Content
Morning glory is a climbing annual plant that can be grown on a balcony. The bindweed is unpretentious, but there are some nuances that you need to know about if morning glory is not blooming on the balcony. The article will be devoted to planting and the rules of caring for a plant in the form of a potted culture.
Features of growing morning glory on the balcony
Ipomoea can be grown not only in the open field, but also on balconies and loggias. Plants develop quickly and after a while they will cover part of the space. The main thing is to choose the appropriate conditions, choose the right containers and varieties.
It is very good if the balcony is on the south, west or east side. In this case, the morning glory will have enough lighting and heat. When growing curly flowers in northern loggias, the plants turn out to be pale, they are strongly stretched, therefore, it is not possible to achieve a decorative look. And flowering will be scarce.
What varieties of morning glory can be grown on a loggia or on a balcony
Not all varieties of morning glory are suitable for pot cultivation. That is why you first need to figure out which seeds are best to buy. On the balcony or loggia, bindweed will only grow for one season, since they are annuals.
Ipomoea purple
A plant with long (up to 4 m) shoots. The leaves are large, from 7 to 10 cm in diameter, heart-shaped. They are located rather densely along the entire length of the stems.
Flowers are similar to funnels, the arrangement is single. In diameter, blue, purple, white buds reach 6 cm. Morning glory begins to bloom in June. In the conditions of the balcony, flowering is long.
Ipomoea ivy
This morning glory should be grown in slightly alkaline or neutral soils. Shoots up to 4 m long, which allows you to create amazing "curtains" that shade the room from sunlight. The leaves are of medium length, in shape correspond to the ivy plant, hence the name. Flowers of sky blue, scarlet, pink or purple look original against the background of green foliage.
One of the hybrids is very interesting - "Roman Kandy". It has a wine tint. On the petals - longitudinal white stripes, on the leaves - white spots.
Morning glory Nile
This variety was created by Japanese breeders. The originator is Kaikyo-zaki. This plant has dark green leaves in the shape of hearts. They have dense pubescence. Whitish-yellow stripes are located over the entire surface of the leaves.
Ipomoea is distinguished by large double flowers of blue, purple, crimson color. Each star has white stripes extending from the edge to the center.
Morning glory Kvamoklit (cypress liana)
This type of bindweed is appreciated for its juicy green carved leaves. The length of the shoots is up to 5 m. They are so powerful that they can independently climb to any height. Star-shaped buds have long tubes. The color can be red, scarlet, pink or white, depending on the variety.Flowers open early in the morning and after sunset, in the heat the buds are closed.
Morning glory blue
Despite the decorativeness of the plant, you should not grow it on the balcony in those families where there are small children, since this morning glory contains psychotropic substances.
The plant attracts with unusual sky-blue flowers, powerful shoots. An excellent option for growing on a balcony or loggia.
Planting morning glory on the balcony
Growing Ipomoea in pots on the balcony is fun. Usually, flower growers do not have any special difficulties. The main thing is to choose the right grade. The seeds should be purchased from the store. When buying, you should pay attention to the expiration date of the seed, since after 2 years the germination is lost.
Landing dates
It is advisable to sow seeds for seedlings in late March or early April in order to get flowering plants. Of course, this is an approximate time, since everything depends on the climatic conditions of the region. It is necessary to plant flowers on the balcony after the establishment of positive temperatures.
When the average daily temperature of + 10-15 degrees is established on the balcony, the flowers can be taken out or transplanted.
Preparation of containers and soil
To grow morning glory on a loggia or on a balcony, you need to take care of the containers. It is better to choose flowerpots that fit at least 3 liters of soil if one flower is planted in it, or balcony, long boxes in which several bushes are planted.
Since plants do not like stagnant water, holes are made in the bottom of the pot for drainage. Then drainage from small stones is laid. After that, the containers are filled with prepared soil.
The curly flower grows in almost any substrate. Sandy soils are the only exception. In this case, add black soil or compost. If the soil is fertile in the garden, then it is quite suitable for planting. The main thing is that it is loose, air and water permeable.
Landing algorithm
Since morning glory seeds are difficult to germinate, they should be soaked in warm water for 24 hours before sowing to speed up germination.
