What's the Story, Morning Glory?

[keskat]

So, let's start this by saying: Yay!

My daughter and I (she's 6) started some flower seeds about 4 days ago. Much to my surprise, we're got 4 out of 6 morning glory seeds to germinate. The kidlet, of course, wants to stick them outside immediately, and have them climb up, over, and into her bedroom window.

Knowing that's unlikely, I just want to know when I should take them out of the greenhouse dome they're currently under. I know I shouldn't up-pot them til they're leafier, but are they going to mind waiting under the dome for the other flower seeds in the flat to wake up? (The other flowers are Cleome, if that gives anyone any idea of how long it might take - this flower thing is strictly the kiddo's choice. I never tried flowers from seeds before.)

[Bobberman]

Watch the morning glorys they take over everything if you get them in your garden. They choke all the plants!

[keskat]

Thanks for the tip - I plan on keeping them in large planters and aggressively stealing seedpods from them.

[Bobberman]

They are pretty. I remember one year 30 years ago I was raising 3 pigs and they loved morning glories! There are some nice colors in them and they look nice climbing a fence! They will keep over winter in a garden and be all over the place all summer. My tomatoes in one area were surround by the vines all summer. Every day there were new ones coming up! The two leafs looked like a tomato at first then they grew very fast!

[keskat]

My daughter fell in love with the front of the package. No talking her out of them, so I had to sell her on a couple planters and the idea that maybe they can climb a trellis outside her window... I don't want to let them just run rampant in my yard - with my luck, they'd be the only things that grew and I'd never be able to control them!

I hope they do well for her, though. I'd like her first real foray into gardening to be a rousing success!

[Bobberman]

Try some moon flowers and 4 oclocks both are really nice and bloom in the evening and morning! One of my favorites are naturtions both clinging and regular! Another pretty flower is the sweet pea and all I mentioned are easy to grow!!Good luck!

[rainbowgardener]

nasturtiums, just in case you are trying to find them.

I wouldn't leave your humidity dome on very long ... it's an easy way to kill seedlings. The other flowers will sprout just fine without them. I start 500 or so plants from seed every year, without any domes.

[Bobberman]

Ya thanks I always have a problem spelling that word!

[keskat]

Oky, thanks! I undomed them today - one seems to be a bit confused about which direction the roots should go. I think I need to rebury it a little. Its growing fuzzy-side up. Other than that, they're taking off really well. Yay.

[tedly]

I have a somewhat similar question. I have seeds for blue and purple morning glory, moonflower, foxglove, marigolds, sweet pea, and Chinese lantern. Can all of these be started in flats? How long before the average last frost should I start them? I'm good with houseplants and veggies, but if it flowers I can't keep it going for very long.

[Kisal]

Sweet peas, I've heard, don't like to be transplanted. I don't think I've ever seen Sweet Pea starts for sale at any of the nurseries I visit.

I have trouble with Sweet Peas, although I grow them every year. I have to pre-sprout them between wet paper towels and use a legume inoculant when I plant them in the ground. It's a minor pain in the neck, but I love Sweet Peas so very much.

Marigolds and moonflowers you can start in flats or cells just fine. They're not picky at all.

[tedly]

Cool! Thanks Kisal!

[rainbowgardener]

I start moonflowers indoors every year. For me they are a little bit picky. It helps to soak the seeds over night before planting them, but even so I get a pretty low germination rate, compared to most of the seeds I start. Plant more seeds than you want to have plants. But the ones that germinate do great and are fast growers. If you start them 3 weeks ahead of when you want to put them out, that is plenty.

Marigolds for me are the opposite... germinate well, but grow s l o w l y. Start them yesterday!

[tedly]

Me and Doc Brown are still working on that Flux Capacitor thing, so I'll have to settle for this afternoon.