Em... I am thinking of growing it outdoors during the summer months and indoors for the rest of the year. Natural lighting does
wonders for plants. Datura or Impomea?

Ankrara's Hobby Corner

Ipomoea....I am growing them in a 12 inch container, all year indoors in a very sunny southeast window. So, lots of natural light - I have a plant light meter and if sunny out , they are getting 5000 or more foot candles, which is the meximum that any plant can use indoors or out (or so I had read before!) If not sunny, they are getting about 3500 to 4000 foot candles anyhow, so that's pretty good too ...the seedlings have all been up for over a week now so I'm excited!

Chris

Maybe you could start your moon vines 4 weeks earlier indoors using peat pots? That might give you an extra month of growth?

Do you think it could be soil temperature? Maybe if you used say a silver or black plastic mulch to keep the soil warm, the way you would with peppers, you would have better luck gettig it to bloom.

hmmm..worth a try , thanks. I definitely will not be giving up on having moonflowers outdoors (I like horticultural challenges) - but the ones I am growing indoors are amazing to watch! My husband is even amazed at how tall they climb each day. I have placed 8 foot tall bamboo sticks in the pot and the moonflowers can climb about an inch and a half per day!

The leaves are much smaller than they would be outdoors and the vines are much more delicate. But they are seemingly healthy (and happy) so far...

But will they take the transfer to the outdoors without getting "sunburned" and then set back for a time before they can put forth leaves that can tolerate the sun?

Just a question, as I was thinking of planting mine in the near future.

I have grown moonflowers for the first time this year in indoor windowboxes. I was quite happy with the results, and although all my blooms are finished now, I had many blooms over the last summer months.

An important note, though, the sunlight does have to be quite high. I originally planted 2 boxes, but the second, more shaded box only had two blooms, and only where it had trailed over the the neighboring boxes trellis before I could notice and separate them.

This may have been due to other factors, as the successful box was actually transplanted from the first when I got a very unexpected 100% germination rate! Way too many plants for the tiny space, so perhaps the little bit of stress on their roots during the move galvanized them to grow quicker and fuller.

Either way, good luck on your indoor endeavors, hope they are as successful as mine.

This has been our first year growing Moonflowers. We are growing them indoors in pots. It has been a delicate process, a lot of learning! But oh the reward has been spectacular... seeing that first flower was splendid!! Right now we are battling spider mite's. We have tried different remedies that have taken their toll on the plant, along with the bugs. Any suggestions? We are just using water right now.

We put a metal rack, one that Robin made, behind the Moonflower vine as it began to grow, so it had that to twist around as it got longer. Then when it reached the top of the rack Robin started it growing back down along the rack, and then back up again... and it has made a very nice looking plant, that also displays the lovely flowers perfectly.

Took one of my moon vines out side and the squirrels kept digging it up so brought it back in and put it in front of the bedroom window, It is doing well, but does not seem to want to twine around anything, it does not even have runners going out. I have been watering it from the bottom, I have it in a large roasting pan because that was the only thing big enough to put it in. Can you tell me why it is not growing much?

newer updated picture of moon vine, in a bedroom with a roaster pan under it, I have put Miracle-gro in the water and weakened it so it won't be too strong. Do you think that coffee grounds and perhaps some black plastic would help in getting it to grow more and bloom?

A bit of time has passed since I took that photo, it never bloomed, it never even set a bud, so it was scrapped. I have two seeds in a pot, one was soaked and knicked, and the other was just dropped in the soil. I actually dug up the first one and it is soft but not squishy, so maybe it will sprout, the other seed is a morning glory seed called flying saucer, it is blue and white. The two moonflower seeds are white moonflowers. The one I gave my neighbor is blooming again, he uses coffee grounds and waters it from the bottom, he also has it in his kitchen window which faces east, like our picture window. The soil I am using has been used for things before, but we might be moving and I don't want to waste money on something if I am not going to see the results.

I have read and experienced moon flower plants best growing environment is an almost barren soil with title watering and some shade works best.

i have the same problem when the plant starts to bloom its too cold so this year i have left it in its pot for the summer i have now brought it in and am going to winter it inside my living room and see how it does if it makes it i will than put it in a bigger pot and put it on deck and maybe than i will have flowers for the summer ...we will see will let know if it works ..

Hi all!

This is my first year dabbling with flowers. I've been an ivy person in the past, but was seeking some color. I planted moonflowers in a gallon milk jug in early April and they have thrived! Im growing them indoors in a NE facing window. As of April 25:

The vines have since flourished and are now approximately 12' long and intertwined with the morning glories and nasturtiums I planted the same day. I use jars from random food items that I macrame into hanging planters and the moonflowers have wrapped themselves around all of them and up into the curtains and rods. It's a beautiful mess that I've named my jungle.

As of today, July 13:

I have around 25 buds that have formed and are as described above-purplish colored and various sizes. I cannot wait for them to open!