Failure to open?

Well, I suppose that this is one of those "learning experiences" that everyone talks about...

I've been all set up to capture the opening of these two really great-looking morning glory buds with the time-lapse rig and webcam, ever since they appeared right next to each other on the climbing pole. Everything looked set to go for this morning, but I woke up to find that the first of the buds had gone straight from "budding" to "wilting", apparently skipping any attempt at the "opening" stage, passing GO!, or collecting $200.

I suspect that this might be due to leaving too much light on it for the camera to expose properly overnight, causing it to miss the "night" and the following "morning", but I'm not sure.

There are still a few more buds to go in this round, but I'm a bit disappointed that I wasn't able to get these two sitting right next to each other.

Still learning...

-- Seamus

Sorry, doubleposted..

This message was edited May 23, 2007 8:31 AM

Just think, we can just imagine how beautiful they were.. Your videos are great, I loved the one with the beans... they move fast, it is so interesting to see that.

I have seen that happen on rare occasions with no apparent reason. I have observed that frequently when the night was cold in the 50s. The colder the night,the more unopened or partially opened blooms there seemed to be.

I did notice on a few this morning since it is raining a lot that the moisture makes some of the flowers petals "sticky" and inhibits the blooming process. There was one bloom I helped it get unstuck and it whirled open.

I had one not open this spring (see the MG post #2) due to near 50 deg. F temperature in the morning...have another one that may open tomorrow.

Joseph

Thanks for the tips, everyone.

These have lived inside from the time that they were seeds, and much of that was in front of the time-lapse camera. They've spent the last few weeks in the spare-bathroom-turned-greenhouse-and-photo-studio, where the sun shines brightly for sixteen hours a day, the moon is always full, and it's been a good 80 degrees or better for the last month or so. This morning's bud may have wilted away without opening, but tomorrow's is looking good, and the one in the background is all but sproinging open already.

Several of the earlier picotee buds are producing large seed pods, so while I don't pretend to have anything even vaguely resembling any control over cross-breeding, maybe I'll get some viable seeds from this pot of vines, and complete the cycle.

The second and third flowers in that group also did the same thing, getting all the way up to the end and failing to "go". I tried to tease the ends open, but they were "mushy" - almost sticky - and neither one opened up very well. Would just the humidity be enough to cause problems with the blooming process? The temps in my improvised greenhouse are good, but the humidity is pretty high, owing to its location indoors, without any real way to ventilate it well. I think it might be time for these morning glories to be introduced to the great outdoors after this batch of buds anyway.

Colderwild - I've witnessed similar phenomenon in MG's usually near the end of the plants lifecycle or when 'something' is throwing the plants rhytum and/or metabolic cycle off kilter...seems to be happening to a few other members with some plants producing incompletely formed buds or cleistogamic flowers...

The plant may resume normal flowering after having it's 'metabolic clock' reset...I think putting the plant outdoors would be a good idea...let it get into a steady cycle first before you tinker with unusual lighting periods...

Good luck and looking forward to seeing some more time lapse sessions of the different MG's ...

TTY,...

Ron