Ipomoea - attractive climbing annuals that are distinguished by very beautiful flowers.
Ipomoea: growing from seeds
Ipomoea can be propagated using seeds that remain viable for several years. Sowing is usually carried out in the second half of spring.
Before sowing seeds, it is necessary to pierce their top layer with a needle or soak for 24 hours in warm water.
With this method of reproduction Special attention must be given to the substrate. Morning glory varieties that are of African origin grow well in succulent soil, where a small amount of fine expanded clay is added. For American varieties, a mixture of leaf humus, fine expanded clay and peat in a ratio of 2: 1: 1 is more suitable.
Ipomoea seeds are sown in small containers, several in each. After that, they are covered with a film. If necessary, it will need to be removed, ventilated and watered the soil, maintained temperature regime at 20 degrees. In this case, the seedlings will appear in about 2 weeks. When they grow up, young ipomoeas are transplanted into separate containers, over time they will need support.
Ipomoea reproduction
Some varieties of such a plant can be propagated by cuttings. To do this, shoots are cut from the plant, from which cuttings up to 20 cm long are cut. Each of them must have at least 2 internodes, it must be cut at an angle of 45 degrees 10-15 cm below the last internode. Next, all the leaves are cut off from the bottom, young plants are placed in water, where the root system will form in no more than a week. After that, morning glory only needs to be planted in a separate pot, providing proper care.
Ipomoea: growth pattern
The genus Ipomoea includes about 500 species, among them there are vines, annual and perennial plants, bushes. The genus is part of the bindweed family. In floriculture, annual climbing morning glory is grown. All of them have funnel-shaped flowers, which are often called "gramophones". Their color and size depends on the variety of morning glory. A feature of the flowering morning glory is that its flowers open with sunrise and close in the afternoon. Most often they are grown on supports and frames, less often - as an ampelous plant.
The most common species is the tricolor morning glory - Ipomoea tricolor. Its height is about 3 meters, its stems wrap around any provided support. With the beginning of summer, flowering begins, which continues until the frost.
Very beautiful large flowers with a diameter of up to 10 cm are distinguished by the tricolor ipomoea variety - Heavently Blue. They are painted bright blue, and their central part is yellow-white.
Ipomoea purple - Ipomoea purpurea - is rightfully considered one of the most beautiful vines. It is most often grown as climbing plants to create living walls and partitions in the garden, with its help you can close your site from prying eyes by planting it along a mesh fence. The shoots of Ipomoea purpurea can climb up to 3 m along the support. The leaves of such Ipomoea are heart-shaped, the flowers can reach 4-10 cm in diameter, and their color is from white to dark blue. The center of the Ipomoea purpurea flower is always white - this is what distinguishes it from other types of such a plant.
Ipomoea bright red - Ipomoea coccinea - has another name - fiery red kvamoklit, as it was previously assigned to a separate genus Kvamoklit, which over time was combined into a common genus. This plant reaches up to 2 meters in height, and if grown in a flower pot - up to 1.5 meters. The flowers are red, and their inner part is yellow. Their diameter is 3-4 cm.
Do not confuse the pinnate quamoclitus - Ipomoea quamocli with bright red morning glory. Their flowers are very similar, but pinnate quamoclite has dissected dark green leaves that resemble cypress or fern. Hence another name - cypress liana.
Ipomoea: care features
Ipomoea is a fairly easy-to-care plant, the main thing is to provide it with support, regular watering, good lighting and top dressing. Adult Ipomoea grow normally in universal potting soil.
With active growth, such a plant needs abundant watering - the soil in its pot should never dry out, but also not become very wet. Also at this time, it is required to regularly feed - once every 1-2 weeks.
At home, Ipomoea feel fine in good light. As for the temperature regime, it should be maintained at a level of at least 15 degrees. But there are also varieties that normally tolerate temperatures up to 10 degrees.
Some varieties of such a plant can also be grown as perennials - in this case, in winter, watering should become abundant, the temperature should be maintained at 7 degrees.
Possible problems
Among pests, morning glory can infect whiteflies, and. To get rid of them, the plant must be treated with an insecticide.
In case of low temperatures, morning glory leaves may turn pale. It can also cause deformation of the leaves. To avoid such problems, the plant needs to provide a suitable temperature.
Ipomoea has decorative properties and is successfully used in landscape design. The stems of the plant form long creepers, quickly covering any vertical support with greenery, and the rich color palette of flowers pleases the eye throughout the season.
Origin
Ipomoea is native to the tropical zone. South America where thanks to climatic conditions grown as a perennial plant. Also found in tropical forests Asia and Africa.
