Here are some pictures of my first attempts to grow these Japanese beauties.I planted the seeds on the 29th February.Some are 5 inches tall.
I don't have a greenhouse so I had to come up with an idea.We live in a old 1850 Italianate house which still has old radiators thruout the house.I am using one large one in a hall upstairs and the shelfs above.Seems to work.
This is a close up of 1 of 2 Dbl.Picotee seeds given to me.
I am sorry it doesn't show much but it has already brown places/spots on the leaves but I think maybe it grow too fast and hit the top of the dome ?
The one beside it is just coming up.
The tallest one I have.
Biggest issue here is making sure they get enough light. Already I can see them getting a little stretched out. Either sunlight or put them under plant lights intense enough to simulate sun. Otherwise they are going to get really lanky!!
Here are some of my others incl.castor beans which are really surprising me.OMG :-)
Very healthy and nice looking, but they need more light!! Before it's too late!
Thank you for your advice.I thought about that.Right across there is a window and I tied the shade all the way up so more light will get to them.Did that a couple of days ago.
Here are 6 purple moonflowers and they also stretch to reach the light.
LariAnn,
I know my roses and planted over 100+ last year but I am such a novice when it comes to growing annuals.
what do you mean by getting too late ? can't I just plant them a little deeper ?
any input is greatly appreciated because I do want to do it right and not loose any.
"Too late" means that when they are really stretched out, they are more susceptible to several kinds of problems, including hungry bugs, damping off, etc. Pathogens and/or bugs seem to be able to sense when a plant is not up to par. Now that the plants are up, they need to "harden", meaning they need to get used to regular sunlight, temperatures, wind, etc. Otherwise, you could lose them, and that would be a shame at this point.
Thanks LariAnn,
Stressed plants are always susceptible unfortunately but I a hope I won't loose them damping off.I lift the lid for a while etc.to harden them a little already.On one of the square containers I left the lid off since yesterday including last night.
It will be a long while until I can move them outside since we still have LOTS of snow on the ground but wanted to have a headstart planting them into containers before that.
Looks ike some of them might be ready ?
One of my hobbies is photography so I am really looking forward to some blooms and wonderful pictures to post :-)
I sprinkle the soil surface with captan and it seems to have helped a lot with damping off this year.
What is that ? is it avaible in small amounts at Garden centers ? I am always in the garden sections no matter where we go but haven't seen that before.
I did loose some of my own Daylily crosses before.Does it work really good ?
Hi Eglantyne,
They need potted up. I use gallon size for one or two and a 4 gallon for up to 5 or 6 depending on what size the vine grows. Some of the very small vines can do well with a dozen of them in a 4 gallon pot.
We are warm enough here I can take mine outside for the day and back in at night. It is giving me exercise and seems to be working.
This link is to a thread Beth started that has some information and inspiration abut growing morning glories inside we are all thankful for here on the morning glory forum....
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/664188/
Captan is a powder for roses, you should see it in your nursery or garden store.
Hi, again, Egaltyne, Thanks for posting your pics. You certainly have a number of seedlings in the works-- (and a beautiful ID tagging system, too!) And when do we get to see your 1850 Italianate that goes with the register?! LOL Sounds loveley, especially when it gets all the morning glories around it!
FYI did I already mention it...or did someone mention it before...that you can pick up 48" 'shop lights' at Home Depot for about $10 each and just use regular inexpensive flourescent tubes in them.
They make adequate booster lights for starting seedlings...just set a thick book on either end of your table and balance the shop light on them. Add a book as your seedlings grow taller (or some set-up like that).
Now, for my question for the gurus-- I have 2 JMG seedlings in a 12 oz. cup. Each are about 3 inches tall, nice and green and leafy. They are under lights in Miracle Grow with Ferts. Do I have to transplant them into gallon pots now or can I leave them in the 12 ounce container for a bit (so they all fit under the lights better!)
Thanks so much. t.
The older they get, the harder it is to transplant. I'd do it now before they get finicky about their roots being disturbed.
We were going to do the shoplight idea but never seem to get around to it. The issue with us is where it will go. Now that spring is just around the corner and I`ll be able to leave the plants outside a lot of the time of the time by Mid March and beyond we put it off again. LOL Karen
ByndeweedBeth,
the reason I probably haven't seen it because I garden mostly organic but I will check it out definately.Thank you.
tabasco,
Yes I will post a picture of the house,have to hunt on which CD I stored them.Probably tomorrow ? ok ?
Just took pictures of 2 containers which I think are too small.Have no idea of how many gallons it holds ?
The only other larger post I have right now are ugly nursery post.
