Poor MG...What do you think I should do??

Hi guys. First post, happy to be a new member of DG. =)

OK, here's the deal. I planted this Blue Dawn morning glory plant last summer. It grew up my trellis very happily, and across this string above my sliding glass door. The flowers that were already on the plant bloomed at the time, but it hasn't bloomed since. The poor thing is not doing very well. After reading through all the MG posts I've realized that it has quite a few strikes against it!
1. I fertilized it when I planted it. I know I know, I've since learned that I probably burned the roots and caused it not to flower and grow instead, but I am a new gardener and I've read that if you haven't killed a few plants, you haven't planted enough. This is how I live with myself anyway. =)
2. It is planted in this patio which is mostly shaded. All it gets is very intense California afternoon sun for a couple of hours at best.
3. It has a pretty bad case of spider mites. (I learned this after reading another helpful post here in DG.)

This picture was taken after I ruthlessly cut all the dead growth and any ugly or chewed leaves. As you can see, that doesn't leave much left! The remainder of the leaves are still spotted due to the spider mites, even the new ones.

So my question is, what do you guys think I should do? I am planning to get Neem oil to try to deal with the mite problem. But assuming that is taken care of, do you think this MG is a lost cause? What would you recommend? Should I cut the thing way back to the ground and let it grow up the trellis again? Will it produce new leaves on the old growth to cover up the ugly bare vines? Is there any way this thing will ever flower after I fertilized it (stupid! stupid!) and planted it in only 2 hours of sun?

Anyway, I'm interested in any and all of your suggestions. I was planning just to rip it out awhile back, but now I'm starting to wonder if I could salvage it. Please weigh in, help me out!

Here's a close-up of a leaf. [sigh]

I think you've reached the point of diminishing returns. Personally, I think I'd discard it and start anew learning from mistakes in the past.

I think you should start over too.....what is the other plant that is blooming? I like that one.

Thanks for the feedback, it helps to hear what other gardeners would do in my same situation. When you plant something with such hopes it's a little hard to let go! =)

The other plant is a Bacopa (Sutera cordata). It is trailing beautifully...it always reminds me of a plant with a beautiful head of hair! It loves that spot, and I've been watering it a lot and it's gotten a lot of rain, and it's eating it up. =)

Wifeygirl, Thanks for the name of your plant. Where would I get one? Did you plant seed, take cuttings or buy the plant?

I bought an already established and planted hanging bowl at an Armstrong's Garden Center. It definitely likes the sun (it died around the back half of the bowl where it didn't get direct sun). I have since taken a cutting of it and that worked great - I just peeled off a few lower leaves and put it in a cup of water by a window and it grew roots after a few weeks.

I see these everywhere around here, and also at most garden centers I visit. People plant them in bowls because they drape down the sides. Anyway, I hope that helps!

You can try spraying a stout stream of water from your garden hose, this will knock off a good number of mites from the leaves. You can also try to encourage predatory insects to your garden...you can also buy ready-to-hatch lacewing eggs, the lacewing larvae will consume many mites and aphids. There is a bit of a challenge to releasing the insects, but it can be done. Lady beetle larvae and adults also feed on mites.

http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/ent/biocontrol/predators/ladybintro.html

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/facts/beneficial.htm

Joseph

You can plant things that attract the beneficial insects too:

http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/4DMG/PHC/benefici.htm

Thanks, Gerris! That's a good point, beneficial insects might be able to do the trick. There was a period of time last year when my little garden was overrun with lady bugs, it was wonderful. But none have appeared this year. Maybe I'll see if I can go buy some.

I'm trying to decide though if the plant is worth saving. It is definitely still growing and is sending out feelers everywhere, so IT thinks it is still doing ok! hahaha. What do you think?

Does anyone know if morning glories will flower on an old vine where the old leaves have fallen off? Will it fill in at all in the lower part, or will I have to weave new growth down there to do that?

Wifeygirl - Like you have already noticed,the plant is apparently still willing to try to survive and as long as the previous growth is still green and alive,it should eventually resprout new leaves...the bottom may fill out,but not exactly when you would like it to,so I would suggest weaving in the newer growth...and allow the plant to adapt...