Name
Ipomoea (Ipomoea) or farbitis is a flowering plant with climbing stems. It belongs to the largest genus of the bindweed family (Convolvulaceae). The flower got its name for the ability of the stem to wrap around.
Description
Some representatives have a lignified stem and the shape of a tree or shrub. When grown in temperate climates, it is considered an annual.
Young plants grow rapidly, forming large lashes strewn with flowers. Mature plants grow up to 3 meters, and some varieties even more.
The shape of juicy green leaves is oval or heart-shaped. The size of funnel-shaped flowers in some varieties reaches up to 20 cm in diameter. The corolla opens early in the morning, and fades by noon. However, there are varieties with evening and night flowering.
Beautiful Ipomoea flowers delight with flowering from June until the first frost. It seems that the green carpet is strewn with bright gramophones. After flowering, a fruit is formed in the form of a box with several large black seeds. Ipomoea easily spreads over the site by self-propagation. After falling into the ground, the seeds germinate quickly, and several young bushes manage to germinate during the season.
morning glory care
Ipomoea is thermophilic and loves sunlight. The site for planting morning glory should be located in sunny place or with partial shading. Required protection from the wind, which can damage the stems and flowers. In conditions of strong shading, growth suppression and crushing of buds are observed.
The flowers open with the first rays of the sun and close by noon in bright light, remaining open for a short time. This feature does not allow to achieve the desired decorative planting during the day. On cloudy days, you can fully enjoy the beauty of blooming morning glory. The unusual reaction to light is due to increased sensitivity to light.
For planting morning glory, prepare nutrient soil saturated with organic matter. Any type of loose soil will do, with the exception of sandy loam. Ipomoea will also grow on poor soils, only its decorative effect will decrease.
Long and bright flowering of morning glory is possible with proper care:
- Watering should be regular, but without stagnant moisture, the excess of which harms the development of the plant. Drainage should be provided in areas with high groundwater levels.
- Good nutrition of morning glory is provided by the application of fertilizers. Nitrogen fertilizers begin to be applied under the root with the beginning of active vegetation, so that the bushes quickly form lush greenery. The beneficial effects of foliar application by spraying have also been observed. For active flowering and maintaining decorativeness, complex and phosphate fertilizers are applied, and nitrogen fertilizers are excluded. Feeding continues throughout life cycle morning glory 2 times a month.
- Luxurious green mass needs support in the form of a support.
- Removing faded buds will help prolong flowering, and removing dry leaves will keep the bush attractive.
- If flowering has stopped and the leaves have turned light green, then this is a sign of insufficient lighting.
- The soil should be kept loose at all times.
Growing morning glory in the garden is not at all difficult. The plant grows rapidly, wrapping around all the supports around it. It is advisable to install a vertical grid or plant morning glory near the fence.
Popular varieties
The main genus is Ipomoea batata (Ipomoea batatas), which unites more than 500 species of flower. Among them are annuals and perennials, as well as tuberous plants.
For decorative purposes, only 25 varieties are used, which are popular among flower growers. Here are some of them:
reproduction
Ipomoea reproduces by seeds. They can be sown immediately in open ground. This planting justifies itself with good germination and rapid growth. With the seedling method of growing morning glory, the flowering period will begin earlier.
They start sowing seeds in a flower bed in the spring with established warm weather, the optimal time is the beginning of May. If young shoots are still damaged by sub-zero temperatures, then the plant will not be able to gain splendor.
In order for the seeds to germinate faster, the integrity of the shell must be broken. To do this, they are filled with water at a temperature of t = 50 ° and kept until the water cools.
In autumn, when digging the site, fertilizers with a high content of phosphorus are laid. Holes are made with an interval of at least 25 cm, in which 2-3 previously soaked seeds are placed. Seeding should not be deep. 2-3 cm is enough, otherwise you will have to wait a long time for seedlings. After seed germination, the soil is constantly maintained in wet. You can use a sprayer so as not to erode the ground.
The growth of young shoots is accelerated by a small support near each bush, along which the stem will curl.
Growing seedlings
When planting in mid-March-early April, by the beginning of May, the seedlings will already have time to get stronger. Before planting seeds in pots, they are kept in water for a day until they swell. Not swollen seeds should be pierced with a needle and left for another day. You will have to wait about 5-10 days for seedlings, depending on the variety. The temperature for young gatherings is maintained + 18-20 °.
Seedlings dive several times until planting in open ground. At the same time, the earth lump must remain intact, otherwise the plant will not take root well. The best time for planting seedlings in the garden is the end of May-beginning of June.
