How to Grow Morning Glories

Do you have a favorite flower that you just have to grow every year?

‘Heavenly Blue’ Morning Glory Vine

I do! I am sold out on climbing vines, and my favorite is Morning Glory. There is something about these free-flowering vines with large, lovely blooms that I absolutely love. From the genus Ipomoea, Morning Glory vines are great for climbing up a chain link fence, creating a living curtain to shade a west window, disguising less than attractive structures, and providing a colorful privacy screen. Annual Morning Glory vines grow quickly enough to climb a trellis in just a few weeks. Typically, by mid-summer the entire trellis is covered with dark green foliage and trumpet-shaped flowers. Morning Glories add charm and color wherever they are grown.

Maybe you don’t have space in your landscape?

Try growing Morning Glory in a container. Provide a trellis or cage and let the vines climb and spill over the sides. The effect is amazingly beautiful, and it is so easy that even beginners with little to no gardening experience can grow these annuals.

What do Morning Glory plants need?

These plants will grow in nearly any type of soil, and they seem to prefer soils with low fertility. Soil that drains well and is kept moist but not soggy is preferred. The vines like full sun but will tolerant some light shade. The flower seeds are easy to grow, and they can be started both indoors or directly outside once soil temperatures have warmed and frost danger has passed.

Here are some Morning Glory traits that will win you over!

• If given a structure to climb, the vine can reach 6 to 10 feet.
• If not given a structure to climb, the vine will spread like a ground cover 6 to 10 feet.
• The flowers can begin blooming in early summer and will continue right up until the first frost.
• The varieties are numerous with the trumpet-shaped blooms available in colors of red, blue, violet, white, and pink. Some even have “star” markings on the inside and others have white edges.
• The flowers are there to greet you every morning, and they will remain open on cooler, overcast days. During the hot, daytime sun the flowers shrivel, but new flowers are produced daily.
• The vine is attractive to humming birds.
• The vine is deer resistant.
• The annual self-seeds easily for a display next season.

How to grow Morning Glory seeds – there truly is not an easier flower seed to grow!

• The outer seed coat is hard, and germination is improved if the flower seeds are soaked overnight in tepid water or even nick the seed with a nail file before sowing.
• My last frost is not until May, so I start my Morning Glory seeds indoors about 4 weeks before the last frost day is expected.
• I like to use a seed starting mix, and I begin by pre-moistening it in a large bowl, and then fill my peat pots with the pre-moistened soil mix.
• Press the Morning Glory seed into the moist soil and cover the seed with ¼ inch of soil. I like to cover my peat pots with clear plastic wrap or place in a tray with a dome lid to help keep the moisture in.
• Morning Glory seeds germinate in 4 to 21 days. As soon as the sprout appears, I remove the plastic and set them in a sunny window where they will receive good light throughout the day.
• By the end of April, the days are warm enough that I start hardening the seedlings off by putting them outside in a protected area for a few hours each day. Gradually, after several days, I leave them out longer and longer. By about the 10th day, I leave them out overnight.
• After being hardened off, the Morning Glory seedlings are ready to transplant.
• Prepare the soil in the flower bed or garden where the seedlings are being transplanted. Add some organic matter while you are working the soil.
• Dig a shallow hole large enough for the transplant. I keep the seedlings in the peat pot, but I tear the peat pot down an inch or so before planting. Cover and fill in the hole with the soil. Make sure the soil covers the peat pot completely, and press the seedling in, firming the soil around it. Water well.
• Have a trellis or string ready at the time of transplanting. The seedlings will be twining up the trellis shortly. It may take a few days of helping the seedlings onto the trellis, but then they will be off and running in no time!

That is it for today’s blog post, but I’m not finished with Morning Glories yet! Next week, I’ll give tips on starting the seeds directly outdoors and share some of the many cultivars there are to choose from.

Nothing beats waking up early in the summer and being greeted by a gorgeous display of Morning Glory!

Question for the week: Have you tried growing Morning Glories?

By Kimberly Bell

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