What type soil additives for morning glories?

I am about to start sowing my seeds and would like to know what sort of soil is best. I know with fertilizer the leaves will flourish at the sacrifice of numerous blooms.
I am adding humus and manure to my other seed sowing areas, but need something less fertile for the morning glories.
Any suggestions as to what to add. The clay just is not good drainage and after a short while the soil cracks and is not the ideal place for roots to grow.
In the past I have used soil bought at the store for sowing seeds, but it doesn't have great results in producing good flowers.
I want them to be their best this year.

I will tell you what I did this year with mine...I built a raised area for the morning glories- for soil composition - mulch from my mulch bin, half a 40 lb bag of leaf mold, compost peat 1/2 bag, cotton burr compost, hand fulls, a couple handfuls of composted cow manure- then added a couple handfulls of alfalfa pellets that are infused with fish emulsion, molasses, contton seed and seaweed. --a hand full of bag guano, and a hand full of lava sand..(but I hear that is difficult to find)
Mixed together-- I let it sit for a week. I really have no technical reason why- but it seemed like a good thing to do. You can see some of the blooms coming out in a thread here on MG...I have one to add to it..so it should pop up here soon.
Rj

Wow, now thats a few additives. I was just going to add some soil ammendment and peat. I bet your vine's and flowers are beautiful...

They are nice..it has been fun this week, because different types are opening everyday..I just posted all the ones that bloomed. with the exception of 1 more that bloomed yesterday..large dark purple..it is still on the camera.
I am sure soil ammenment and peat is really fine...but you see all the different types I planted..I was taking no prisoners so to speak..I wanted to see them all bloom!

I'll have to take a look at those flowers you posted. Mine won't be blooming for a while since they are still not even in soil. LOL
Never heard of cotton burr. I'll have to look into that. Where did you find that? I don't think there are any places I can buy anything out of the ordinary like the lava sand and cotton burr.

The cotton burr..is mulch...Cotton burr mulch. basically I would say use lots of mulch and organic material..and if you can..since you mentioned clay soil..like I have...raise the area you are going to plant them...makes a huge difference!

Windy,

I quit using soil about 4 years ago. I use a peat based growing medium called ProMix BX. It's extremely light and very root friendly. I use it for everything.

X

X - who carries the ProMix BX?

I wish they had specialty shops for people who like to experiment.
Peat is acidic, isn't it?

I get mine from a garden store 30 miles away (the store near me that used to carry it went out of business). Twice a year I drive down and I buy 3 of the 3.8 cubic feet compressed bales. I pay $25.00 per bale. Your best bet is to call around to different garden stores and if they don't have it see if they will order it. I have yet to see it at Lowes or Home Depot.

Anything planted in the ground gets a hole dug twice to 3 times the size of the root ball and filled with a slurry of ProMix, I then plop the plant in the middle. That way, the plant has time to build a great root system before hitting the native dirt.

X

I wonder how that compares to the Miracle Grow peat that now comes with fert in it. I used that last year in a number of places and every thing did great except for some new daylilies. I came to the conclusion that the soil was a bit too rich and am hoping it tones down a bit this year.

Yes, peat is acidic. The lilies like it lotz.

X - If you were going to plant MGs in a container, would you use just the peat or would you mix it with regular soil?

Beaker, if the container is only a few gallons I fill it totally with PM .. if it is a large container, say over 5 gallons, I put partially composted grass clippings in the bottom half and use PM for the rest, I layer it. If it's a really really large container, I drop a few empty soda bottles or jugs in the container, then the grass clippings, shake the container so all the air pockets are filled, then the PM. My MG's love PM.

X

I use peat too, most of the time.
I would be careful about the fertilzer in the miracle grow. I recall reading that fertilizing morning glories will result in big beautiful leaves, and small if any flowers...anyone read about this too?

I have read that. It is probably discussed somewhere in the forum, I just couldn't find it or searched for the wrong words.

rj is right .. i never feed the morning glories. I have a theory about flowering on some plants .. the whole idea of a flower is to make seeds to reproduce itself. Some plants, like Morning Glory and Canna, in my experience flower better starved. I think the lack of certain chemicals induces flowering, thus seeds.

beaker .. like i said, i don't use soil at all anymore. It's way too heavy when wet, especially for grow bags and baskets. I tried one bale of ProMix BX a few years ago and never looked back. Absolutely everything looks better, is healthier and has a far superior root ball compared to soil grown plants. I think anyone else who uses ProMix will agree.

Xeramtheum

http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/577661/

http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/585749/

This message was edited Apr 15, 2006 12:58 AM

aaaah! I remebered something..good link - thanks. I just explored a link about the MG in Japan, I had nooo idea..I am now hooked...

This message was edited Apr 15, 2006 3:31 AM

I have a question. I have been told to plant them where you want them to grow and never transplant. What has been your experiences? I want to plant a few but my trellis where they were last year has a new clematis growing there. Do you think I can pot them up and just move later when I have a new bed done?

