How to grow potted morning glory? Latest care methods explained

Morning glory is a common ornamental plant, also known as bowl flower, trumpet flower, etc. It is an annual twining herbaceous plant of the genus Ipomoea in the Convolvulaceae family. Morning glories are usually sown in spring and bloom in summer and autumn. There are many varieties, with flower colors including blue, crimson, peach red, purple, etc., as well as mixed colors, and the petal edges vary greatly. Let us take a look below at how to grow potted morning glories!

The growing environment of morning glory

Morning glory is native to tropical America and is now widely planted in tropical and subtropical regions. In China, it is distributed in most areas except some provinces in the northwest and northeast. It has strong adaptability and likes sufficient sunlight, and can also tolerate partial shade. It likes warmth and coolness, and can also tolerate summer heat and high temperatures, but it is not cold-resistant and fears frost. It likes fertile, loose soil and can tolerate waterlogging and drought, and is relatively tolerant of saline-alkali soil. The suitable temperature for seed germination is 18-23°C, and seedlings can grow at temperatures above 10°C.

Growing environment and propagation methods

1. Sowing: For autumn sowing of morning glory, October to November is best, and a temperature of around 20°C is more favorable for germination, with seedlings visible after about 10 days. In winter, they need to be moved indoors to ensure they successfully overwinter. If spring sowing is chosen in late April, they can bloom in summer. If sowing is done earlier, it must be carried out indoors to prevent root rot and other problems caused by rainy weather. When broadcasting, seedling trays are often used, ensuring sufficient watering. A thin layer of fine sand can be spread on the surface. If moisture retention is needed, glass or white paper can be covered on top. The seedling raising time is about 60 days.

2. Cuttings: For morning glory rooting, a temperature of 20-25°C is suitable, and the survival rate of cuttings in May to June and August to September is relatively high. The cuttings should be robust branches free of pests and diseases. They can be cut from below the node base, with a length of about 10 cm. The cut should be flat. The upper part of the cutting can retain 2-3 leaves. If the leaves are too large, half a leaf can be cut off. When taking cuttings, pay attention to disinfecting the potting soil to prevent the cuttings from being prone to infection and rot. The cutting depth is about 1.5 cm. Place them in low light. Pay attention to spraying water to keep them moist. With the soil temperature maintained at around 20°C, they will root in about two weeks, and can be transplanted after about 30 days.

How to grow potted morning glory?

1. Planting: When the morning glory seedlings grow 6 to 7 leaves and are about to start extending vines, take the whole root ball out and repot it into a standard pot (inner diameter 24 cm) for final planting. The potting soil should be fertilized culture soil, and 50 grams of hoof pieces should be applied as base fertilizer. After planting, water thoroughly. Morning glory is not afraid of heavy fertilizer, and horse hooves, cooked hemp residue, etc. can be used as base fertilizer. The root system development of morning glory needs temperature. Using black pots absorbs heat better than using red pots. The pots should be turned frequently so that sunlight exposure is even and the root system develops fully.

2. Soil: Potted morning glory is best done in early April, using half ordinary culture soil and half plain sandy soil. When potting, remove 1 cm from the lower end of the main root accordingly, and plant it in a No. 2 tube pot with ordinary culture soil, one plant per pot. Note that when transplanting morning glory in the open ground, the main root must never be bruised. Seedlings should be moved when small and early, and the larger the soil ball, the better.

3. Water and fertilizer: For growing morning glory, choose culture soil with good drainage and provide sufficient sunlight and a well-ventilated environment. During the growth period, water when the surface of the potting soil is slightly dry, and apply diluted liquid fertilizer once every half month. Nitrogen fertilizer should not be too much, so as to avoid excessively lush stems and leaves. Potted plants need supports to hold them up.

4. Pinching: For morning glory, after the potting soil has settled, insert a 1-meter-long thin bamboo pole straight into the center of the pot. Then use about 3 meters of galvanized wire, with one end wrapped around the bamboo pole level with the soil surface, and then coil upward from the pot mouth to form an evenly shaped tower-like spiral support that is large at the bottom and small at the top. The upper end of the wire is fixed at the top of the bamboo pole. Morning glory is a left-twining plant, so the coiling direction of the galvanized wire must conform to the habit of morning glory twining to the left. When the main vine climbs to the top of the pole along the galvanized wire, pinch off the growing tip. For side vines, pinch off the tips each time they grow to 6 to 7 leaves. This can make the flowers larger and keep producing vines and blooming continuously.

5. Pests and diseases: Morning glory is mainly susceptible to white rust. The affected parts are mainly leaves, leaf stalks, and tender stems. On affected leaves, light green small spots first appear on the leaves. If this occurs, the diseased plants can be pulled out and destroyed in time to reduce infection of the seeds. Select disease-free seeds as propagation seeds. Seed disinfection should be carried out before sowing, and rotation with Convolvulaceae plants should be avoided. In the early stage of the disease, spray 1% Bordeaux mixture or 50% metalaxyl 500x solution. Spraying once every 10-15 days has a good control effect.

6. Shaping

① Dwarf cultivation: After the cotyledons or the 1st to 2nd true leaves of the morning glory seedlings unfold, promptly remove the terminal bud to force the plant to become dwarfed and upright. In this way, buds can form and bloom in the leaf axils of the cotyledons and true leaves.

② Making supports: When the plant grows to a certain height, use thin bamboo poles to make a support so that it can climb and grow, and various shapes of supports can be made according to personal preference for artistic shaping. When shaping, note that the coiling direction of the galvanized wire and the stem vines should wind from right to left on the support.