Morning Glory

Morning glory is a warm-season annual vine, so timing is all about frost. Wait until all danger of frost has passed and the soil has warmed in late spring, then direct sow the seeds right where you want them to climb. In cooler regions you can start seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks before your last frost date, but morning glory resents having its roots disturbed, so use peat pots you can plant whole. Because it grows fast in summer heat, there is rarely any need to rush; sowing into warm soil gives you strong, quick germination and a vine that blooms from mid to late summer until frost.

Morning glory seeds have a hard outer coat, so give them a head start: nick each seed with a nail file or gently scratch the coat, then soak the seeds in warm water for 12 to 24 hours until they swell. Sow the softened seeds about half an inch deep and roughly 6 inches apart at the base of a trellis, arbor, fence, or string support, since the vines need something to twine up right from the start. Choose a spot in full sun with average, well-drained soil; overly rich soil grows lush leaves at the expense of flowers. Water gently after sowing and keep the soil evenly moist until the seedlings emerge, usually in 5 to 14 days. Once they sprout, guide the young tendrils toward their support and let them take off.

Once established, morning glory is wonderfully low maintenance. Water deeply during dry spells to keep the vines lush, but avoid constant soggy soil. Skip the nitrogen-rich fertilizer: too much feeding produces a jungle of leaves and few flowers, so lean soil actually gives you more blooms. Full sun is the single biggest factor in heavy flowering, so give the vine at least six to eight hours of direct light. As the vine climbs, gently direct wayward stems back onto the trellis. If you want to limit self-seeding, snip off the spent flowers before they form seed pods, since morning glory drops seed freely and can come back thickly the next year.

Morning glory loves company that climbs, trails, or towers alongside it. Pair it with these easy, non-GMO favorites to build a full, layered vertical garden:

Morning glory is grown for its flowers, not for eating, so there is no edible harvest and the seeds should never be consumed. What you can gather is next year's seed: let a few of the fading flowers form the papery pods that follow, and once the pods turn brown and dry on the vine, snip them off and shake the dark seeds into an envelope. Store the dried seeds somewhere cool and dark, clearly labeled and out of reach of children and pets. If you would rather not have volunteers, simply deadhead before the pods mature so the vine cannot self-seed.

Morning glory is one of the fastest, most rewarding vertical accents you can grow. Use it to cover a fence, dress up a mailbox post, shade a porch railing, or turn a plain trellis or arbor into a wall of daily color. Its trumpet-shaped flowers are a magnet for hummingbirds and bees, making it a favorite for pollinator and cottage gardens. Because the vines climb so quickly, morning glory is also perfect as a fast summer privacy screen. Enjoy it purely as an ornamental; no part of the plant is edible.

• Lots of leaves but few flowers: usually caused by soil that is too rich or too much nitrogen fertilizer. Stop feeding, and make sure the vine gets full sun for at least six to eight hours a day.
• Seeds slow or patchy to sprout: the hard seed coat is the culprit. Nick each seed and soak it 12 to 24 hours before sowing for fast, even germination.
• Vine flops or has nothing to climb: morning glory needs support from the start. Add a trellis, netting, arbor, or strings early so the tendrils can grab on.
• Aggressive self-seeding or spreading: morning glory reseeds freely and is considered weedy or invasive in some regions. Deadhead spent flowers before pods form, or grow it in a container to keep it contained.
• Yellowing leaves or poor growth: often from waterlogged soil or cold weather. Plant only after frost in warm, well-drained soil and water deeply but not constantly.