Morning glory sweet potato, houseplant care

Reproduction

Morning glory sweet potato can reproduce in two ways: vegetatively and by seed.

The first option involves cultivation of tubers and cuttings. In this case, the tubers must be dug up in the fall, even before the onset of frost.

Usually in the month of December, kidneys appear on them. Then the tuber needs to be moved to a nutritious substrate - usually peat is mixed with river sand. However, regular flower primer will work as well.

When seedlings appear, you can divide the tubers into 2-4 parts with a sharp knife and plant each in a separate container for growing. With the onset of heat, the planting material moves into the pots.

This method is only good if the plant has developed tubers. In this case, up to 15-20 young plants can be obtained from each bush. But the fact is that in most varieties, tubers develop very slowly, so it is not possible to get high-quality seed material in the first year.

Ipomoea can be propagated by cuttings, which can be obtained from sprouted tubers. They are washed under running water so that all the milky juice comes out, dried in the open air for two hours and sent into the water for rooting.

You can also get cuttings from purchased seedlings.
In this case, cut off a shoot of 10-15 cm in size, while it is imperative to capture several leaf nodes.

A characteristic feature of the morning glory is the rather rapid formation of the root system - you can get full-fledged roots already on the fifth day, so there is no need to use Kornevin and other drugs of a similar effect.

Ipomoea can be propagated by seeds.
... But this method is used quite rarely - they germinate for a very long time, so you can enjoy all the beauty of this plant no earlier than in the second half of summer.

Types and varieties of morning glory

Of the more than 500 species of morning glory, only 25 are grown in culture. Let's briefly describe the most popular of them.

Ipomoea cairica (Ipomoea cairica)

It comes from Asia and Australia, its shoots grow up to 5 m long. They are so densely covered with blue flowers that the morning glory looks like a real carpet. The leaves are lobed, palm-shaped, carved.

Purple morning glory (Ipomoea purpurea)

An annual liana, the pubescent stem of which reaches 8 meters. Leaves glabrous, oval or lanceolate, opposite. Single red, dark purple, purple, blue, white or pink gramophone flowers up to 7 cm long. There are varieties with variegated and even double flowers. The tropical belt of America is considered the homeland of purple morning glory. Varieties: Starfish, Scarlett O'Hara, Nochka, Giselle.

Ipomoea nil (Ipomoea nil, Ipomoea Іmperialis)

Or in Japanese, asagao (morning face) is a highly branched annual liana up to 3 m long. The leaves are large, broadly oval, opposite, long-petiolate, dark green in color. Funnel-shaped flowers of red, pale or dark blue, pink or purple in color up to 10 cm in diameter. This morning glory blooms from mid-summer to October. Varieties: semi-double Pikoti of blue or red color with white edging, hybrid Serenade - double corrugated flowers of dark red or lilac color 8 cm in diameter.

Ipomoea tricolor (Ipomoea tricolor)

Or red-blue morning glory (Ipomoea rubro-caerulea) - native to the tropics of America. A perennial used in cultivation as an annual plant. The stem reaches a length of 4-5 m. The leaves are large, opposite, cordate, glabrous, wrinkled, the petioles are long. Funnel-shaped flowers 8-10 cm in diameter are collected in bunches of 3-4 pieces: pale blue with a white tube, but when they fade, they turn pink-purple. This morning glory blooms from early June to the first frost.

Some varieties contain psychotropic substances used in medicine. Popular varieties in floriculture: Pink candy, Blue star, Sky blue, Flying saucer.

Ipomoea ivy (Ipomoea hederacea)

Annual liana from the American tropics. The branched stem reaches a length of 2-3 meters, the leaves are large, heart-shaped, three-lobed, similar to ivy leaves. Funnel-shaped flowers with a diameter of about 5 cm are usually sky blue, sometimes with a white border, but there are red, burgundy, pink. They are collected two or three on a long peduncle. Bloom from July to mid-autumn. Roman Candy variety with variegated white-green leaves is grown even as an ampelous plant.

Moonflower morning glory (Ipomoea noctiflora)

Also from tropical America. The stem is up to 3 m in length, shoots up to 6 m, large heart-shaped leaves, fragrant white flowers are also large - up to 10 cm, open at night and close with the first rays of the sun, and those unfamiliar with this mystery of the moon-flowering farbitis ask why their morning glory does not bloom. But on a cloudy day, the flowers close only in the evening, and you can appreciate their amazing delicate beauty. This morning glory blooms from July-August to October.