When growing through seedlings, care must be taken that the seedlings do not outgrow until the moment of planting, otherwise it will not take root well. The place for transplanting young plants should be protected from the wind with a pre-installed support.
Pests, diseases
Ipomoea most often affects and, which feed on its juice. Traces of pest activity are easy to identify by yellow spots on the leaves. They begin to turn yellow and soon dry out. The aphid sucks the juice from the leaves of the morning glory, while releasing honeydew, in which sooty fungi that are detrimental to the flower settle.
The spider mite is easy to spot by the appearance of a thin cobweb enveloping the leaves and stem of the plant. In the early stages, spraying with cold water is suitable for the fight.
If the process is started, then the morning glory will stop flowering, all the leaves will gradually fall off and the bush will dry up. Therefore, it is recommended to regularly inspect the plant and, when the first pests appear, treat it with a systemic preparation. In the fight against ticks, Actellik, Fitoverm are effective, and with aphids - Akarin, Atkara, Karbofos.
When landscaping suburban area morning glory will help to quickly form a cascade, covered with many variegated flowers. Moreover, the plant is not demanding to care.
A small growing season allows you to use morning glory to decorate walls and unsightly places in the garden. The flower is often planted along fences and fences. With the help of morning glory, gazebos, pergolas, arches and lampposts are decorated. The plant is an ideal solution for vertical gardening.
See also video
Synonym: Ipomoea Fastigiata. Origin: Central America.
Ipomoea is a perennial, fast-growing plant. The root system, depending on the variety, can be in the form of: rhizome, root or tuber.
In the temperate zone, the plant is cultivated:
- as a street plant - an annual;
- as indoor plant- in pot culture.
Height - 45-60cm. Ipomoea is formed in the form of a bush or ampelous plant. The flowers are funnel-shaped, pink or purple; grown mainly as an ornamental leafy plant.
Ipomoea seeds are very poisonous, if they enter the body, they cause severe poisoning..
Flowering period - summer / autumn.
Lighting
Optimum lighting - bright diffused light.
Permissible lighting - penumbra.
Temperature
The leaves wither and wilt when the temperature drops to 4 0 C. Temperatures below 0 0 C are detrimental to the plant. Minimum temperature in winter: +14 0 C. Optimum temperature: + 20 0 C.
The minimum temperature for the winter content of tubers: 7 0 С.
Humidity
Air humidity matters only if the plant is exposed to direct sunlight for a long time at a simultaneously high temperature (above +25 0 C). In all other cases, for the successful cultivation of morning glory, air humidity is not of decisive importance.
Watering
Watering frequency:
- in the period May / August - without drying the earthen coma;
- in the period September / April - with a slight drying of the earthy coma.
The soil
Diseases
1) White rust. A common disease of morning glory, reduces the decorativeness of the plant, but is not fatal.
2) Anthracnose.
Anthracnose is a fungal disease that usually occurs after a period of heavy rains. The initial stage of the disease begins with small brown spots with yellow rings around. Young leaves are affected first. As the disease progresses, the number of brown spots increases, and eventually they merge, and a large spot forms, the leaf dies and falls off. The disease is spreading rapidly. If the plant is not treated, anthracnose can kill it. To combat this disease, it is necessary to cut off all affected tissues. If the disease persists, the plant must be treated with fungicides intended for use on anthracnose. See the Diseases section of the site.
3) Viral diseases.
Viral diseases occur where morning glory reproduces vegetatively, and for this, material infected with viruses was used. About 20 officially registered types of the virus have been found in various types of morning glory.
The plant is destroyed.
4) Root and stem rot caused by the fungus Fusarium.
The source of infection, as a rule, is an unsterilized soil mixture. Symptoms include: dark-colored rotten lesions that cover the root and usually have a sharp edge separating the rot from the healthy part of the root. The disease is not treated - the plant is destroyed. For more information about the prevention of the disease, see the section of the site "Diseases".
5) Black rot, Ceratocystis fimbriatum.
Tubers with this disease have depressed dark brown/black spots. Very often, black dots are scattered throughout the spot. These black dots contain fungus spores that cause disease. Sometimes a pink mass oozes from black dots.
6) Soft rot, Rhizopus.
The defeat of the plant occurs during the winter storage of tubers. Manifested in the form of watery, soft rot. The plant is not treated - immediately after the detection of the disease, the infected tubers are disposed of.
7) Physiological disease - white edema (described in detail in the "Diseases" section.
Ipomoea reproduction
Vegetative propagation of morning glory. Breeding periods: optimal: March / April;Valid: March / September.
