The morning glory (Ipomoea), which comes from Mexico, is a short-lived plant that is grown as an annual in this country and grown from seeds every year. So that unsightly corners and trellises in the garden can be covered with the colorful funnel flowers of the morning glories in early summer, the young plants should be brought forward in the house in good time.
What is the best way to prefer morning glories?
The windowsill in the house is suitable for growing morning glories. Around the end of February to the beginning of March, plant three to four seeds in compostable pots that are at least 18-20 degrees Celsius. After the plants have germinated and as soon as they are around 10 cm high, they can be planted outdoors from mid-May.
The windowsill as the perfect growing location for morning glories
Since light night frosts can often occur outdoors even in May, morning glories should not be planted outdoors until the end of May at the earliest. In a cool spring, it can also be problematic that the morning glory seeds require a relatively stable germination temperature of between 18 and 20 degrees Celsius during the germination phase of around two weeks. The right conditions for this usually exist on a windowsill in the room anyway, so morning glories are usually preferred indoors. As soon as the weather permits and the delicate plants are around 10 centimeters high, they can be planted to their destination in the garden.
Save time and effort when planting
When growing morning glories on your windowsill, consider the following factors:
- the seeds of the morning glory are dark germinators
- quite a few varieties of morning glories are poisonous (be careful with small children and pets)
- Sowing directly into the pots planned for later saves pricking out
If the early young plants are intended for greening the balcony, it is advisable to grow the seeds directly in the later planter. Otherwise, three or four seeds can always be sown together in a compostable pot (€8.00 on Amazon) so that the delicate roots do not have to be injured when planting out. Labeling the seed pots enables the targeted combination of different colored varieties when planting in the garden for particularly beautiful color effects.
With the right care you can achieve numerous flowers
When it comes to fertilization, more morning glories do not automatically equate to an increase in flowers. Although well-fertilized morning glories grow faster and more vigorously, a substrate that is too nutrient-rich can also lead to a lack of flowers. To ensure that many flowers form, you should only fertilize very carefully and prune to ensure stronger branching.
Tip
In the case of morning glories, growing them indoors is only recommended if you have enough time ahead of time in spring. If you want to sow morning glories later in the year as a privacy screen or as an uncomplicated climbing plant, it is better to sow the seeds directly on site.
