Morning Glory

Growing Guide

Morning Glory is a frost tender annual climber that bears beautiful, exotic-looking, colourful flowers on fast-growing twining stems clothed with heart-shaped green leaves. The name 'morning glory' comes from the plants’ flowering habit – saucer-shaped blooms open early and just for a day, fading by mid-afternoon in hot weather. Many flowers are borne in succession, so this plant makes a lovely display for months, flowering through summer and into early autumn.

Indoors sow 4 seeds per 9cm pot on the surface of a good free draining, damp seed compost. Apply a layer of compost or vermiculite, 5mm deep. Place in a propagator or seal container inside a polythene bag until after germination. When plants are large enough to handle, transplant into 13cm pots and grow on in cooler conditions for at least 14 days before planting out after all risk of frost has passed. Plant out 30cm apart.

Water as required to keep the compost evenly moist but take care not to overwater.

TOP TIPS

Morning glory needs plenty of sun and a sheltered site in order to grow well. It makes an excellent container plant either outside in the garden or indoors in a conservatory or porch. Grow this versatile climber on a range of supports – either free-standing obelisk-type supports, a trellis or next to an established shrub or conifer so the morning glory scrambles through it. Check once or twice a week to ensure the stems continue to twine up their supports. Occasionally they may need a little training to grow in the right direction. Start feeding every 10-14 days with a liquid fertiliser high in potash once the first flowers appear. Removing faded and dead flower heads to encourage more blooms.

Some growers find it beneficial to soak seeds overnight in cold water and/or file a tiny notch in the seed coat before sowing.

CAUTION: Seeds are poisonous.