When is the best time to plant morning glories?

Once the temperature drops for a day, morning glories open in the evening, usually between four and six. These trumpet-shaped flowers come in yellow, red, white, pink or striped variations, and the plants should continue blooming from spring to summer until the first frost. When grown outdoors, the plants can reach a height of 18 to 36 inches (46 to 91 cm), but they may be slightly shorter when grown in containers.

Planting in the outdoor garden

Wait until the weather is warm. Plan to plant the seeds after spring ends, when the danger of frost has passed. Depending on where you live, this may be between early April and mid-May. Since the flowers grow at four o'clock, there is no need to start them indoors early. It is recommended that you wait until the weather warms up so you can plant them directly outdoors.

2. Soak the seeds. On the evening before you plan to plant, place the seeds on a small plate and cover them with water. Let the seeds soak in the water overnight. These seeds have very thick shells, so they may not germinate if they are not soaked thoroughly. When ready, the seeds should be somewhat swollen but still firm. Note that if you plant the seeds during the rainy season, when the soil is completely moist, you can skip this step and plant the dry seeds directly in the soil.

3. Choose a sunny spot. Four o'clock flowers do better when planted in direct sunlight or light/partial shade. For the best growth results, choose a spot that receives 4 to 6 hours of sunlight per day. Too much shade will cause the plants to become leggy and may hinder flower production.

4. Loosen the soil. Use a small trowel or garden fork to dig into the soil in the planting area. Loosen about 1 or 2 feet (0.3 or 0.6 m) of soil. You do not need to amend the soil. Although these flowers bloom in well-drained soil, they can also grow well in a variety of soil conditions, even in poor-quality soil.

5. Gently push the seeds into the soil. Use your fingers to push each seed into the soil so that it is no more than 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) deep. Make sure loose soil covers the seeds to protect them from weather and wildlife, especially birds. The soil depth should not exceed 1/2 inch (1.25 cm).

6. Space the seeds 1 to 2 feet (0.30 to 0.61 m) apart. Usually, only one seed should be sown per foot (30 cm). You will eventually need to thin the seedlings so that the plants are 2 feet (0.61 m) apart. For this reason, you can also choose to sow seeds 2 feet (0.61 m) apart to save yourself extra work in the future.

7. Water well. Water gently with a spray can or garden hose. Make sure the soil is completely moist but not soggy. Note that the seeds usually germinate within 7 to 14 days, depending on the temperature. Warmer temperatures usually mean faster germination. When the seeds germinate, it is crucial to keep the soil moderately moist. However, do not soak the soil, as this can dislodge the seeds.

Daily care

Thin the seedlings. Once the seedlings are established, the plants should appear 2 feet (0.61 m) apart.

If you grow the plants in containers or otherwise keep the plants short and stunted, you can leave a distance of 8 to 12 inches (20 to 30 cm) between each seedling.

Wait until the stems of the seedlings begin to form two sets of leaves, then thin them. Keep the healthiest, strongest plants and remove the weakest ones.

Keep the soil moist. Four o'clock flowers are somewhat drought-tolerant, but they should not be kept dry for more than a day or two.

Try to give the plants at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water per week, either from rain or by watering with a hose or watering can.

Note that flowers grown in containers require more regular watering than those grown outdoors.

Apply a mild fertilizer every month. Choose a water-soluble all-purpose flower fertilizer to apply before rain or when watering the plants.

Choose a balanced 10-10-10 fertilizer containing equal amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. This fertilizer will promote the overall health of the plants.

Treat insects and diseases only when needed. Four o'clock flowers have very few insect and disease problems, so pretreating for these conditions is very frustrating.

If problems occur, treat the plants with a suitable insecticide or fungicide. The product can be organic or chemical.

Consider digging up the tubers before winter. Each bush should have large tubers growing underground. If you live in a mild climate, you should be able to leave the tubers in the ground without harming the plants. However, if you live in a cold climate, you should dig them up in late autumn.

Store the tubers between layers of newspaper in a cardboard box or wooden box. You can also store the tubers in peat moss or sand. Do not use plastic containers or other closed boxes, as this may cause the tubers to rot.

Place the tubers in a garage, shed or similar environment. They should be dry and dark throughout the winter.

Replant the tubers in spring. Dig a hole large enough to accommodate the tubers in the same place where you grew them before. Put the tubers back into the ground, cover them with soil, and care for the plants as before.

Consider covering the area with a cover. If you do not want to dig up the tubers, you can usually protect them by covering the planting area with 1 or 2 inches (2.5 or 5 cm) of organic mulch.

Organic mulch can include leaves, grass clippings, wood chips and newspaper.

The cover provides insulation and warms the soil slightly.

Note that in cold climates, mulching for the winter may not be enough to protect the tubers.

Have you learned the morning glory planting techniques? Try it quickly! That is all for today's content, and we will see you next time!

Soil: Petunias are suitable for slightly acidic soil that is loose, breathable and well-drained. Mix thoroughly with sandy loam and humus soil.

Temperature: Petunias like sunny conditions, fear frost and fear waterlogging. The suitable temperature for growth is 13 degrees to 18 degrees. Do not let it go below 4 degrees in winter. It can withstand summer high temperatures of 35 degrees.

Fertilization: Petunias have a long flowering period and need nutrients. Apply cake fertilizer liquid about once every ten days, and use potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution to fertilize the potting soil during the bud stage to promote flowers, flowering and color.

Watering: Watering should be moderate. In summer, water evaporates, so water in time and keep the soil moist without standing water.

Lighting: Petunias need long periods of strong light, and sunlight is beneficial to the growth of petunias.

Pruning: When the seedlings grow to 10 cm, pinching must be done to make side branches sprout and produce more flower buds. For flowers, remove spent flowers and cut back the branches, which will continue to bloom.

Petunia (Petunia x hybrid) is an annual summer bloomer that grows from spring to the first frost. With purple, pink, red, yellow or white flowers, petunias are suitable for many color schemes and are often used in flower beds, flower pots and hanging baskets. Petunias like moist soil and partial shade. There are few pests involved with petunias, and the damage is usually not serious, so when you find black spots on petunia leaves, chemical insecticides are usually not needed.

Harvesting seeds

Petunia leaves are a bit sticky, and other seeds may fall off. To distinguish them, it is better to remove this portion of seeds to avoid confusion with true petunia seeds.

Small black locusts

Some mites are black and may look like spots on petunia leaves. Aphids can also be brown, yellow, green or red. They are small and soft, and some may have wings. They pierce plant parts with slender mouthparts and suck out sap. A few mites usually do not cause much damage. Severe aphid infestation can cause stunted growth and yellow leaves. Aphids produce a sticky substance called honeydew, which attracts ants and promotes the growth of sooty mold. Wash aphids off the plants with mild water or water and soap.

Bud points

Worms and caterpillars often leave small spots on petunia leaves, called frass. Petunias, also known as geraniums or tobacco budworms, usually feed on flower buds and petals. Damaged buds may not grow, or chewing and fragmentation may occur at the edges of the flowers. Locust damage is most obvious in late summer. The color is usually similar to the color of the flowers, but they can also be green or brown. They are most active at dusk.

Hummer leaves droppings

There is usually a small amount of frass around the spots on petunia leaves, indicating thrips. Western flower thrips is the most common species on petunias. They feed on new growth, causing flower buds and leaves to curl, resulting in discoloration and deformation of the affected plant parts. Adult thrips are slender worms, long and narrow, with stripes. They can be black, brown, yellow, orange or white. Immature thrips are pale yellow and wingless. Pesticides can reduce thrips infestation, but they cannot completely get rid of them.