As a material for reproduction use: in the spring - green cuttings, in summer - green and semi-lignified cuttings. The length of the handle is 15-20cm. We make the lower cut at an angle of 45 0, 5-10 mm below the leaf node. Remove all lower leaves. Root cuttings in water or soil.
Conditions for successful rooting:
- lighting: diffused light;
- the cutting used for rooting must have a leaf (leaves) that has completed its growth.
- the temperature of the water in which rooting is carried out should be 21 0 С; if the temperature drops below 19 0 C, the cutting will rot. According to experience: with a short decrease in temperature below 19 0 C (for 4-6 hours), the cuttings did not rot, but the rooting process lasted for months. When the temperature rises above 25 0 C, the conditions for the process of photosynthesis in the cuttings will become unfavorable, and as a result, the duration of rooting will increase and the percentage of dead cuttings will increase;
- for quick rooting, cuttings are best treated with root stimulants.
After the roots on the cutting reach 3 cm, it is rooted in the substrate. Rooting conditions: high air humidity with frequent spraying, diffused light, air temperature not lower than +18 0 C. An increase in leaf elasticity will be a signal that the plant's root system has taken root.
The substrate used for planting the rooted cuttings: 1 part of soddy soil + 1 part of leafy soil + 1 part of perlite + 10g of bone meal (for every 10l of soil mixture).
The period of root formation is 10 - 20 days.
Ipomoea from seeds. The optimal time for sowing is the end of March / beginning of April.
Seeds for propagation are purchased at the store. Self-collected seeds are usually sterile, and even if they sprout, they will grow plants with decorative properties that are different from the parent.
Sowing technology: seeds are soaked for 24-36 hours until swelling. Planting seeds is carried out at a depth of 1 cm; germination temperature - not lower than 22 0 С; watering - lower (from the pallet). After three leaves develop on the seedlings, they are seated in separate pots. Further care as for adult plants.
Ipomoea is a large genus of perennial plants belonging to the Vnkov family. Since most types of morning glory are of tropical and equatorial origin, in our climate these plants are grown exclusively as annuals. There are two varieties of morning glory: vine-like and shrubby. Planting and caring for morning glory do not present any particular problems, since the seeds have good germination, and the plant is unpretentious. In addition, thanks to the inherent endurance of all bindweeds, the plant copes well with many difficulties that it encounters on its way, both literally and figuratively.
Read also: Introduction
Liana-like ipomoeas are able to braid various supports and small buildings with their stems and branches, while rising to a height of about 5 m. As a rule, these plants have a not thick, but very strong stem that can cling to numerous irregularities and objects on the surface, or braid itself supports, both artificial and natural.
Shrub forms, on the contrary, usually form small, almost spherical bushes up to 60-70 cm in diameter. In rare cases, shrub forms have hard stems that allow bushes to grow up to 3 m in height and about 1.2-1.5 m in diameter.
The growth rate of these plants is very high. Within one and a half, sometimes two months (as a rule, this period falls on May - the end of June), three or four plants are able to completely braid a gazebo measuring 5 x 5 x 2.5 m.
In the same way, you can completely braid a fence or fence, saving yourself from the views of neighbors, fill a window with leaves so that annoying sunlight does not get into it, braid a terrace to protect yourself from the sun. Well, and so on. Ipomoea is excellent as an annually updated gardener.
But that's not all. The plant, thanks to its beautiful and bright colors, has a wonderful decorative effect. Some species have so many flowers that the ground is often not visible under them. Ipomoea flowers can have a wide variety of sizes (from 1 to 10 cm) and colors (from white to dark purple). The flowering period of the plant is from 1 to 4 months, despite the fact that most flowers do not last more than 6 days (and some even bloom for only one day). A large number of flowers on the plant allows you to extend the flowering process until almost the first frost.
Some types of morning glory contain natural alkaloids in their stems and leaves, so they can be toxic to humans. Of course, there is no question of poisoning, however, various allergic reactions are possible.
Read also: conditions for the plant
In order to grow strong and healthy morning glory, with a large number of flowers, you need to know and follow their growing rules. It all starts with choosing a meta where you want to plant a plant. Undoubtedly, the purpose of the plant in landscape design plays the main role here, and if you want to plant a plant near the gazebo that needs to be braided, you will have to plant it there. However, it is important where to do it - on the north or south side.
Most morning glory love sunny sides and direct sunlight. Such plants should be planted on the south side of the braided objects. If morning glory prefers partial shade - on the eastern or western sides. Some integumentary ipomoeas like to grow in the shade, so the north side is used for them.
