How thick is the shepherd's hook? You may have to help them to wrap around something like that, although it probably is do-able.

Yes, that should work just fine. Morning glories can actually climb at least 8 feet, and will begin to cascade down when the reach the top of their support. It should look just lovely!

Oh yeah, Morning glories will only twist around something a certain way. I can't remember if it is clockwise or counter-clockwise for them, but if you are trying to help them climb and they just keep unfurling themselves, try twisting them the other way. I *think* they grow counter-clockwise.

Thanks for the pointers! You people are wonderful to learn from!

Is it too late to plant seeds and have them come up and flower this year? I too have a trellis that I'd like to cover. It is sunny mornings, shady afternoons and some sun in the early evening.

Not at all Suzio. I just planted some this week. Make sure you put them in a glass of warm water and let them soak overnight, and this should boost the speed of germination. Mine popped up in 2 days once I planted them.

Good information, BrettinTX!! I just put some seeds in warm water. Did you plant them in the containers you intend to keep them in outside or are you growing them inside to transplant later?

Thanks.

I went ahead and put mine in the container they will be growing in. It is a pedestal pot about 15 inches across and 8 incehs deep. I probably put around 30 seeds in there of various colors. Once They begin to put out there first growth, I will begin to make selections and will probably narrow it down to 4 plants. I usually wait until the first growth starts so I can have 4 fast growing plants left.

Here is a picture of my pot

Here is a link that might be useful: Picture

Gosh, I have a bunch of volunteers (I figured I would) that are popping up in all sorts of locations. I wasn't planning on doing any this year but it looks like I will whether I like it or not... LOL

I'd agree that they can be direct sown in their permanent spots now.

I soaked some MG seeds about 1.5 weeks ago then planted them out in their pots on the balcony a couple of days later. I planted four different kinds in separate pots, about 6-8 seeds in each. Only three have come up and one of those has died. Why are they so slow to pop up?

MGs need some warmth to germinate faster.

SO they should all come up when the nights warm up? Maybe I should have started them indoors then transplanted?

Yeah - once it heats up, they'll start sprouting like weeds. LOL Alot of people do start them inside to give them a head start though.

I think they are rotten if you planted them outside a couple days later (after you soaked them). If they are too long in the water they will never germinate. Just after 12 hrs or so they will crack. I had some the odd ones from last year that didn't crack but they still germinated a few days later. I love the Hevenly Bluessssssssss

Sheryl, I read on gardenweb somewhere that you may need to nick the MG seed in order to crack the shell. I found this to be true for the seeds that I collected from last year's MG but not for one's that I purchased in packets. Germinating is easy I have found - keeping them alive after that not so. Seeded 12 successfully but have 2 left. I think slugs like them. I am trying them again in planters and pots and am going to use slug repellant.
Mary Anne

For jenny, FYI I have had morning glories that climbed all the way up to my 3rd floor balcony. I had a wall of flowers (all colors) along the house, it was great. I just hung cotton string from the railing, and they climbed it.

Moon flowers, heavenly blues, and scarlet O'hara I always nick with a razor blade and soak overnight. They came up really fast this year.

Gaeia - yeah, they like climbing on something like string because it's easy for them to twine around. I wasn't sure about the shepherd's hook because some of them are sortof thick and most of the ones I've seen are all-black and would eventually get hot if they are out in the sun for a long time. I've seem some of my MG growing tips burn up if they end up laying on my hot aluminum balcony rail, and can imagine what might happen with a shepherd's hook (again, assuming its in the sun for awhile and it's hot out). The big leaves would help keep the vine cooler and out of the sun though, once it got going I expect.

I was wondering... I planted some MG seeds (Heavenly Blue) at the end of April. The vine has been growing rapidly ever since the seeds came up. In fact it's running out of space to climb. But I see no sign of blooms. Does anyone know at about what time I can expect some?

Depending on the weather around our area, they can start blooming from now and continuing until frost.

I have discovered that I have a BILLION "volunteer" MGs ALL OVER my balcony. OMG. I actuallly planted MGs and grew them in 2 spots last year - one of which was in a pretty large container on one end of the balcony. I started NONE this year from seed on my own. Yet I'm now getting seedlings popping up all over the friggin' place. LOL It will be interesting to see which ones went blowing 40ft away to get to a couple pots on the other end - ie., "Heavenly Blue", "Grandpa Otts" or "Scarlet O'Hara" - and whether any hybridized to form something totally different (considering that they themselves were hybrids and probably wouldn't come true assuming I purposely bagged the blooms and crossed them). I even have a "volunteer" hyacinth bean vine that popped up in a weigela container. LOL And I remember PV warning about "volunteers" and I didn't believe her. :-P

I mean, THIS does NOT belong where it is growing. LOL

{{gwi:2045}}