Morning Glories from seed; what to do?

ClairDeWhimsy · Sat Apr 23, 2011 7:18 pm

Having gone incredibly gungho about planting from seed and have many failures as a result, I think I'll concentrate on the one thing that I really, REALLY want to have in my yard this year: Morning Glories!

I started them from seed last week. Here they are now.

[img]https://img21.imageshack.us/img21/9632/picture135x.jpg[/img]

I attempted to grow some earlier this month but they became legs, lol. I really want to prevent this from happening again. So, any advice on how to take care of my seedlings?

johnny123 · Sat Apr 23, 2011 10:19 pm

They are searching {Growing Tall} for sunlight.
Give them alot of sunlight.

Mound some soil around the stem and just leave the top above the soil and give them sunlight all day.

ClairDeWhimsy · Mon Apr 25, 2011 2:25 pm

So they need to be closer to the light? I have them pretty close as it is...but I've also read that they don't need to be so tall.

Therefore, you're saying I need to move them to bigger pots and only leave the leaves showing? What happens if I don't do that?

SPierce · Mon Apr 25, 2011 2:28 pm

ClairDeWhimsy wrote:So they need to be closer to the light? I have them pretty close as it is...but I've also read that they don't need to be so tall.

Therefore, you're saying I need to move them to bigger pots and only leave the leaves showing? What happens if I don't do that?

Do you maybe have a brighter window that you can put them by, instead of depending on the light?

rainbowgardener · Mon Apr 25, 2011 3:13 pm

In general the artificial light is better than windows, unless you really have a window that gets sun all day. Seedlings need lots of light and the light needs to be right down close to them, just a couple inches above the plants, and on for 16 hrs a day.

SPierce · Mon Apr 25, 2011 4:12 pm

rainbowgardener wrote:In general the artificial light is better than windows, unless you really have a window that gets sun all day. Seedlings need lots of light and the light needs to be right down close to them, just a couple inches above the plants, and on for 16 hrs a day.

I suppose that's true- but having them nearby a window, too, for some extra light probably wouldn't hurt!

ClairDeWhimsy · Mon Apr 25, 2011 8:46 pm

I don't have a window that gets 16 hours of sunlight

And I've re-potted them to where there's only about an inch of stem showing (as opposed to three inches. They shoot up!) I'll keep them as close to the light as possible and see what happens *fingers crossed* I really want these to work.

applestar · Mon Apr 25, 2011 9:24 pm

Um... Is there a reason you are not sowing these seeds directly in the ground? I think you should be able to by now....

...we're talking morning glories after all....

ClairDeWhimsy · Tue Apr 26, 2011 10:10 am

I live in Western North Carolina, in the mountains. We're expecting one final frost sometime soon. I don't want to risk it....however, if you think my MGs will be safe, I'd love to put them in the ground!

Chaesman · Sat May 07, 2011 11:05 am

I live in Missouri and we Direct sow ours after last frost we Soak them in water the night before and they do just fine no real need to start them indoors here and ours easily obtian 12 foot in hight by the end of the summer. Then at the end of the season we save a bunch of seeds in case they are needed the next year but normally we let enough seeds drop to the ground naturally that they just come up automaticlly in the spring But I havent seen any this year yet so I am gonna sow a few this week.

Jon