Kvamoklites

These are morning glories with openwork carved foliage and small tubular flowers. Of the most popular in culture: feathery quamoclite (Quamoclit pennata), Slaughter’s quamoclite, or cardinal liana (Quamoclit x sloteri), fiery red quamoclite (Quamoclit coccinea) and lobed quamoclite (Quamoclit lobata).

In addition to the described species and their varieties, such types of morning glory as Brazilian, finger, Moorish, lobed and others are slightly less common in culture.

Description and varieties of plants

The height of the morning glory is 30 centimeters, and the width can reach two meters. Shoots can hang from a basket or curl along a support built next to the plant. They also spread well on the ground.

Ipomoea sweet potato has funnel-shaped flowers of white, pink or lilac color. The flowers look impressive.

Most types of sweet potatoes are grown because of the decorativeness of the leaves, since they do not bloom, but there are plant species that bloom brightly and for a long time.

Morning glory has large leaves, reaching 15 centimeters in diameter. The leaves grow on elongated petioles. Depending on the varieties, sweet potato leaves can be green, light green, yellow.

The following decorative varieties of sweet potato Ipomoea are known:

• variety "Ligth Green" has palmate-lobed and bright green leaves;
• the variety "Sweet Caroline Purple" has serrated leaves, five-lobed, purple-violet;
• Sweet Heart Red has maple leaves divided into blades. The color of young leaves is brown, and the older ones are greenish-purple.

In landscape design, morning glory Cairo, Purple, Nile, tricolor and other varieties are often used.

Morning glory Cairo has 5 meter shoots, abundant flowering of blue flowers. When budding occurs, the vines are densely covered with inflorescences, which creates a solid carpet of delicate petals.

The annual morning glory has a Purple pubescent stem, 8 meter stems, on which oval foliage grows. The plant blooms with flowers of blue, pale pink, red, purple or white. Sometimes in the gardens you can see the purple terry morning glory.

Ipomoea Nile shoots are only 3 meters long. The plant blooms with blue, pink, lilac flowers. Blooms from mid-summer to October.

The annual tricolor morning glory can be up to 5 meters long. Heart-shaped leaves and 8 cm buds grow on the branches. At the beginning of flowering, the plant blooms in blue shades, which, closer to the flowering period, are repainted in a pink shade. It blooms from mid-summer until the first frost.

Diseases and pests

Most often, morning glory is attacked by aphids, the feeding of which gives out yellow spots that appear after punctures and sucking the juice from the leaves of the plant. Aphids are also dangerous in that they release honeydew, on which destructive sooty fungi settle. Sprayed with insecticide.

Another dangerous pest is the spider mite, whose presence can be determined by a thin cobweb and small dots. Sprayed with acaricide.

Application

Morning glory is the ideal vine for the garden, balcony and terrace. Can be grown outdoors, also in containers, hanging baskets or flowerpots. Because of the twisting shoots, it perfectly hides pillars, trellises, fences, walls, and other supports.

Concluding remarks

In our climate, morning glories are grown as ornamental plants. Also potato Ipomoea (sweet potato), which in its natural habitat is considered an edible plant (tuberous roots). The sweet potato has many varieties with ornamental leaves, so it is also used as an ornamental plant.

Winter hardy vines

Almost all climbing plants are winter hardy. Perennials are popular: wild grapes, kampsis, clematis, wisteria and other varieties.

On special sites on this topic, a huge number of photographs of plants entwining, wriggling, trembling are posted. Seeing the unearthly beauty, you can easily find information about any item you like.

Escaping from the bustle of the city, boxes - many floors, you dream of merging with nature, of peace and comfort. That is why any suburban area or territory of a country house is virgin soil for the implementation of the most incredible fantasies in their improvement. Climbing plants will help transform the site with the help of various supports, arches, structures.

The combination of morning glory with other plants in landscape design

In landscape design, morning glory vines are used to decorate not only vertical, but also horizontal surfaces of various carpet plantings, various flower beds. A flower bed made of a mixture of morning glories of different colors against the background of coniferous trees looks spectacular.

Asters planting and care in the open field

Ipomoeans open their phonographs early in the morning. If the sky is overcast, then the bloom will continue all day, the flowers will close on a bright sunny afternoon. This is due to the fact that plants do not tolerate excess ultraviolet radiation.