If the plant has relatively thin stems and branches, then it will suffer from the wind. Therefore, in windy areas, some kind of protection should be provided and supports should be placed so that the plant can gain a foothold on them.
Ipomoea do not tolerate stagnant water at the roots, so their landing site should be well drained. Plants tolerate drought normally, but this may slow down the formation of buds and abundant flowering will not work. Therefore, it is not necessary to bring the plants to such a state, it is necessary to periodically water them and loosen the topsoil to a depth of 5-6 cm.
Read also: cultivation
In most cases, morning glory is grown using seeds.. Vegetative propagation is rarely used. This is explained by the fact that an annual plant may not have time to fully form from the cutting for the remaining time until the end of the season. The seed cultivation of morning glory has proven itself and has been used by gardeners in Europe for more than one century.
There are two main ways to grow morning glory from seeds - by direct planting in open ground and by planting seedlings.. Both have their own nuances, advantages and disadvantages.
Of course, it is best to plant the plant immediately in open ground., since at the same time we get rid of the unpleasant obligation to constantly fiddle with seedlings, however, in some areas, the time for a full-fledged plant cultivation may not be enough due to the short duration of the warm season.
Growing morning glory in seedlings also has its drawbacks. Approximately one third of morning glory varieties tolerate plant transplantation very poorly, even at the seedling stage. In addition, morning glory seedlings have very high growth rates, so the option is not ruled out that you can seriously miscalculate over time and get wildly growing plants (up to several centimeters per day) located in a box with seedlings, while still outside the temperature is around zero.
In general, to choose a method for growing morning glory, you need to weigh everything well and plan carefully so as not to make a mistake with the timing of planting seeds for seedlings.
Read also: seedling way
It is recommended to plant seedlings of morning glory at the end of March. This will make it possible to get plants ready for transplanting into open ground already in early May. Before planting in the ground, the seeds must go through the spitting stage. To do this, they are placed in water and soaked for about a day. Once the seeds swell, they can be planted in seedling soil.
The composition of the soil may be as follows:
- peat - 4 parts
- leaf ground -4 parts
- sand - 2 parts
- humus - 1 part
The soil before planting the seeds must be disinfected with a solution of 0.2% potassium permanganate. It is not necessary to carry out heat treatment of the soil.
The depth of planting seeds in the ground is from 1 to 2 cm. In this case, 2-3 seeds should be planted in each hole. Seeds are covered and watered with a small amount of water. In order not to wash them out, it is best to use water from a spray bottle for irrigation. After that, the seedling box is taken to a dark and warm place.
After 1.5-2 weeks, the first shoots should appear. As soon as they appear, it is necessary to take the box to a sunny area and start watering the plants daily with boiled water at room temperature.
When two true leaves appear, the plant is picked. It must be done very carefully so as not to damage root system young shoots. It is advisable to pick a plant with a relatively big ball soil to minimize the chance of root damage.
A pick is best done in an individual container, the best choice of which is a peat pot, since it is he who allows you to transplant the plant into open ground with it. Thus, complete preservation of the root system during transplantation is achieved.
Read also: Landing in open ground
For any shape planting material, the soil in which morning glory is planted must be fertilized. You can use, for example, humus, adding it in the amount of one bucket for each planting point, or you can use mineral fertilizers at the rate of 30-40 g per 1 sq. m.
Separately, it should be noted that it is highly not recommended to use nitrogen-containing fertilizers for morning glory fertilizer, since they lead to an abundant growth of green mass, however, there will be no flowers at all.
After the site is fertilized, dug up and loosened, you can start planting. For plants grown directly in open field, bypassing the seedling phase, sowing in open ground is carried out in early to mid-May. At the same time, 3-4 holes are made in the places of the intended cultivation of plants, 2-3 seeds are planted in each of them. Over time, they can be threaded, or, in extreme cases, transplanted. Seeds are covered with earth and watered.
Seedlings are usually planted in the ground from mid-May and later. The main criterion by which seedlings are already mono-planted is an increase in air temperature to + 16-18 ° С.
Holes for plants are dug at a distance of about 20-30 cm from each other, their depth should correspond to the size of the earthy coma with which the seedling bush is transplanted. After the planting is done, the plants are watered and for the first 2-3 days they are sheltered from the wind with the help of some kind of fence.
Read also: Care
As such, morning glory does not require self-care. This plant is very unpretentious, and its cultivation does not pose any problems. All care consists in regularly performing simple and unpretentious actions related to maintaining the plant and soil in proper condition. The frequency of such events is from a week to two.
