I planted morning glory by seeds and they have sprouts. They are now 5 inches long but growing slowly. They are in full sun. What is the problem? I expected them to be full and climbing by now.
Hardiness Zone: 6a
Sal from Philadelphia, PA
Sal,
All of the information I ever read about morning glories states they are one of the fastest growing vines. Not only are they supposed to be fast climbers, but after reading about them, I'm always left with the impression that they will be scaling the nearest trellis only minutes after I plant them. Personally, I have never found this to be true of any of the morning glories I plant. That said, some varieties do seem to get off to a faster start than others. The best growth rate for morning glory seedlings occurs when temperatures stay between 70ºF and 75ºF. Once the pokey varieties finally blast off, I assure you they will live up to their speedy reputation. Currently, I have two containers and one bed planted with morning glories. In all three cases the seedlings appear bright green and healthy, but they remain at a not-so-towering height of nearly 4 inches tall. Next time you plant morning glory seeds, soak the seeds overnight in a damp paper towel and knick the rounded end lightly with a nail file. This will encourage the seeds to germinate faster. The seedlings may still lag a bit in the early stages, but earlier germination will get them climbing that much faster.
Good luck!
Ellen
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sal of pa your morming glories are slow starters. water every few days with miracle grow just make sure they have something to climb.
Morning glories are very slow starters. Next year you may want to start them early indoors. The seeds are very easy to harvest in the autumn. You'll probably be looking for people to share them with!
I grow morning glories from seed. I plant them outside. Be sure to water them every day until they get established. Flowering plants require extra water and fertilizer.
I live right across the river from you and have grown morning glories for about 10 years. Mine always start out slow and then by middle of August have overrun my fence. They are late bloomers, I dont know if it is our area or just the way they are. Be patient, give them plenty of water and something to climb up!! Good luck.
They do take their time starting but in about 1 month they'll be all over the place. Just be patient. They need to get rooted first, keep watering well and they'll take off for you any day!
Watch out for more morning glories than can grow in yours or your neighbor's yard. They are worse than mint, but admittedly lovely to look at. Unless you like billions of the separate vines, not just the blooms, I'd suggest you either pluck the blooms before they go to seed, or choose a better behaved plant!
It's the perennials that most people think of when they think of morning glories - those can definitely be invasive - but I've never known the the annuals, such as Heavenly Blue and Grandpa Ott, which I've grown a number of summers, to be a problem. I'm also wondering what's taking mine so long to get going this year, by the way - which is how I happened upon this thread.
I live in the mid-west and my morning glories don't really start vining up until about July. Beware as others have said, perennial ones will take over your garden, yard and neighbors.
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