Note! Ipomoea planted in tall pots in the form of vases or hanging pots on special supports located on a green lawn will create islands of flower waterfalls cascading to the ground. Early species begin to bloom in early summer, their flowering can last until the onset of cold weather

The combination of hybrids and varieties with different flowering times creates a constantly blooming green wall. From when the different types of morning glory begin to bloom, the overall flowering period of the entire flower arrangement will depend. A tall hedge of flowers tied to supports will become a beautiful background for lilies and daylilies, phlox and irises, garden geraniums, asters, marigolds, peonies

Early species begin to bloom in early summer, their flowering can last until the onset of cold weather. The combination of hybrids and varieties with different flowering times creates a constantly blooming green wall. The total flowering period of the entire flower arrangement will depend on when the various types of morning glory begin to bloom. A tall hedge of flowers tied to supports will become a beautiful background for lilies and daylilies, phloxes and irises, garden geraniums, asters, marigolds, peonies.

Blooming gramophone Ipomoea

Potential pests and diseases

The appearance of pests and diseases, as a rule, is associated with violations of agricultural technology. If the plant is thickened and regularly flooded with water, root rot appears, which can destroy it. The first symptoms of the disease are damage to the peduncles. If signs of rot appear, you should immediately reduce watering and loosen the soil regularly. To avoid rot, you should carefully monitor the amount of incoming water, observing the rules of watering.

Quite often, the lower leaves and young shoots are attacked by a fungus.To avoid this, you should regularly remove fallen leaves, inflorescences, remove dried lashes and all parts of the plant that look sick. Also, fungicidal preparations are used to combat the fungus.

Harmful insects can cause significant harm to the plant, reducing its decorative effect or infecting it with a disease. Among pests for morning glory, two types of insects are most dangerous:

• aphid;
• spider mite;
• whitefly.

Signs of aphids will be yellow spots on the foliage. These insects feed on plant sap by piercing the surface of the leaves. In doing so, they infect the plant with honeydew and attract other insects that carry aphids from one flower to another.

To get rid of the infestation, aphids are washed off with cold water from a high-pressure hose. After that, the entire planting is treated with a solution of a suitable insecticide. For a more reliable result, it is better to repeat the treatment after about a week.

To prevent the appearance of aphids next to the morning glory thickets, you can plant plants that scare it off:

• garlic;
• onion;
• Dalmatian chamomile (the main thing is not to be confused with ordinary chamomile, on which the aphid feels great).

Determining the infection of the planting with spider mites is quite simple. Its main feature is thin cobwebs that cover the stems, flowers, leaves of the plant. The easiest way to get rid of it is with a plant shower. You can use both plain cold water and a solution of laundry soap. You need to shower until the tick disappears completely. For reliability, you can also treat the planting with a suitable insecticide.

Quite often whiteflies parasitize flowers and leaves of morning glory. They also feed on plant juices, as a result of which the flowers are deformed, dry out, reducing the decorative effect of the entire planting. The best way to combat whitefly is an insecticide solution, which is applied to morning glory thickets several times.

Lush shrubs of morning glory will be a great decoration for any garden, and ease of care, unpretentiousness make it one of the most popular ornamental plants. It should be remembered that this flower is highly poisonous, so it can only be grown in the open field, in the fresh air. If you want to grow it in an apartment, then it is better to settle the flower on the balcony.

In many southern countries, morning glory is grown as a perennial crop, but when planted in the Russian climate, it always behaves like an annual, even with the most careful care. The only way to make it conditionally perennial is to allow it to multiply by self-seeding. For this, the planting should be sufficiently dense and extensive so that as many seeds as possible fall on the ground, which will give abundant growth next year.

Growing conditions

Morning glory, planting and caring for which is not difficult, still requires attention to itself. Initially, you need to lay the planting material at the right time and properly care for the sprouts.

Morning glory seeds

Growing from seeds

In order for the farbitis to get ready to bloom at the end of May, you need to plant the seeds on time

After their germination, special attention should be paid to the development of seedlings.

Ipomoea seeds should be planted in early March. To do this, prepare small cups of peat. The base should be slightly damp. Before planting the seeds, you can soak them in the solution to promote growth.

Note! At an air temperature of 18 ° C, seedlings will appear in 10 days

Seedling care

For the rapid growth of seedlings, you need to organize suitable conditions:

• put sprouts under the lamp for additional heating and lighting;
• moisten the soil with a spray gun when the soil dries out;
• if necessary, you need to thin out the seedlings by removing a few units.

