Your Favorite Way to Grow Morning Glories

A quick question--what is your favorite way to grow your morning glories? Do you have any specific favored ways to trellis them? This was my first year growing them, and I thought growing them in a half-whiskey barrel with a trellis would be enough, but I'm finding that it's really not working well. The flowers are gorgeous, but the vines outgrew the trellis long ago and now I basically have a top-heavy trellis with a huge knot of morning glory vines. Sometimes I have to "rescue" some opening buds because they've become strangled in the growth of the vine.

I'm also interested in what other plants you've planted with them. I'd love some ideas!

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, as I'm trying to get my garden plans outlined for next summer. Thanks!

Well it's certainly lovely for not working out :) Mine currently grow all along my front and side chain fence (and into the tomatoes, up trees, around the hibiscus...) They are rather rowdy! I've transplanted some into pots and I'm trying to figure out what kind of trellising will work best. Thinking of a fan type with chicken wire. Right now I have a tomato cage in one (thanks Joseph!) but it didn't take the transplant too well and is very wilted at the moment.

I look forward to hearing what the MG pros have to say. Good thread!

~Sunny

Thanks for the reply Hineni, and for the kind comments. :D Like you, I'm also trying to figure out what kind of trellising will work best. Do you find that your MG's will travel horizontally for you? I'm such a newbie at this, I've no idea what I'm doing...

Yes, mine are horizontal and vertical - across the top of the fence horizontally, and up trees and bushes vertically. The more apt term would probably be the MG's have me...hehe. They were here when I moved here and I just adore them. I have to fight my neighbors from spraying them with Round Up every time I turn around :( I guess I like them because they have a mind of their own, and they are early risers like me :) Plus, the colors available are astounding, not to mention the different styles of them as well. I'm very new to this, but I'm in love...:D

Good luck with yours, and keep in touch; let us know how they do and what you find that works well for you. I'm always trying to learn.

~Sunny

i live in a trailer with the "hitch" still on it. I planted mine ( 1st year grower) to hide the hitch, I never thinned them out, but did put a shepards hook in center for them to grow up. they are under my shutters and my vine is very aggressive, but the blooms are beautiful. i have mine growing with johnnie jump ups, pansy's and liatris. am going to relocate some stuff next year tho... am still trying to figure out my garden for next summer too, do know though won't go with pansy's again. i just don't have enough time to dead head them; work to much and they are going to seed.

I am like Sunny mine too are on a chain link fence growing through the hollyhock that havent even had a chance to bloom themselfs 1st year, and the Sweet Potatoes that are in a hugh pot, Not to mention my GATE I have had to cut them back several time for over running the gate.

Niere yours like just fine.

Sherry I have seen your picture before and that is a wonderful idea to hide that hitch.


Here is my monsters just starting to bloom. See the gate and that was cut back just a day and a half ago. Jeez it wants my gate. Go the other way I keep telling it go the other way. Lots of fence that away but it just wont listen. Like Sunny said a mind of its own.

Beck