MG's in pots pot size?

This is my first year growing MG's -- and I'm starting them indoors this weekend. I have a wooden pot that is about 24" long by 10" high by 10" wide. How many MG plants can I put into something this size? It is my intent to set the pot in front of my deck post and run either several pieces of twine or fishing line from the pot to the bottom of the deck floor which is about 6' above ground. Do all of you MG experts think this idea will work?
This is such a wonderful website -- and I really appreciate all the advice that I get from everyone.
Sharon

Sharon...well....
since this isn't a breeding question.. and I over palnt so.. perhaps I can help..
first what do you supose the vines will do when they get to the deck 6' above.. as they surely will..another 3 ft of string to the rail will help some later... but they might like even more..
how many you get in seems to be about leaf space in the sun..andhow often you wish to water them.. instead of running the lines straight up above the 2' of planter length.. you can use the 2' as a vortex...center.. and run rays up and out as in a fan.. to perhaps 12 ' of top length.. leaving every 4"along the planter ... to every foot along the rail.. that's 12 strings up.. I'd guess you might get 12 vines there... one on each string support... but they will all want to grow to the south side of this..and the west side as well .. so they will bunch up there.. but they also have a desire for free space also.. making a more northern empty string appealing.. Ifthere'safoot between the stringsat the top...you can also run string between eash string to the next parrell to the ground #.. to give them more space..to fill in..
the other restrictive varriable is how often you'd like to wather.. growing up 12 MG's will drink a lot on a sunny afternoon.. Gordon

Thanks for the info Gordon -- I'll run more string to the top of the deck as you suggested. I guess I can't imagine them getting that tall since I've never grown them before. Can you imagine how awesome they'll look if they grow to the top of my deck! I'll post pictures if they're a success! I started three different seeds last night (soaked and nicked) and they're in their little pots as we speak! I did quite a few extras so I can share any with neighbor's/co-workers who want to try their hand at MG's. We're just starting to see spring here in North Dakota -- I took a stroll through a couple of local greenhouses/nurserys yesterday after work so I could get my "flower fix" until I can plant in 4 weeks. Thanks again for the advice Gordon -- I appreciate you taking the time to answer my question.
Sharon

I had morning glories in a pot on my deck last year. The pot was about 10" and I had two plants in it. I took plastic chicken wire and secured it to the house with duct tape and let them climb on that. Remember- morning glories don't transplant well. If you're going to start them inside, either use peat cups or plant them in the pot they're going to stay in. Peat cups work well since you can plant the whole thing when it's time.

Kathy in Delaware

My first year at mg's too. And I found out they don't transplant well. At least I hope that's what my problem is! I started a bunch of them and they did well. But, only a couple have survived the transplant. Either that, or I moved them to outside locations too early. We typically don't have very warm weather. Going to start some more seeds, in pots, this weekend!

Sanna

Hmmm, that's funny. I've only grown them for 2 or 3 years, but I've never had a problem with transplanting them. What kind of MGs are we talking about here? This is my first try at JMGs and I'm a bit nervous about them.

I'm hoping that I don't have problems transplanting them either. I started a Tri-color mix, Picotee Blue and a Pink Star MG in the house and they are really getting tall and starting to vine. I put drinking straws in the peat pellets right when I planted the seeds so they have something to vine onto. They'll be ready to go in the ground next week after our weather stays in the upper 40's at night. They look really heatlhy so I hope they transplant okay.
Sharon

Peat pellets? Huh. Seems kind of small to contain the roots for something that grows that tall. Be a lot easier for transplanting, that's for sure. But then, I have no patience and start everything waaaay too early, so they get huge before the weather permits setting them out. I start mine first in paper towels to sprout them, then move them into progressively larger containers. The first ones I grew had made it up to gallon containers by the time I could plant them out. I think maybe you just have to be really careful not to disturb the roots too much when you move them. Either that or I'm just growing very tolerant varieties! :-) We'll see how they do this year; I'm trying some different varieties and just planted a few outdoors today.

Sharon,
To answer your question we would need to know if you plan to plant pupurea or nil varieties. I'm discounting tricolor since they don't do that well in pots. Which type you are planting makes a big difference in how tall they'll get and how many you can crowd in.
Beth

Hi ByndeweedBeth
I planted the Tri-color, one called Pink Star -- it's a bluish color with pink interior and the Picotee Blue. Sorry I don't know much more about how to describe these plants. So you think I should just skip the Tri-color for my pots altogether? I have plenty of plants so that wouldn't be a problem
SC

Well, you can try the tri-color in pots but they've done the best for me in the ground. They get a big root system going.


Picotee Blue is a nil so it'll do great in a pot. It's even been on the small side for nils when I've grown it.

Yes, if you put tri color in a pot it should be a big 4 or more gallon pot and one or two at the most. Then take note of how well it does for you.

I have started my tri colos in gallon pots and planted out after they got bigger to avoid the mysterious disappearance of a tiny seedling iykwim. I`ll report later how that goes.

Karen

This message was edited May 21, 2008 2:14 PM

Be aware that MG's are not perennials in the colder zones, BUT they will reseed in a big way. I have to pull most of the babies so I don't end up with a solid wall of MGs. I am in zone 5a.
Connie

You can just dead-head your blooms if you don't want seeds. You get more blooms that way!

westiesam - Ipomoea purpurea is commonly mislabeled as Ipomoea tricolor and there is no Ipomoea tricolor with the colors that you describe..
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/adv_search.php?searcher%5Bcommon%5D=&searcher%5Bfamily%5D=&searcher%5Bgenus%5D=Ipomoea&searcher%5Bspecies%5D=tricolor&searcher%5Bcultivar%5D=&searcher%5Bhybridizer%5D=&search_prefs%5Bblank_cultivar%5D=&search_prefs%5Bsort_by%5D=genus&images_prefs=both&Search=Search

cavertucc - Although many Morning Glories are self-reseeding annuals...there are cold hardy perennials...

Ipomoea pandurata
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/53273/

Ipomoea leptophylla
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/32008/

TTY,...

Ron

westiesam, Since you are a beginner you should go look at bluespiral`s index of subjects labeled in bold IDENTIFICATION. This will begin to expand your knowledge and help you identify with what you are growing. :)

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/824965/



Karen

I had great success as a first time MGer last year. I planted a packet of Heavenly Blues directly in the ground June 1st and let them grow up a piece of privacy lattice and onto a shelf that I had been using for potting outside the potting shed. I just let the MGs build up on the shelf and they were massive and beautiful,thousands of blooms until November. I planted seeds 2wks ago in the same spot and the seedlings are already 4" tall and getting taller every day. I am going to plant another seed packet on June 1st near the earlier plantings on an additional trellis,put up another shelf for them to rest on, and see what happens. It is so exciting this year with all the shared seeds and info on these forum threads which raised my awareness of...
"OH, SO MANY POSSIBILITIES!"☺☺

Welcome Posyblossom! It's a divine growing enjoyment that can fast become a plant addiction! Just warning ya! :-) Glad to have you join us!

well.. it was more than likely.. that you'd have an abundance of them sprouting in the same place as they were grown last year... I'd look for them... and perhaps you can for go the June1st planting. Gordon
heed Becky's warning there...

Too Late Becky and Gordon☺ The addiction has begun. I just went out and found a spot and planted all the MGseeds you sent to me in my very first ever seed swap you had last year Becky! First ever seed swap is as unforgettable as seeing a Hummer for the very first time. I will have soooooooooo many MGs hanging around that old potting shed, if they all germinate,I fear it will topple the whole structure over.Even if that happens I am sooooooooo addicted I will not care as long as the Glories are glorious☺☺