Rules for growing and caring for seedlings:
- The soil in containers is watered with warm water, a deepening is made and seeds are sown to a depth of no more than 1 cm.
- After that, a plastic bag is pulled over the container to create a greenhouse effect. This will speed up germination. You need to keep containers in a warm place at a temperature of + 18-20 degrees.
- The first shoots appear in 7-12 days. The shelter is immediately removed, and the containers are placed on a well-lit window. If there is not enough light in the room, it is advisable to install a backlight so that the seedlings do not stretch out.
- If the seedlings are grown in a common container, then after the appearance of 2-3 true leaves, a pick will be required. Since morning glory does not like this procedure, then you need to choose seedlings with a good clod of earth so as not to damage the root system.
- To get a lush bush, pinch the seedlings at a height of 15 cm in order to provoke the formation of new lateral shoots. At the same time, you need to make supports for the plant so that they begin to cling to them.
- Ipomoea seedlings on the balcony (photo of which is posted below) are watered as needed. But it should be remembered that drying out and stagnant water are equally destructive for morning glory.
- When the temperature on the balcony permits, the plants in containers are taken out onto windows or stands. There should be at least 20-30 cm between containers (plants).
Flower care rules
If you have the skills to care for plants in the open field, then there will be no difficulties with balcony plantings.You need to know how to properly water, feed the morning glory, protect it from diseases and pests.
Watering schedule
It should be understood that when growing bindweed on balconies or loggias, natural precipitation does not participate in irrigation in any way. Therefore, morning glory should be watered frequently. As a rule, every other day. You need to water the bushes with warm, settled water. It is necessary to irrigate in such a way that the water does not stagnate, otherwise decay of the root system will begin.
Top dressing of morning glory
Climbing plants grown indoors are demanding to feed, as they quickly take up all the nutrients. That is why mineral fertilizers will be required: potash and phosphorus mixtures. Plantings in pots are fed monthly, combining them with watering.
It is not necessary to overfeed the plants, otherwise they will develop unevenly. In some cases, the buds may not appear or the plants will react with yellowing of the foliage. All mineral fertilizers are diluted in accordance with the instructions.
Installation of supports
To create a curly composition, if the morning glory is grown on a loggia or balcony, supports will be required. They are installed in the center of the pot when the height is at least 15-20 cm. Then, when the seedlings are taken out to the balcony, you need to pull the fishing line or twine to direct the stems in the right direction. If desired, instead of threads, you can build a structure from bamboo sticks.
How to achieve blooming morning glory on the balcony
In order for the morning glory to bloom profusely, you need to properly care for it:
- water, spray correctly and in a timely manner;
- feed regularly.
Dried buds do not need to be cut off, as they are not visible due to the greenery.
What problems can arise
Despite the unpretentiousness, novice florists who first started growing crops may experience difficulties:
- Rain outside makes the air on the balcony too humid, from which the buds can rot.
- In extreme heat, leaves may turn yellow and fall off. On especially hot days, the windows should be shaded.
- You should not plant petunia in the same pot with morning glory, as this plant is an antagonist in relation to the bindweed.
- You need to choose deep containers for planting so that the root system develops well.
- Of the pests, the spider mite most often affects the morning glory. Indoors, you will need to process plantings using Actellika or Fitoverma.
- For the destruction of aphids, plants are sprayed with "Aktara", "Karbofos", "Fitoverm", "Aktellik".
Why do Ipomoea leaves turn yellow on the balcony
This problem can arise for various reasons:
- sharp changes in temperature day and night: root decay begins in the cold earth;
- improper watering;
- too tight a pot, the root system does not develop well;
- lack of iron in the soil.
Why does morning glory not bloom on the balcony
Flowering may not start if you overfeed the morning glory with nitrogen fertilizers. In this case, the green mass will begin to grow abundantly. The second reason why there is no bud formation is too large a pot. That is why it is advised to choose containers of 3 liters.
Conclusion
Many flower growers are embarrassed that morning glory does not bloom on the balcony, no matter what they do. The article contains recommendations that will help you grow beautiful plants with bright buds.
