under the vine. You can also spray the vine nutrient solutions. In order for the flowering to be longer and lush, fertilizers should be applied during the flowering period, which contain phosphorus. Phosphorus top dressing can be applied directly to the soil when preparing the beds for planting.

In September, seed boxes appear on the vines, which can be collected for sowing the next year. But, if the autumn is cold, then the seeds simply will not have time to ripen by the time of harvest. Therefore, many flower growers prefer to purchase seeds in specialized stores.

pruning

From time to time the vine needs to be trimmed. This plant needs pruning. Sick and weak, wind-broken shoots should be removed. If you plant a perennial variety, then it will need to be cut in September with the onset of the first frost. In the spring, perennial varieties are also cut to form a bush, leaving no more than three stems on each plant when pruning. Ipomoea is sometimes thinned out during the summer if it starts to produce too many shoots.

Perennial varieties differ from annuals in very beautiful, sharp foliage, which changes its color to purple with the advent of autumn. For the winter, perennial morning glory requires shelter, but in our gardens they are often grown as an annual crop.

This plant needs support, because the vine must curl. You can plant morning glory under trees, along a fence, along the walls of a house, or next to gazebos. Although this plant can curl on any surface, including horizontal. As a support, you can tie ropes and tie a vine to them. Ipomoea is not at all picky in planting and care, but at the same time it is an excellent plant for arches.

Read also: Growing a New Zealand delphinium in a summer cottage

Diseases and pests

Aphid

If you notice blurry, yellowish spots on the leaves of the plant, it means that aphids have settled on it. These insects pierce the foliage and suck the juice from the plant. You can also determine that aphids attacked the vine by the sticky dew that insects secrete in the process of their “work”. In this dew, a very dangerous fungus can grow over time, which will destroy the morning glory if you do not rid it of aphids.

The use of insecticides in the fight against aphids will help you get rid of this pest. At the first sign of the appearance of aphids, treat the vine with special preparations two to three times.

spider mite

If a spider mite attacks a vine, then you can see characteristic points and a thin cobweb on the leaves. You can save the plant from spider mites simply by washing the pest with a strong pressure of water. It is necessary to bathe vines for several days in a row cold water to get rid of spider mites.

Diseases

Of the diseases, morning glory is often affected by fungal diseases - white rust, anthracnose, rot. Also morning glory can become infected with more than 20 types of viral infections. Physiological diseases such as white edema are very common. For the treatment of some fungal diseases, it is enough to treat the plant with a fungicide and remove the affected parts from them. But soft, root and stem rot are incurable diseases. When they appear, the plant should be immediately destroyed - dug up with the roots, taken out of the area and burned to stop the spread of infection.

The main source of fungal diseases is contaminated soil. Waterlogging of the soil is especially dangerous for morning glory.

Viral diseases are also incurable, and the only thing flower growers can do is destroy diseased plants. White edema most often affects plants grown in greenhouses or in room conditions. The reason for the appearance of this disease is the wrong care of the flower: excessive watering, high humidity, low temperature air. When this disease appears, greenish or yellow blisters appear on the leaves of morning glory, gradually turning brown and thickening. Diseased leaves wither and fall off.

The combination of morning glory with other plants

Ipomoea is suitable for landscaping absolutely any surface in the garden design the best way. This plant is in perfect harmony with other inhabitants of the garden:

Campsis;
wild grapes;
ivy;
In the fall, morning glory looks luxurious against the background of green hop cones;
The liana goes well with deciduous trees when it wraps around the branches of an adult tree and blooms its flowers;
Morning glory trees look especially decorative in autumn.

If you need to decorate a terrace, porch, gazebo, or just make an unsightly fence more attractive, be sure to plant morning glory. It is beautiful flowering plant can be planted under trees or planted on any surface. A little care and attention, and your garden will be decorated with festively dressed morning glory. A little care and attention, and the plant will thank you with lush, bright flowering and juicy foliage.