I've been thoroughly warned about morning glory! Can I simply plant it in a pot and avoid all the drama of it taking over my garden? Will my moonflowers do the same? All my seeds have begun to sprout... so there is a need to plant soon.
Hardiness Zone: 10b
Thanks,
Marisa from Santa Maria, CA
Marisa,
Yes! Growing morning glories in containers is an easy way to avoid the potential of a hostile takeover in your garden. Moonflowers are not considered as invasive as morning glories, but they also grow well in pots. In fact, I would recommend planting some of each (4 to 5 seeds) together in the same pot. When the daytime blooms of the morning glories fade, the moonflower blooms will replace them in the evening.
There is some debate over whether or not morning glory roots grow best in shallow or deep containers. I have grown them in shallow planter boxes as well as deep containers. They have done equally well in both. The most important thing is that you give them something to climb on. It doesn't need to be a heavy-duty support, just make sure you have it in place before you sow your seeds.
Also, exercise caution when fertilizing. A little compost or a slow release organic fertilizer mixed in with a quality soil is all you need. Too much fertilizer, and you'll get lots of green and very few flowers. I don't use any on mine.
Moonflowers and morning glories are related and have similar growing requirements. Give them full sun and moist (not wet), well-drained soil. Remember that containers tend to dry out quickly, so check their moisture levels often.
Ellen
About The Author: Ellen Brown is an environmental writer and photographer and the owner of Sustainable Media, an environmental media company that specializes in helping businesses and organizations promote eco-friendly products and services.
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I live in an apartment and aways grow mine in pots.
Put them on a shelf or a concrete block of some kind, though or their roots will just go throuh the drainage holes in the bottom of the pot.
I've planted mine in large institutional size cans that I've painted. I got them from the local Sr Citizen center,,fruits, veggies, etc come in them. I also plant moon flowers, sweet peas, black eyed susan vine, scarlet bean runners and hyacinth vine in them.
awesome!!! thanks iv planted them in pots all ready and have been debating on weather or not to pull them up! wounderful! i cant wait to see my first bloom!
Make sure you have a trellis of some sort tho, so you can train them where you want them to go.
I am glad you were warned! I was not and I have the darn stuff growing in my yard now! And nothing seems to kill it. I'd appreciate any hints on how to get rid of it for good.
Whoops! Seems you have planted them already. My advice would have been not to plant them at all. Here in Australia they are a declared noxious weed, and a no-no to plant.
It's not too late! get it off your property! You will turn your back and it will be off and running, no joke! Surely there's another plant to love, like a clematis?
I love my moon flowers and morning glory's. I replant the morning glory's every year. I pull out all the moon flowers every fall, they return every spring but they don't take over the yard.
I am trying to grow morning glories in pots and having no luck, the vines are thin and the leaves small, they then turn yellow and fall off. I have 4 plants in a pot that is 1'X 2.5' x 8" they get at least 6 hours of sun a day the soil is a potting mix, what the heck am I doing wrong>?
Too rich soil? use junk soil
I've grown them w tomatoes in pots. I used the vines to tie around the tomatoes. It worked good.
I find that morning glories grow from seed rather than the vines. Every year I pull all the vines up and throw away. The next year anywhere the black seeds fall, up comes a double leaf sprout. I pull these out of the ground as soon as I see them. The root is usually about 3 to 6 inches into the ground.
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