The so-called morning glory (Ipomoea) is currently becoming increasingly popular as a flowering climbing plant because it can be used to quickly beautify unsightly garden corners. On a climbing frame or net, the morning glory is also suitable as a side privacy screen for the balcony.
How do you harvest morning glory seeds?
To harvest morning glory seeds, wait until the seed pods are brown and brittle. Carefully remove the capsules, crush them and separate the seeds from the capsule residue. Store the seeds in a dry and dark place until sowing. Please note that the seeds are poisonous.
Grow morning glories easily from seeds yourself
The morning glories, which originally come from Mexico, cannot be overwintered outdoors in this country. Attempts at overwintering are only worthwhile to a limited extent, as the short-lived morning glories grow very quickly after sowing if they are planted in the right location or placed in a pot. You can get a head start on rapid growth in the garden if you plant the morning glories on the windowsill or in another bright place in the house from March onwards.
Harvesting morning glory seeds for propagation
A wide range of types of morning glories are now available in specialist shops, with the funnel-shaped flowers in different colors providing colorful accents in the garden. If you cultivate different types of morning glories in your garden, new color crossings may occur when propagated by seeds. Before harvesting the seeds, you should wait until the seeds are completely ripe, which is indicated by the brown color and a brittle consistency of the seed capsules. Then do the following:
- Carefully remove the capsules (maintain a screw-top jar or a plastic bag so that the seeds do not fall to the ground)
- Crush the capsules and separate the seeds from the remains of the capsules
- Keep seeds dry and dark until sowing
Caution: Morning glory seeds are poisonous
After harvesting the seeds, you should definitely wash your hands, as morning glories and especially their seeds can be poisonous. Also make sure that the screw-top jar with the stored seeds is kept out of the reach of children and cannot be confused with edible supplies in the basement. The seeds of the morning glory are said to have been used by Mexican natives as an intoxicating substance due to their poisonous effects. However, experts strongly advise against using morning glory seeds in this way, as serious symptoms of poisoning can quickly occur due to the fluctuating amount of substances they contain.
Tip
You can extend the flowering period of morning glories in the garden if you sow seeds again between the specimens that have been grown early and planted in spring, so that they then bloom with a delay. This effect is particularly attractive when different color variants are mixed.