So, what is needed to care for the plant:
- regular and moderate watering; no more than once a week, about 10 liters under it;
- loosening the soil at the roots to a depth of about 5-6 cm within a radius of at least 50 cm from the main stem;
- top dressing every 7-14 days at doses recommended for garden flowering plants.
These rules are very simple and following them will help you grow a healthy and beautiful plant that can turn any landscape object in your garden into a fairy tale within 1-2 months.
Read also: Bloom problems
If everything is fine with the plant, then flowering begins in the first decade of July, with a slight spread earlier or later by 10-15 days. If all possible terms have been passed (and they may vary slightly for each variety), then it is necessary to look for the reason why the plant did not bloom.
Such a reason may be hidden in the following:
- Too much nitrogen compounds in the soil, or vice versa - too little nitrogen.
- Excessive (or vice versa - insufficient) watering; often this is the cause of a decrease in the size of the flowers or their number.
- Too late planting seeds in open ground, which naturally leads to a shift in time of all plant life periods, including flowering.
Each of the considered cases is quite easily corrected. For example, the amount of nitrogen can be measured using various indicators. Watering is adjusted based on soil moisture, in particular its upper layer. In the latter case, you just need to give a little more time to the plant.
It has long attracted the attention of people associated with these activities. Separately, it should be mentioned its application to the landscaping of various vertical surfaces - walls, balconies, arches, hedges and other things. Often morning glory is the only possible variant of some idea.
That is why designers and gardeners all the time set the task for botanists to diversify the varietal set of morning glory as much as possible, since the plant is used for quite a wide range tasks. Considering almost three thousand years of selection of this plant, we can say that botanists did an excellent job.
In total, there are currently about five hundred species of this plant in nature. Of these, 25 are used by humans for landscaping garden plots and buildings. On the basis of these species, several hundred varieties and varieties of various variants of morning glory have been obtained. Some of them can climb vertical planes up to 5 m in height. Others, on the contrary, are shrubs no more than 50-60 cm in diameter. Consider the most popular varieties of morning glory, which are used in landscape design of the temperate climate zone.
Read also: Quamoclit pinnate
Ipomoea quamoclit pinnate
This plant native to South America is a climbing vine with medium-sized flowers (2.5 to 3.5 cm in diameter). Quamoclite petals have a variety of colors. Most often it is red or purple, but there are also purple and even blue specimens. The flowers of this creeper are shaped like stars.
With proper care and properly selected soils and top dressing, this plant can reach more than 5 m in length. Its leaves are many small "strips", as if dissected along; they are highly decorative and always attract attention.
The peculiarity of the plant lies in a fairly long flowering - from mid-July to the end of September.
The plant prefers sunny areas and moderately moist soil. The soil should be neutral or slightly acidic; the best option is to use a mixture of sand and leafy soil. It is practically indifferent to watering, since with its root system it is not a problem to obtain the necessary moisture even during a drought.
The negative aspects of this plant include their almost complete intolerance to transplants, even in the case of seedlings. Very often, when transplanting, the growth of the plant slows down significantly and in about a third of cases the plants die. That is why the seedling method of growing it is not recommended - it is preferable to plant seeds immediately in open ground.
Ipomoea loach wrapped around a bucket in a well during the night.
Do not tear the fleeting beauty?!
I will go to the neighbors for water to wash my face.
Matsuo Basho
What plant will help you make the gazebo in the garden more comfortable and beautiful? Or camouflage the shabby walls of the barn? Or hide the long unpainted balcony railings from view? Of course, it must be a liana. And it is better that it blooms with beautiful flowers. And just to take care of her.
All these requirements are met by a plant under the exotic and gentle name "Ipomoea".
- How to grow ipomoea seedlings and plant them in the garden in time?
- When and how to sow morning glory seeds in open ground?
- How to choose the best place for this creeper on your site?
- How to care for a plant during the season?
Read our article and you will know everything you need about morning glory.
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Planting and caring for morning glory
- Landing: sowing scarified seeds for seedlings in March-April, followed by planting seedlings in the ground in early June. You can sow the seeds directly into the ground in May.
- Bloom: from July to October.
- Lighting: bright sunlight.
- The soil: loose, nutritious, calcareous, not very fertile.
- Watering: regular but moderate.
- Top dressing: twice a month with mineral fertilizer solutions for cacti or flowering plants.
- Pruning: in September.
- Reproduction: seeds and cuttings.
- Pests: aphids, spider mites.
- Diseases: white rust, anthracnose, root, stem, soft or black rot.