Could I plant Asuka in the larger,then stake them ? The plant files say they go up to 12-15 ft.But since I am in Maine I doubt that they get that tall ?
If so I could put the container near roses beside a tree and let them climb up ?
How deep do the roots get ?
Got to run and fix supper TTYL :-)
Yes, you are so lucky to have an early spring time in LA! Wish spring were just around the corner for us, but it's so finicky here...
These are the only pots I have,all the others are on the porch with Roses in them.
Would be nice to find a mini to fit into the small pot and let them trail down.
Captan is a fungicide and not a pesticide, so don't feel too bad about using it.
Your containers aren't too small for Ipomoea nils. Anything from 1-5 gallons will work. Keeping the roots confined will encourage blooming.
This message was edited Mar 5, 2008 3:09 PM
Yes I should have picked up on that...my mind is ONLY on the MG seems like LOL........dreaming of spring !!
I agree that they definitely need to be potted up and exposed to some sunlight. When they get a few more leaves on them, I'd start fertilizing them with something to promote blooms such as Bloom Booster. Here is a photo of what mine looked like last year when I just planted seeds in some rectangular containers. They didn't get that lanky and the leaves and blooms got huge! Which is what you want them to do.
http://davesgarden.com/community/blogs/i/36507/
becky!
Had a bit of a 'snoop' around your diary! What beautiful photos of your MGs and other vines too! I'll have to study it more closely on one of the dreary March days. It will be sure to cheer me up! You certainly grew a range of vines the past year or two!
I suppose I'd better get mine transplanted too. And find a sunny window for them! I've got a while to go before I can put them outside...
So does anyone think my larger pot might be ok to use ?
what is the chickenwire for ?
The larger the pot, the more seeds you can grow in it. I usually grow just a couple of seeds in the 14" diameter pots. Something larger I will grow 4-6 seeds! If you are refering to the chicken wire I put over my pots ... it is because I have squirrels that come into my yard for breakfast and dinner. I use the wire to prevent them from digging in my pots to bury their nuts. LOL! No other reason. I also had a problem with the raccoons digging in my pots looking for seeds and whatever else they can eat. =:-O Bad squirrels and raccoons!!!!
Beckygardener, your plants look beautiful, healthy and bushy. Do you always grow the MG in pots rather than in the garden? I've grown more common MG up trellises in my garden before. This will be my first try with Japanese MG, thanks to EmmaGrace. I haven't started them yet because spring seems a very long time away. We had a snowstorm last night and another one coming on Friday. Here it's not safe to put tender plants out until May. Do you pinch your plants to help them bush out?
Eglantyne, I agree with other comments, you must get your plants closer to the light! Right in front of a window at the least, under a growlight is the best. Plants don't really recover from getting leggy from too little light. I use 48" 40 watt cool white tubes in shoplights bought at Home Depot. They're not expensive and the fixtures will last for years.
Thank you all so much for pointing out that I should transplant some of these ASAP.
I do have a grow light somewhere in many boxes we still have to unpack in the barn.We moved,it was a very large move.
I will see when I can get back to our Home Depot to see if they have these lights.Our daughter with 4 children is coming up from Mass.tomorrow to stay a couple of days so it won't be then.
I just can hope and pray for the best ! Obviously I startet them too soon.Thought they would have enough light,2 feet away from the window but I can see they are reaching out for light.
tanglee - I have grown some along my backyard fence, but they are never quite as healthy looking as those I grow in containers. I am thinking that I might grow ALL of mine in containers this year and just put them against the fence to grow up the trellises. I truly believe the potting soil in my containers is the key to getting them to look so good. That and sunlight and fertilizer and watering just right. (Well, duh! of course!) Though I. purpurea and Moonflower vines seem to grow well regardless of how bad my soil is. It's very sandy.
I personally would wait until your weather starts warming up to plant your MG seeds whether they be in containers or the ground. I rarely pinch my vines because new blooms come from new growth. But some folks here on the forum do pinch their vines. I plant 2 seeds (sometimes more) in each container. They just grew bushy. If you look at my garden diary, you'll see just how large the leaves and blooms are on mine. No particularly gifted green thumb here, just good directions from folks on this forum.
Another suggestion I would like to make to newbies to growing MGs from seeds. Don't plant all your seeds at one time. Save some back just in case something happens. That way you don't lose your entire seed stock. I plant a third to half of my seeds and if I get really lucky ... I get seeds from those vines. If not, I still have more seeds to try it again. :-) Take it from someone who learned the hard way! :-(
This message was edited Mar 5, 2008 11:06 PM