Thanks,
Teresa

Thanks for the links. Now if I say save as and place the page in my documents, will it remain there where I can refer to it? Or should I save the link in a document?

Windy, what browser? Netscape will let you save a whole page and collect all the graphics n such. IE won't .. you usually have to save all the pictures yourself.

X

Thanks X, I'll go back and save some pics if there are any.

My experience is that it is difficult, but not impossible. The morning glory taking over my back yard I transplanted from a farm 3 years ago. It did not bloom much the first year, but it has made up for it since. Consider the temperature when or if you do, cool part of the day or evening..

Rj - looks like your Ipomoea indica is doing fine...

TTY,...

Is this a perennial in zone 7a? I have a blue morning glory and the leaves are sort of like a fancy ivy shape. It comes back every year, I believe from a root, not just re-seeding.

Windy - I know people who are in zone 8b have reported Ipomoea indica is a perennial for them...the tops dying back during the 'winter' and regrowing from the rootstock...I can say for certainty that the roots of Ipomoea indica do not survive outdoors in my climate zone...what it will do in your exact area would be interesting to know...

You might have Ipomoea hederacea and a check of the photos posted to the PlantFiles may be helpful...or,if you have a photo of your plant,I can try to ID it for you...

TTY,...

Ron

yeah, I was thinking it might be the hedera. I looked in the plantfiles and it seems like some of the pictures of the leaves are different from different folks. One is heart shaped.
Mine looks like this
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/90952/
So is probably the hedera.

Windy - If the blooms on your plant are only about 2" in diameter at most,then the plant is most likely the I.hederacea,as the Ipomoea indica usually has blooms that are about 3"-4" wide...the throat coloration or lack of it may also be a helpful guide...

TTY,...

Ron

Which is the Ipomoea indica ? That must have come from the mix package...I have Raikou bloom since..I have never been so successful with any type of morning glory before. I'm thankful for DG and the members who share such wonderul tips.
We are too hot for April-- 92F - we had a powersurge yesterday knocking out the AC, can't get it repaired until tomorrow..had unannounced rolling black outs. I am glad I am on vacation this week!
Rj

Rj - The Ipomoea indica would usually have the larger blooms...the picture links here may be useful to reference

Ipomoea hederacea...darker metallic blue...notice the downward curling sepals
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/7763/

Ipomoea hederacea ...light blue color...
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/90952/
Ipomorea hederacea closeup of top of sepals curving...Ipomoea hederacea is often confused with Ipomoea nil,but the sepals of Ipomoea nil remain straight upwards or bend only vey slightly
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/89494/


Ipomoea indica flowers..
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/54459/
Ipomoea indica cloeup of sepals
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/105125/
Ipomoea indica dried seedpods and seeds
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/68661/

Ipomoea tricolor "Heavenly Blue"
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/21088/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/59069/
Ipomoea tricolor sepals at base of flower
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/98991/


TTY,...

Ron

I sowed some seeds I got in trades of the I. indica. If we get over this drought we are having already, I just may get to see some really good flowers.
I accidentally left the sprinkler on this evening, so they got a really good soaking.

Okay..thanks Ron. Excellent learning!
Rj

In 2002 I bought an ounce of Heavenly Blue Morning glory seed. I didn't realize how many were in an ounce. I sowed the last of them today. I soaked them for a couple days and they all germinated.
So don't throw away your morning glory seeds too soon. LOL

hahaha...that's pretty good..
Had an appearance by Raikou this morning

rjuddharrison - Cool shot with the already developing and reflexed Ipomoea coccinea seedpods hanging in front of the Raiko- Lightning...

TTY,...

Thanks...yes I was noticing the seed pods too...I took few and planted them in the roadside flower bed. I guess I better get out there are start saving some of those seeds for next year!

Fertilizing too much WILL make big lush leaves and very few blooms. My father is in his 80's and absolutely loves morning glory's. I give him plants each year and the same thing always happens! one year he got only one or two blooms the whole year with very tall and healthy plants. The reason....He always plants right next to his chicken coop. I tell him not to fertilize and he swears he doesn't . Must be the surroundng soil is just too rich. I planted some for him in a nice sunny area on the edge of his driveway and within a few weeks they died from lack of water. He forgot about them. His morning glory's go in the same spot each year. He loves to look at them on his way to care for the chickens and collect the eggs.

Really? because I infused the soil with the straw and "accessories" that came with it in the garden where the morning glories are. Of course it wasn't so concentrated as being next to a chicken coup.

I planted my Russian Sunflowers next to my rabbit cage so they would get nice and big. LOL
They use one corner of it for doing their business and that is where my Sunflower is growing.
The glories are doing ok for now. We have had a lot of rain, so they are getting a head start for a change.
I gave them all a spritz of Messenger the other day and they should benefit from that since it is not a fertilizer, but a boost to their survival qualities.

Yes..I just spritzed mine yesterday. Quite curious to note the results..
Glad they are doing well!