Read more about growing morning glory below.
This haiku by the Japanese Basho is about the morning glory plant, or farbitis. Ipomoea (lat. Ipomoea)- a genus of flowering plants, the most numerous of the Bindweed family, with more than five hundred species. Its representatives are found in tropical and subtropical regions of the world and are both perennial and annual plants - bushes, trees and vines. There are among the plants of the genus Ipomoea and food crops - sweet potato and water spinach. The name "ipomoea" comes from two Greek words: "ips" - a worm and "homoios" - similar, that is, "worm-like", and this definition refers to the rhizome of perennials of the genus Ipomoea.
In floriculture, creepers of this genus are used, the flowers of which open in the morning before all other flowers, for which Ipomoea is called the "flower dawn". It is hard to imagine that the field bindweed weed, the nightmare of farmers, is a close relative of the luxurious morning glory, an ornamental plant that is so in demand among flower growers and gardeners.
Ipomoea flower - description
The ipomoea plant that grows in our gardens is the garden ipomoea, a liana sometimes reaching a length of five meters. Stems densely leafy, heart-shaped. Large fragrant flowers on long stalks, profusely covering the stems, open early in the morning and turn after the sun until they close at noon, although on a cloudy day they close only in the evening. The shape of morning glory flowers, simple or double, resembles a gramophone trumpet, their colors are for every taste: white, red, pink, blue...
Ipomoea blooms from early summer until frost. Perennial morning glory in tropical latitudes is grown in our gardens as an annual.
Growing Ipomoea from seeds
Ipomoea from seeds - sowing
Ipomoea is propagated by seeds that remain viable for three to four years after harvest. Ipomoea seeds are sown in the substrate in mid-May, but they are first scarified (violating the integrity of the shell) or simply soaked for a day in water at 25-30 ºC to swell. If the seeds do not swell, their shell must be pierced with a needle and soaked again.
Particular attention should be paid to the composition of the soil, and this is where difficulties arise, since each species needs a specific substrate. Species of African origin prefer soil for succulent plants with the addition of fine expanded clay, American varieties will not work with such soil, and you will have to make a mixture for them of two parts of leaf humus, adding to it one part of peat, vermiculite, coke fiber and half of fine expanded clay.
Seeds are planted in small cups with a substrate, two to four pieces each, and covered with glass or film to make a greenhouse. Water the soil as needed, ventilate, remove condensation, keep the 18-20-degree temperature regime, and the seedlings will appear in 10-12 days.
Ipomoea seedling
When the seedlings grow up to 15 cm in height, a cord is tied to the base of the sprout, the second end of which is pulled up and fixed: the growing loach will climb along this guide. As the seedlings grow, they will have to be moved once or twice to a large container by transshipment, so as not to damage or expose the roots. If you want to get more side shoots, you need to pinch the seedlings.
Ipomoea planting
When to plant morning glory
Planting in the open ground of the grown seedlings of morning glory is carried out in late May or early June. At this time, the soil has already warmed up and you can not be afraid of night frosts, which could destroy the young vine.
How to plant morning glory
Young shoots are transplanted by transshipment at a distance of 20 cm from each other and a support is immediately established above them: it can be a lattice of rods or a stretched fishing line.
You can sow seeds directly in open ground, bypassing the seedling period. They do this at the end of May after frost, choosing a sunny and calm area for planting. Ipomoea prefers slightly acidic soil and requires good drainage. Whatever method of planting you choose, be careful, because morning glory is very poisonous. That is why it is grown outdoors.
morning glory care
How to care for morning glory
Caring for morning glory is simple: water regularly, but moderately so that water stagnation does not form in the roots: from May to August - without waiting for the ground to dry out, and from September - after the soil dries.
Fertilize during the period of active growth every 2-3 weeks with fertilizer for decorative flowering plants or for cacti. However, an excess of fertilizers, especially nitrogen-containing ones, can lead to intensive foliage formation, but at the same time, morning glory does not bloom, so it is important to observe the measure when feeding. The concentration of fertilizers should be the same as for indoor plants.
From time to time, morning glory needs pruning: you need to remove damaged or sick-looking shoots, it is best to cut the vine in September, putting the plant in order before the dormant period. In the spring, pruning is carried out to thin out the bush, leaving no more than three stems in each. Sometimes you have to thin out morning glory during the growing season.
Ipomoea propagation by cuttings
Some types of morning glory are propagated vegetatively, using cuttings. For example, Ipomoea sweet potato. Cuttings 15-20 cm long with two internodes are cut from cut shoots, and the lower cut should pass at an angle of 45º 15 mm below the node. After removing the leaves from the bottom, the cuttings are placed in water.
