How To Grow Morning Glory

Morning glory flowers (Ipomoea purpurea or Convolvulus purpureus) are a common sight in many landscapes and may be found in any number of species within the Calystegia, Convolvulus, Ipomoea, Merremia and Rivea genera. While some varieties are described as noxious weed in some areas, the fast-growing vining plants can also make lovely additions to the garden if kept in check.

All morning glory plants produce attractive funnel-shaped blossoms of various shades like white, red, blue, purple and yellow with heart-shaped leaves. Blooming usually occurs anywhere from May through September, opening in the morning and closing in the afternoon. Most types are annual, though in some warmer regions they will come back yearly or may re-seed themselves in almost any zone they grow in.
 

Growing morning glories is easy. They’re great for containers when provided with a trellis or placed in a hanging basket. Morning glories prefer full sun but will tolerate very light shade. The plants are also well known for their tolerance to poor, dry soils. In fact, the plant can easily establish itself in any slightly disturbed area, including garden edges, fence rows and roadsides where the vine is commonly seen growing. Even with the plant’s tolerance of poor soil, it actually prefers well-draining soil that is moist, but not soggy.
 

Morning glory plants are easily started by seeds sown directly in the garden after the threat of frost has passed and the soil has warmed up. Indoors, the seeds should be started about 4-6 weeks before the last frost in your area. Since morning glories have relatively hard seed coats, you should soak the seeds in water overnight or nick them before sowing.

Sow the seeds of morning glory about ½ inch deep and give them about 8- to 12-inch spacing. Once plants have reached about six inches or so in height, you may want to provide some type of support for the vine to twine around. Those planted in hanging baskets can simply be left to spill over the container’s edge.
 

The care of morning glory plants is also easy. In fact, once established they require little attention. Ideally, the soil should be moist, but not wet. Water them during dry periods, once or twice per week. Container plants may require additional watering, especially in warmer regions. To reduce re-seeding and control unwanted spreading, simply remove spent blooms as they fade or all the dead vines after the first killing frost in fall.
 

Morning glory flowers are a cheerful, old-fashioned type of bloom that gives any fence or trellis a soft, country cottage look. These quick-climbing vines can grow up to 10 feet tall and often cover the corner of a fence. Grown early in the spring from morning glory seeds, these flowers are often planted over and over again for years. Frugal gardeners have known for years that saving flower seeds is the best way to create a garden for free, year after year. Learn how to save seeds of the morning glory to continue your garden in next spring’s planting without buying more seed packets.
 

Harvesting seeds from morning glory is an easy task that can even be used as a family project on a summer day. Look through the morning glory vines to find dead flowers that are ready to drop off. The blooms will leave a small, round pod behind at the end of the stem. Once these pods are hard and brown, crack one open. If you find a number of small black seeds, your seeds of morning glories are ready for harvest.

Snap off the stems below the seed pods and collect all the pods in a paper bag. Bring them into the house and crack them open over a paper towel-covered plate. The seeds are small and black, but large enough to spot easily. Place the plate in a warm, dark spot where it won’t be disturbed to allow the seeds to continue drying. After one week, try to pierce a seed with a thumbnail. If the seed is too hard to puncture, they have dried enough.
 

Place a desiccant packet in a zip-top bag, and write the name of the flower and the date on the outside. Pour the dried seeds into the bag, squeeze out as much air as possible and store the bag until next spring. The desiccant will absorb any stray moisture that may be remaining in the seeds, allowing them to stay dry throughout the winter without danger of mold. You may also pour 2 tbsp of dried milk powder onto the center of a paper towel, folding it over to create a packet. The dried milk powder will absorb any stray moisture.