MG pics from Japan

I suppose the reduced form lasts only a short time because with the fertilizer plant just waiting to grow.
That may be why they use a fertilizer low in nitrogen (N).

In this exhibition it seems that the vines have not been cut.
Foliage anemic!

Your welcome. I`m going to try some of these techniques as well. This last year I had run out of trellises and actually did prune and raise some vines similar to this. It is a good space saver and the effect is attractive. Karen

very good summary, Dany, thanks so much. I am goig to wait on planting any more seeds until February. By then I will have my shelves put up, and my passies moved.. here is everything in the south window at the moment,

I have a few assorted seedlings up in this shot to the left a bit.This was to check germination of seeds in the swap I am sending. I think they will grow for people, these seedlings are going crazy.

Dany - Thank you!!! Just what I needed to know. :-)

Debra - Doesn't look like any germination issues from your seeds to me! LOL! Your seedlings look great!

I converted my 3-tiered garden bed to a daylily bed after all my MGs finished recently. Well, apparently quite a few MG seeds fell into the beds as I was collecting the seeds. I added more dirt to the 3 level beds. I couldn't believe how many MG seedlings popped up! Some were so deep, that when I pulled them up they had a very long stem. I didn't know MG seeds could germinate and successfully reach the top of the soil from that deep. I thought they had to be planted shallow to successfully germinate. Apparently not! :-)

And the last intervention that is needed is " putting on automn hours " the plant by subjecting the extended evening session. (Short day treatment).
For the Feast of Hibiya (Goddess of Children) in mid-July, 10 million vines are sold in pot.
All plants undergo treatment to be all in bloom for those 3 days of the feast.

Here we can see that without cutting, by the simple action of the "short day", the little plant produces flower buds on cotyledon stage. (seed leaves as the Japanese call them)

In two weeks it will give a large bush like that ! LOL

Dany - That's amazing!!! I am trying to wrap my brain around all of this!!!

So these plants produce a flush of "cotyledon" blooms because of shortened hours of sunlight in autumn? And they are NOT pruned/cut?

Do the growers feed them only a "bloom" fertilizer high in P (phosphate) and low in nitrogen (N) and potash (K)?

The past 2 years since I started growing MGs, I've always just used "Bloom Booster" fertilizer. I ocassionally added some fish emulsion to the watering can, but I don't anymore because I can't find the fish emulsion at a reasonable price. Fertilizing with this product promotes flush after flush of blooms and usually lots of seeds, too. But the vines are short-lived. I don't know if there are healthy roots like above, but I believe so because I do remember re-potting a couple of MG vines and was amazed at the network of roots! High phosphate promotes not only blooms, but also roots, correct?

I. nils (which is mostly what I grow) and I. purpureas are ANNUAL vines. They grow, bloom, hopefully produce seeds, and then die. Mine average about 4 months before they start winding down to expire. Mine start blooming in about 30 - 35 days after planting seeds. Which is why I am able to grow 2-3 grow-outs per year. I have a long warm growing season here. My climate has very mild winters as well. The one challenge is rust fungus. It showed up on my plants the second year I grew them. I have read that rust fungus needs two different species of the rust fungus to spread. I have other plants such as canna, plumeria, and other large leaf plants that always develop rust in the late summer/fall season as well as Pine trees, so that is why my vines get rust every year about the same time in the growing season.

Here is what is in "Bloom Booster" by MiracleGro:

Total Nitrogen (N) - 15%
5.8% Ammoniacal Nitrogen
9.2% Urea Nitrogen

Available Phosphate (P2O5) - 30%

Soluable Potash (K2O) - 15%

Boron (B) - 0.02%

Copper (Cu) - 0.07%
0.07% Water Soluable Copper

Iron (Fe) - 0.15%
0.15% Chelated Iron

Manganese (Mn) - 0.05%
0.05% Chelated Maganese

Molybdenum (Mo) - 0.0005%

Zinc (Zn) - 0.06%
0.06% Water Soluable Zinc

Derived from Urea, Ammonium Phophate, Urea Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Boric Acid, Copper Sulfate, Iron EDTA, Manganese EDTA, Sodium Molybdate, and Zinc Sulfate.

Information regarding the content and levels of metals in this product are available on the internet at http://www.regulatory-info-sc.com

It is produced by Scotts Miracle-Gro Products in Ohio.

I had a fortunate photo op this morning of both the Purple and Pink Flaked I. purpurea vines blooming right next to each other. I really love these blooms regardless of color. I think the stripes are just beautiful!

Edited: OOPS! Posted on the wrong thread! =:-O Sorry!!!

This message was edited Dec 12, 2009 2:17 PM

So, in essense, we see that to produce more blooms and less foilage, after a seedling has opened, keep itin the dark more for a few days, right?


Becky, that is a beautiful pair there..