Newbie Question

Watch Reply
More
Mark unread Print Skip to new
SW_gardener (Zone 6a) Apr 03, 2007

Just a quick question, Do JMG's have to be started early indoors? Or can they be sown straight outdoors like I. purpurea?

Thanks,
Steven

Post #3352288
Quote
Syrumani Whitsett, NC(Zone 8a) Apr 03, 2007

Steven - I don't think they have to be started early. JMG's are fairly easy to germinate. I usually start them indoors early, only because I can't wait until it's warm enough!

Nichole

Post #3352642
Quote
tcs1366 Leesburg, FL(Zone 9b) Apr 03, 2007

Steven,

I WS'ed a bunch of seeds. I've got one milk jug with about 20 germinated, and a foil pan with about another 20.
and i still have a few smaller containers that have not germinated yet.

Terese

*typo

This message was edited Apr 4, 2007 6:09 AM

Post #3352833
Quote
SW_gardener (Zone 6a) Apr 03, 2007

Ok, thanks, maybe I'll try a few each way, inside, outside and WS'd!

Thanks again,
Steven

Post #3352875
Quote
bluespiral (Zone 7a) Apr 04, 2007

Steven, one thing to keep in mind about sowing JMGs late is that they often need 3 months to produce seed. If you're growing something you really like and hope to grow again in the future, harvesting seed from it lets you keep it going from year to year - not to mention sharing it to keep it in existence or trading or returning some seed back to the gardener who shared the parent seed with you in the first place.

This probably is not an issue for those with greenhouses, homes with enough space, or closer proximity to the equator, but if you're depending on an outdoor growing season as I am, starting JMGs early enough for seeds to mature outside can be very rewarding.

Having said the foregoing, planting at least one vine of anything special in a pot (at the same time you sow seed to go outside in spring) will give you wiggle room for ripening indoors any pods not mature enough to harvest by the time frost comes. That would be the vine to prioritize for bagging seed you want to keep true or to cross ( this post explains an alternative to bagging, but you'll learn the logic of both bagging and tieing up a blossom: http://davesgarden.com/forums/p.php?pid=3210395 )

I wound up cutting lengths of stem with immature pods last fall and ripening them in water with a dash (~1 tsp) of hydrogen peroxide (H202) (3% strength) per pint of water. They were grown under gro lights with the H202 solution changed frequently (daily would have been ideal) to prevent the formation of slime, and I am thrilled to be able to grow those vines again this summer.

Post #3353397
Quote

Post a Reply to this Thread

Please or sign up to post.
Back to Forum Homepage

More Morning Glories Threads

Go to all Morning Glories threads
BACK TO TOP