With elementary care, the seedlings will quickly get stronger and turn into high-quality seedlings.

Seedling care

Seedlings will definitely not bloom in peat pots, but they will begin to weave almost immediately. One week after germination, the supports must be installed immediately. If the seedlings are intertwined with each other, then it will not work to unravel them before planting.

Seedling care

When and how to plant morning glory in open ground

You can grow a full-fledged plant if you plant the shoots in open ground in time. The ideal time to transfer is early June. It is not worth removing the earthen lump from the root system.

You need to choose a place where the acidity of the soil will be medium. Pre-apply fertilizers of a complex composition. Farbitis should be planted in an open area so that direct sunlight falls on the flower from all sides.

Sprouts in the open field

Watering mode

At first, the flower will consume a lot of water, but over time, the need for irrigation will decrease. The main thing is not to overdo it with watering, otherwise the root system will rot. Watering should be done when the ground under the bush dries up.

Important! If there is not enough water, then the flower will grow quickly.

How to feed morning glory for abundant flowering

In order for flowering to be plentiful and timely, fertilizers need to be applied on time. It is advisable to use a mixture of common humus and deciduous soil. You need to apply about half a bucket of dry fertilizer under the bush. If you feed the plant with a surplus, then the root system will only develop strongly.

Features of care during flowering

During the flowering period, farbitis must be properly looked after:

• make sure that the soil under the bush does not dry out;
• constantly loosen the soil to avoid stagnant moisture;
• feed once every 3 weeks.

Additionally, you need to remove dry, damaged processes and already faded buds.

Features of care during the rest period

During the rest period, you need to reduce watering. It is not necessary to apply fertilizer to slow down growth. It is necessary to remove the aerial part of the flower

It is important that in the cool season there is no overgrowth of the stem and branches.

Collection and storage of seeds

Abundant flowering guarantees a good seed yield. You need to collect planting material at the beginning of September. Otherwise, the boxes will open on their own, and self-seeding will occur.

Seed collection

The material should be placed in glass jars, which in turn should be placed in a dark, slightly cool place until next year.

Propagation of morning glory by cuttings

Reproduction can be carried out not only by sowing, but also by cuttings. How to prepare and rooting a cutting:

1. Cut a twig from a bush.
2. Cut off 20 cm from the workpiece so that two nodes remain on the future cutting.
3. The cut is made at an angle of 45 °.
4. Place the cutting in water. Roots will appear in five days.
5. Place the workpieces in a peat, pre-moistened substrate.

After a week, the cutting will take root and become suitable for planting in a flower bed. This option is a minor way of growing a flower.

Propagation by cuttings

Preparing for winter

The type of culture is not frost-resistant at all. Therefore, only annual varieties are planted in Russia. But even such specimens need to be prepared for winter: cut off the ground part and some of the stems as much as possible.

Growing from seeds

All morning glories are easily propagated by seeds that retain their germination for four years. Seeds can be sown both immediately in open soil, when the air and earth are warm enough, and for seedlings at the end of March.

Sowing seeds

Before sowing seeds, they should be soaked in water at room temperature for a day. When the seeds are swollen, they can be sown. It happens that a small particle of seeds swells in 24 hours. Such seeds must be pricked with a needle and soaked again in water for the same time. Ipomoea seeds usually germinate in 10 days. The ideal room temperature for friendly germination of seeds is +18 degrees.Seeds can be sown in boxes filled with a specially prepared substrate or in peat pots, which will greatly facilitate planting seedlings in open ground

Particular attention should be paid to the composition of the soil for sowing seeds, since each variety of morning glory requires a certain soil. If you sow morning glory of African origin, then it needs a substrate for succulent plants with the addition of crushed expanded clay

American varieties cannot grow in such soil. For species of American origin, you must mix two parts of leaf humus, a part of peat and a floor of a part of fine expanded clay. For American species, it is good to add shredded coconut fiber to the substrate.

Experienced flower growers sow morning glory seeds in peat cups of three to four pieces. The cups must be placed in a pallet and tightened with transparent film to make a small greenhouse. As it dries, the soil must be watered, the greenhouse should be ventilated from time to time

Particular attention should be paid to the temperature regime - it is optimal if the temperature in the room is about 18-20 degrees. The first shoots should appear in 10-12 days.

Features of planting morning glory sweet potato

The morning glory on the balcony is grown from seed. The planting material of the plant has good germination for four years. Seeds must first undergo stratification or stay in warm water for a day. If after 24 hours the seed has not swollen, you need to pierce the outer shell with a needle and re-send it to warm water for a day.