I am wondering if you have enough overall light to encourage the plant to flower...perhaps growing another species like Ipomoea tricolor in the same area might provide some answer(s) to that question...theorizing has merits,but it is the response of the plants that will provide the best answer(s)...

TTY,...

Hey guys -
Just wanted to update you. I decided to keep my morning glory and try out the Neem oil. Well, take a look at it - it is back to its full glory! The combo of Neem oil and spring did the trick. What a contrast. Anyway, thought you guys might be interested to see the results! =)

Another shot. It still has the spider mites - the leaves aren't perfectly mite-free - but I feel like I'm slowly beating back the infestation.

Great Comeback(!)...

If the plant does not flower,then it would seem that there may not be sufficient light to encourage flowering...some perennial MG's are known to produce good foliage,but not flower if there isn't enough of a sunlight stimulus and Ipomoea indica is one of the species that will produce nice foliage,but few if any flowers based on the amount of light the plant is getting...hopefully you will get flowers...

TTY,...

Thanks, Ron! I hope I get flowers too, although I am happy with the beautiful backdrop of green if that's all I'm going to get. I was less satisfied when it was a ragged, mottled backdrop of mostly brown! But green I can handle. =)

I did have this one idea but wanted to ask you what you thought. Do you think that if I kept cutting off the growing tips that eventually the plant would decide to flower instead? It doesn't really have anywhere new to grow to, and so it is spending its energy growing in vain...do you think that would work? I don't know where I came up with that thought, but I figured I'd see what you thought about it.

It doesn't get a full day of sun, but it gets a good afternoon of it...and the Nasturtium in the container on the ground in front of it decided to flower in the same amount of sun, which gives me hope.

Also, another question for you Ron. Do you water your MGs? I know that they are weeds and prefer neglect and all, but I just can't bring myself not to water it. Can you let me know how you treat yours? Thank you for your feedback!

Wifeygirl - You can try removing the growing tips as a potential flowering stimulus...I tend to doubt that removing the shoot tips will induce flowers,but it seems you haven't anything to lose by trying(!)...

"know that they are weeds and prefer neglect and all,"...I view them as plants that I want in my garden and therefore are not 'weeds'(!)...and anything that manages to 'survive' with neglect will do better with the right type(!) of support...

The way I grow my MG's is in contrast to every rule of thumb about growing MG's...they grow and perform superbly for me,but the same that I provide for them here may not work at all for someone in a different location...so(!),I would say to experiment around and see what works the best for you(!) in your area(!)...

I water mine and keep them well watered,always...I don't subscribe to the 'don't water them' method,...but,the 'water starvation' diet may work well for someone else...

Positive encouragement and good emotional support...that's what works wonders with the MG's that I have success with...

TTY,...

Ron

Haha, ok, thanks Ron! I've been told by so many people that they are weeds that I started wondering if I was coddling mine too much. I've been treating it like all of my other plants, watering it quite often. As you can tell, I'm rather insecure about this whole gardening thing. =)

I bet if you got a big container rigged up some kind of trellis and placed it in the sun(!) you would get flowers on just about any type of MG that you put in it...how about some MG's in containers around the perimeter of your area(?)...you could take a cutting from the indica plant and grow one in a big container for flowers...and there are the upright bush types of MG's that wouldn't need any types of trellis...like Ipomoea carnea...just a few 'expansive' thoughts/suggestions...

TTY,...

Dear Wifeygirl,

I noticed your posting about the bacopa dying at the back of the plant where it didn't get sun and was wondering if you would be interested in getting a solar-powered plant rotator to hang the plant from. Charley's greenhouse sold me mine (I have 4 that I use to hang 2 miniature rose containers, a decorative mint plant and a bidens. However Charley's doesn't seem to sell them anymore (I just checked the website as I was looking for the link to post to you--however I found another vendor selling the same unit). The rotators work really well, give me excellent 360 degree growth. Here's a photo of the patio which shows the 4 little rotator units (the green eggy-shaped things) and a link to the solar powered rotator vendor I found--you can probably pick it up from other vendors too though.

http://www.firststreetonline.com/product.jsp?path=-1%7C37434&id=30313