My easy guide to sowing morning glories

I am no expert but I noticed that morning glories don't like to be transplanted. This might work for you or it might not!

I have made a simple thread because there are lots of people who are just happy to grow something simple and to get them to survive; that's the first hurdle!

I also noticed that peat pots get fungus on them and when it's time to move the soil falls away from the roots.

Of course you are going to the soil etc that washes out the bottom of the pots.

Roots get held in a nice manner at transplant time and it holds just the right amount of water

So what do I do ?

I make a little newspaper insert like this. I just rip a strip and see how long I need by folding on the outside of the pot, like this. I noticed that my MG's seem to like square pots maybe it's just my imagination but I can grow more together when they are square :P

Roll your paper into a tube shape

Place it inside with a small piece of torn paper on the bottom, in effect you have a simple paper cup made of newspaper.

I get peat based compost or something airy if you are not into peat. I have never had luck with John Innes even though I would use seed that had germinated they would rot.

What ever compost I use I add lots of perlite and vermiculite.

You might ask how much? Let your common sense guide you!

Make sure to sieve it around and break down those lumps with your hands, there is alot of crap they put into compost I find pieces of bark, lumps of all sorts that are going to interfere with a small seed.

You can see the vermiculite and perlite in there, it helps to hold the right amount of air and moisture in there without causing rot

Here are some ipomoea tricolor seed that germinated within 24 hours; I never nicked them I soaked them in a 3% solution of hydrogen peroxide (10 minutes only) to kill off any bacteria and placed them on something that looks like filter paper that is just moist, not soaking. Some people call this the 'baggie method' and place it in a sandwich bag, I use a little plastic food box because I would probably lose the bag or step on it :P

I try to stay away from paper towel, etc as the root can poke into the towel. If it does just try your best even if it mean to plant it with some of the towel..it won't hurt

This message was edited Jun 29, 2009 4:24 PM

Here is just common sense, I use three seeds to a pot, some people use 1 or 2 but it's up to you but don't crowd them.

Keep them somewhere warm and sunny and in a day or two you will see it's little head poking out the soil.

Here they are in the nursery, ipomoea tricolor experimental's towards the front, ipomoea nil SOH on the back, towards the right we have Silene undulata (an Ethnoboranical South African Dream Herb) & Clitoria ternatea (Butterfly Pea)

That's in my porch, I am hoping these will bloom soon as I started late due to various health and work issues.

I keep them fed on seaweed extract at such a young age so they don't get burned and make sure they don't cook either, it can get about 40 cel in there!!!

Then you plant them outside for the English rain to come and wash them away, notice plenty of nets in my garden but nothing growing up them yet...and it's nearly July!

I keep my finger's crossed though to hopefully get something that looks nice, I gave up growing for about 5 years.

You can see some smaller species by the steps and the herb garden, nothing as great as you American's have, the lawn needs a cut as well, can anyone spare a goat?

Nice thread topic!

There is a neat video here on Dave's of planting seeds, too!
http://davesgarden.com/guides/video/index.php?vid=59797602

I posted my message and I looked at a few posts here; now I think my post is not that good..

I use basically the same method except I do not make paper cups, just recycle yogurt cups instead. I am also trying out for the first time this year seaweed concentrate diluted out for use on the plants.

Rareseedman - I've used paper pots for a lot of things that resent transplanting, even MG. My little wooden paper pot maker does make a small pot though. For large things, I use a soda can as a form - it's a little taller and gives more root space. I agree with you on peat pots - not so good.