Planting morning glory sweet potatoes from seeds is carried out as follows:

Seeds are sown in the ground at the end of May. The soil for the plant must be selected taking into account the variety of morning glory. For example, some varieties grow better on land mixed with fine-grained expanded clay. The second varieties are best planted on soil with leaf humus, to which peat, vermiculite and coconut fibers are added. Distribute the prepared soil mixture into small containers, into which seeds are sown in three pieces. Place the cups warm and cover with foil to create a greenhouse effect.

It is important to ensure that the soil does not dry out, so the seedlings need to be watered regularly. It is also important to ventilate the seedlings.

Sprouts are grown at a temperature of no more than 20 degrees Celsius. If you take proper care of the sown seeds, the first shoots will appear in 10 days. In June, young seedlings grown from seeds are transplanted into open ground. Dig small holes 20 centimeters apart. Make a frame over the flower bed to support future vines. Plant one seedling in each hole, sprinkle with earth and water.

Sometimes gardeners at the end of May sow crop seeds directly into open ground, without first growing seedlings

It is important to plant plants in lighted and comfortable places, on slightly acidic, well-drained soil.

Varietal varieties of morning glory

Most often, various species are grown in our gardens. This vine is very widespread in Japan, and Japanese breeders have developed many varieties of it. In addition, Japan's morning glory is considered a medicinal plant.

• The Grandfather OTC variety is very popular among our gardeners. It is also called the Grand. This is the earliest variety in terms of flowering. The flowers are very large, up to 5 cm in diameter, deep purple with dark strokes. The bush grows very lush, the shoots reach 3.5 meters in length.
• The next very popular variety is Pink Lollipop. This is a domestic variety with very beautiful, bright pink flowers. The heart of the flower is ivory, the bells reach 8 cm in diameter. The foliage of this variety is much lighter than that of other varieties.
• Dakopa - this variety has petals slightly lilac with a blue tint, like a translucent flower with a pink core, it is also called blue morning glory. The flowers of this variety are similar to exotic butterflies.The variety blooms very profusely, and sometimes the foliage is not even visible due to the flowers.
• The rare variety Rosita has bright red flowers that are painted with white strokes. For balcony cultivation, this variety is considered the best. Its shoots reach a length of 2 meters, and some growers grow Rosita in pots.
• Of the double flowers, the most popular variety is Serenade to the Sun with carved, very shaggy bells. The edges of the flowers are decorated with patterns, and their color is wine-red with white stripes.
• The brightest flowers of the Ipomoea variety Giselle are sky-blue in color, reaching a diameter of 8 cm.

How to plant and care for an morning glory

Morning glory is tolerant of all conditions, but grows best with proper planting and good care. He loves light and warmth, loose, non-acidic soil, quickly climbs on supports, but some varieties do well without them, covering the ground on the slopes with a thick multi-colored carpet. It responds to abundant watering with rapid growth, it does not tolerate stagnation of water. Drying out of the soil is very undesirable - at the same time the leaves wither, and the flowers do not open. The best place to plant it is south, southeast, or west. It also grows in the shade on the northern side, but it is very stretched in height and almost does not bloom. In places blown by strong winds, she feels uncomfortable. Therefore, it is ideal when the garden bed is protected.

Morning glory will create an emerald hedge in a matter of weeks

It begins to bloom in the morning, and as soon as the sun warms up, the phonographs are closed, but if it is cloudy during the day, the flowers remain open all day. Moving from place to place is very painful. It does not tolerate frost, and the lunar-flowering farbitis generally stops flowering already at 10 degrees. Often this plant is sown in pots or containers to decorate and save a balcony or terrace from the hot sun.

Morning glory sweet potato in indoor conditions

Unlike street varieties grown as annuals, indoor sweet potato morning glory requires more careful maintenance for about 5-7 years:

1. The culture is considered to have come from warm countries, therefore it loves sunlight and fresh air. In the summer months, it is better to put the flower pot in an open area: balcony, terrace, porch.
2. In winter, with a strong decrease in indoor air, morning glory can shed all the leaves. Because of this, it is recommended to keep it in a warm room on the south or southeast window, where diffused sunlight is constantly present.
3. A strong draft in the room can harm the plant.
4. Water the indoor flower through a pallet or by the usual method no more than once every 1-2 weeks, depending on the air temperature. Spraying is not carried out.