How to collect morning glory seeds
When to Harvest Ipomoea Seeds
Experts recommend collecting seeds from the second and third bud. When the flowers wither and a brown box forms in their place, let it dry and open a little. This will happen in about a month. Pour the seeds from the box into a paper bag and write the name of the variety on it. As already mentioned, morning glory seeds retain their germination for three to four years.
Ipomoea after flowering
Ipomoea in winter
Ipomoea in our latitudes is grown as an annual, so in the fall, when the leaves wither and fall off, you can cut the ipomoea stems, dig up the ground by removing the rhizome. Next spring you will plant the seeds and you will have a new ipomoea.
Or it may happen that you don’t have to sow the seeds, since morning glory reproduces well by self-sowing, and if seeds from ripe boxes woke up in the place where it grew this year, then it is likely that in next year in this place, young shoots of morning glory will begin to grow.
Types and varieties of morning glory
Of the more than 500 species of morning glory, only 25 are grown in culture. Let's briefly talk about the most popular of them.
It comes from Asia and Australia, its shoots grow up to 5 m long. They are so densely strewn with blue flowers that morning glory looks like a real carpet. The leaves are lobed, palm-shaped, carved.
In the photo: Ipomoea cairo (Ipomoea cairica)
An annual liana, the pubescent stem of which reaches 8 meters. Leaves glabrous, oval or lanceolate, opposite. Single red, dark purple, purple, blue, white or pink gramophone flowers up to 7 cm long. There are varieties with variegated and even double flowers. Ipomoea purpurea is considered the birthplace of tropical belt America. Varieties: Starfish, Scarlett O "Hara, Night, Giselle.
In the photo: Ipomoea purpurea (Ipomoea purpurea)
Or in Japanese asagao (morning face) - strongly branched annual liana up to 3 m long. The leaves are large, broadly oval, opposite, long-petiolate, dark green. Funnel-shaped flowers of red, pale or dark blue, pink or purple, up to 10 cm in diameter. This morning glory blooms from mid-summer to October. Varieties: semi-double Pikoti blue or red with white edging, hybrid Serenade - terry corrugated flowers dark red or lilac color 8 cm in diameter.
In the photo: Ipomoea Nile (Ipomoea nil, Ipomoea Imperialis)
Or Ipomoea red-blue (Ipomoea rubro-caerulea) - Native to the American tropics. Perennial used in cultivation as an annual plant. The stem reaches a length of 4-5 m. The leaves are large, opposite, heart-shaped, glabrous, wrinkled, petioles are long. Funnel-shaped flowers 8-10 cm in diameter are collected in bunches of 3-4 pieces: pale blue with a white tube, but when they fade, they become pink-purple. This morning glory blooms from early June until the first frost.
Some varieties contain psychotropic substances used in medicine. Popular varieties in floriculture: Pink Lollipop, Blue Star, Sky Blue, Flying Saucer.
In the photo: Ipomoea tricolor (Ipomoea tricolor)
An annual vine from the American tropics. The branched stem reaches a length of 2-3 meters, the leaves are large, heart-shaped, three-lobed, similar to ivy leaves. Funnel-shaped flowers with a diameter of about 5 cm are usually sky blue, sometimes with a white border, but there are red, burgundy, pink. They are collected two or three on a long peduncle. Blooms from July to mid-autumn. Variety Roman Candy with variegated white-green leaves is grown even as an ampelous plant.
In the photo: Ipomoea hederacea (Ipomoea hederacea)
Ipomoea moonflowering (Ipomoea noctiflora)
Also from tropical America. The stem is up to 3 m long, shoots up to 6 m, large heart-shaped leaves, fragrant white flowers are also large - up to 10 cm, open at night and close with the first rays of the sun, and those unfamiliar with this mystery of the moon-flowering farbitis ask why their ipomoea does not bloom. But on a cloudy day, the flowers close only in the evening, and you can appreciate their amazing delicate beauty. This morning glory blooms from July-August to October.
Quamoclites
These are morning glory with openwork carved foliage and small tubular flowers. Of the most popular in culture: cirrus quamoclit (Quamoclit pennata), Slaughter quamoclit, or cardinal liana (Quamoclit x sloteri), fiery red quamoclite (Quamoclit coccinea) and lobed quamoclite (Quamoclit lobata).
In the photo: Quamoclit (Quamoclit)
In addition to the described species and their varieties, such types of morning glory as Brazilian, palmate, Mauritanian, lobed and others are slightly less common in culture.
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