How to Grow Morning Glories

A beautiful and easy-to-grow choice for any flower garden is the Morning Glory (Ipomoea), as it provides unique beauty and interest to any garden or yard.

The Morning Glory is a reseeding annual vine, meaning the flowers, leaves and vines die off with the first frost but the leftover seeds will overwinter to sprout and grow the following year.

How to Grow Morning Glories: No Green Thumb Needed

Even the most inexperienced gardener can grow Morning Glories. There is little - if any - care involved.

Because they are so easy to grow, many gardeners do nothing with them. They allow them to receive water through rain and natural precipitation while occasionally repositioning an errant tendril on  the trellis.

This ease of care for Morning Glories allows the gardener to simply enjoy their beauty.

How to Grow Morning Glories: Natural Fencing

Because Morning Glories grow on long, trailing vines, you need plenty of room for them to creep and expand. It's best to provide a trellis, a fence or some type of support for the vines to climb.

If you have an area in your yard that is in need of privacy, fast-growing Morning Glories can provide a stunning and natural privacy fence. Provide some type of climbing support - a length of chain-link fence, a livestock panel supported between fence posts, or even a couple of wires stretched between fence posts. The vines will begin climbing shortly after they start to grow.

How to Grow Morning Glories: Starting With Seed

Morning Glories don't seem to like transplanting much, although it can be done. Many gardeners have found that it's easier to simply broadcast the seeds by hand across the ground and let nature do the rest.

The seeds have hard outer shells, so for best results, soak them overnight to soften the shell and allow for easier germination.

While the Morning Glory is a beautiful flower, the blooms only last for a short time. They bloom early with the morning sun - hence the name - and die off as the day warms up. The next day, new blooms will be on display

How to Grow Morning Glories: Saving Seeds

Once a bloom has died off, it will leave a head that will produce seeds. Leave these heads on the vine to harvest seeds yourself or to allow for natural reseeding.

To collect the seeds for saving, you should wait until the seed heads have dried completely. You will know they've dried because they will look and feel papery and dry. If the head feels soft, it hasn't dried enough. Leave it alone.

Any easy method of collecting seed is to cut off several seed heads and let them sit to dry in a jar or large bowl. This should be left uncovered so any still-damp seed heads won't begin molding.

Once the heads are dried, simply crush them and the seeds will drop out. Save the seeds for planned seeding the following Spring.

How to Grow Morning Glories: Colors

The most common colors for Morning Glories are red, blue, pink, purple and white. All of the available colors are stunning.

How to Grow Morning Glories: Attractive to Critters

If you have Morning Glories growing in your garden or yard, you will notice plenty of flying friends congregating to enjoy their nectar.

Morning Glories attract butterflies, bees and even a few hummingbirds. If you plant the Morning Glories close to a seating area, you can enjoy the full beauty and wonder of these visitors.

How to Grow Morning Glories: Miscellaneous

Morning Glories need full sun and prefer well-drained soil. The flowers are not suitable for cuttings as they die off quickly. They are best enjoyed on the vine.

Morning Glories can quickly become a tangled mess and overtake everything around them, so vigilance is needed. Cut off excess plants or pull them up by the roots. Compost the plants that you discard.