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#82632 Jul 5th, 2007 at 08:08 AM
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Hello!

I am probably the newest member to this forum and I just have a few questions.

I've absolutely loved Morning Glories since childhood and I wanted to try to plant some of my own this year. I bought a bunch of Morning Glory seed packets a few months ago and I was going to plant them on my deck (a garden-style apartment balcony, actually.) I bought window planter boxes and plan to put those around the bottom of my deck around the edges. I also plan to put small stones at the bottom of these boxes and then some good plant soil before planting the seeds.

I have a few questions, however:

1.) Does that sound like a good setup? (the window boxes, stones, and soil?)

2.) Because of my physical limitations, I haven't planted them yet. Is it too late to plant the Morning Glory seeds now? I live in Nashua, NH which is a stone's throw away from Massachuett's northern border.

3.) If it's not too late to plant them, do you think that they will be able to "climb" up something as wide as balcony posts? (I'm pretty sure they can, because I think I've seen them growing up around mailbox posts.)

4.) Lastly, my balcony faces west, so I only get the (late) afternoon and evening sunlight. Is that enought sunlight for Morning Glories to thrive?

I generally don't have a green thumb; so absolutely any ideas, help, and suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks so much,
Caryn



Last edited by afgreyparrot; Jul 5th, 2007 at 09:59 AM. Reason: removed email address
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Grande Damme
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Hi Caryn ~ welcome to the forum!

Please edit your post as Rita suggested. For your safety, Bill prefers that we do not post our private contact information as this site is open to the entire web. Members here exchange that sort of thing through the private message system.

As to your questions...

I live in Maine and I have grown MG's for decades in all manner of situations! Particularly in containers on small porches and balconies.

You only need a container as big as a large size coffee can to get started, but be sure not to overplant. The width of the container is often a bigger issue than the depth of it.

As for climbing, you really should provode them a bit of string! I am in a wheelchair most of the time although I do walk and stand, so I understand your point about physical limitations. However, if you could get someone to run some simple string up your post, it will really be amazing for you to see what those MG's will do! On my porch garden, I put 5 or 6 strings coming up out of each pot of MG's onto the same post and boy oh boy do they climb!

I have seen MG's easily climb 15 ft.

Remember also to soak your seeds overnight in plain water and then simply and VERY CAREFULLY nick the heavy hull with a sharp paring knife, being careful not to go too deep. This will help the seeds germinate faster.

Merme


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Thanks ladies - I'll edit the post now.

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Afgreyparrot did it for you. She's a hostess so she can go in and do that.
welcome by the way.


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Caryn, welcome! From my experience, morning glories can just about grow everywhere. I scattered a bunch onto the ground expecting just a few to come up cuzthe seeds were all shrivelled up (I assumed it was cuz they were old) and every single one came up! If the tenents below you don't mind, you could let them fall/hang over the balcony, and they will climb along themselves.


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you can grow in hanging baskets also.I grow most of my JMG morning glorys in hanging baskets.It IS amazeing what MG will do to a string.I grew some up a string in 2004 at corner of house.even hurricane proof!the glorys just blew to the bottom 2-3 ft then grew back up.I'll have to look for that picture.I've got fishline strung verticle on tree truck for growth too.

I have one growing 27 ft& blooming.are 3 dead stems on mimosia tree.My utility pole is 25 ft.I had cypress vine almost reach the top with a gourd last year.but I'm south TX 8b almost 10 months growing season.


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Thanks all! I guess I'll still try to plant them. It would be a shame if they didn't flower, though!

And I do have two 'tweens that originally wanted to help and they seem to have better things to do since summer started!

Oh, and thank you afgreyparrot... I have an African Grey, he's almost 7yrs old now! How old is yours (of, course I'm assuming you have one!)

Caryn


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(sorry, just checking if my avatar is working now - this is the 3rd time I've tried adding it... they say the third time's a charm, right?)

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Originally Posted by NoGreenThumbCaryn


Oh, and thank you afgreyparrot... I have an African Grey, he's almost 7yrs old now! How old is yours (of, course I'm assuming you have one!)

Caryn


Afgreys feathered daughter Lola just turned 9.


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here we're a few from last year.can click to see larger veiw.

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Akatuski mersaki I'm growing in the ground this year on birdhouse pole.Its one of the JMG s that stays open longer& on cloudy days will stay open till about 6 pm.I think the flowers seem larger this year,but may be due to planted in ground instead of hanging basket,but the one in hanging basket is blooming as well.


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This is one blooming right now.

flowers/july102007JMGbasketblooming74days.jpg" alt="[Linked Image]" class="post-image" style="height:auto!important;max-width:100%!important;"/>

It actually re grew from last years pot.It took 73 days to bloom from sprouting.I'm thinking of adding drain holes above the soil in pot for them heavy rains we get sometimes.though the waterfall effect is pretty.


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I will age ungracefully until I become an old woman in a small garden..doing whatever the Hell I want!

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