Overwintering and seed ripening...HELP!

I have three Ipomoea carnea(Morning glory trees)that are about 5 feet tall.I started them from seed and grew them in pots on my deck.Has anyone had any luck overwintering them? I brought one in the house,and the leaves are dropping off.I was thinking of sinking them in a trench (in pots) putting fencing around them and filling with leaves.Any ideas?
Also do any of you have clever ways of ripening Morning glory seed pods? They are fat and green on the vine,and not turning brown due to our cool weather and less sun.Will they ever ripen on the vine?
Thanks for any ideas! Gail

golgi, sorry i cannot help you as I have never grown them, but would love some seed if you get any, why don't you go to the thread "no more morning glories" there are a lot of MG growers there, bet they could answer your question.

Doris

Gail - if you leave your mg's outside they will die - this is why we all save seeds to start another vine next year. If you bring them inside it is worth the try - who knows, you might get lucky. I have no clue because I have never tried to overwinter any. I can only go by what I have heard/read. Blue dawn is the only one that I know of that will return from the roots the next year. Leave those pods on the plant if you are bringing the plants in, they will ripen on the vine eventally even if the plant dies. If you decide to leave the plants outdoors keep the pods on there still unless the temp gets down to freezing - if the temps fall before the hull is ripe then snip them off (pods) and put them in a paper bag to complete the drying process. If all goes well then you will have some seed for the next year.

Golgi, those are not ipomoea carnea seeds. Is your plant a vine? Ipomoea carnea is a tree and usually takes 2-3 years to flower from seed. It is a bush with a woody stem and not a vine. Here is a link http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/Convolvulaceae/Ipomoea_fistulosa.html
If I get time this evening I'll take some pictures of the seedpods. The seeds are big and fuzzy and there are 2-4 seeds in each pointy brown pod.
I have overwintered the MG bush in a greenhouse, I would cut them back to about 18-24 inches tall and they would regrow in the spring. Cuttings that are hardwood root in water. Softwood/green cuttings always rotted. Here in TX, the bush MG is a wild plant in the wetland areas and along the resacas(and can be a pest plant) but is a big pretty bush in peoples yards.

Calalily,thanks! I was wondering if I could cut it back and you have answered my question!I am going to try to keep it alive in my basement under grow lights. I 'm sorry if my post was confusing..it was a"two-pronged" question.The photo is of Japanese Morning glory seed pods,not carnea.My carnea didn't set seeds.Our growing season isn't long enough,esp. for it to become a pest!

Gail

Gail, OK, now I understand. When your Japanese MG seed pods turn a golden or tan color, you can harvest them. Dry them a few days then you can store them till spring. The only vining MG I've kept all winter is the one that grows only from cuttings, doesn't make seed. I can't think of it's name, but it's pretty.

LOL.....honestly I was going by those fat little green pods on that little vine....not thinking about the variety being asked......I am so goofy sometimes!

Well, I read it, then I went to google and looked up ipomoea carnea to be sure I had the right plant in mind. It just goes to show that what we mean and what we type and how others read it doesn't always come thru the same, cause I thought she was asking about one plant!