The Morning Glory is from the genus Ipomea and covers a large number of plants which include what is commonly known as the Railway creeper and the Goat’s feet creeper. However here I am going to cover the annual morning glory vines, a variety that produces beautiful flowers and is great to grow during the season from October to May in the Gulf. It cannot stand the peak summer heat and struggles, but seeds profusely and can grow as an annual year after year. The railway creeper, Goat’s feet creeper and a woody shrub which is also known as the Beach morning glory do very well even when it is hot here. They can be treated like perennials and come back year after year blooming profusely in spring and early summer and retaining the green look in the peak summer months.
The Morning Glory vines flower in a variety of colours from deep purple and magenta, to yellow and red as well as beautiful striped pastel colours. I sow the seeds in September/October, and they germinate quite fast and grow rapidly. They need a trellis or some kind of support as they twine upward and then start producing flowers quickly. The flowers open in the morning and close as the sun moves towards the afternoon. They do require full sun during the season but do move them to the shade in May and you will see them continue to bloom until early June when the heat gets to them. They don’t like the cold so may get some frostbite during the few days when the temperature at night drops below 15 degrees centigrade. Therefore, they are suitable for USDA Zones 9-12 but have a pretty decent growing season in the Gulf.
They do need rich well-draining soil and need to be fertilized regularly during the season with a potassium-rich fertilizer. They are prone to spider mites, aphids and mealybugs so a regular check on the leaves and flowers helps to keep the pests at bay. They also are susceptible to some leaf viruses so keep a lookout for that. Use neem oil as a preventive and wash the plants regularly to minimize the pests. Sometimes I use a chemical pesticide if the infestation is too much but that is rare. They are also prone to caterpillar attacks, but I generally just remove the damaged leaves and carry on. We do need the Butterflies as well.
They are considered annual, so do collect seeds and store them carefully. I collect the seeds when the pods are dry and crackling, remove the outer pod and expose them to the sun for a few days to make sure no fungus develops and then store them in labelled packets.
By the time this post is up Morning Glory season for the annual variety is almost over. But concentrate on the other beautiful members of the family which will flower from April to August and start these from seeds in September.
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