Hi there,

Before I respond to a part of your message, let me describe
my Morning Glories: I've got five of them, they're all in a single
pot of soil (10ltr), but each of them has branched into several
fast-climbing strings with countless leaves on em. They are
grown from seeds I saved from a single large plant I grew
several years ago. They get full sunlight from dawn till about
2 p.m. (about 8 hours) and insist on getting lots of water in
the evening. They've amazed me throughout the past two
weeks (they suddenly started growing like there's no tomorrow)
and they keep amazing me: spewing forth leaves on end and
gaining inches in height every day. Some of its newer strings
are growing up the older ones in a circular fashion. I know
them as 'Ipomoea Purpurae' and thought they were the ones
known as 'heavenly blue' but they are not.

As an aside, I don't know what you're growing, but I always have more
trouble
with Heavenly Blues than any other varieties, although I insist on
planting
them because they are the Essential Morning Glory. But I also grow
Scarlet

My dad is growing these Heavenly Blues and he is growing them in his
garden. You might expect them to do better than mine (in a fairly small
container) but they still haven't grown beyond the 'two leaves stage' (so
they propably won't make it at all). I'll give them a go next year to see
if they too prefer my balcony over his garden


Tyra Trevellyn wrote in
...
From: DigitalVinyl
Date: Fri, Jun 27, 2003 1:00 PM
Message-id:

I have a pot with three morning glories and a few small plants filling
the center. The morning glories aren't that full-planted late, had
some trouble.

Today I found that all the bottom leaves on all three are yellow. Some
have tan-grey centers between the veins like they are rotting-burning.
It is on new and large old leaves. They didn't look like this
yesterday afternoon. Yesterday morning I did give this pot some light
liquid fertilizer with the water.

They other 4 plants in the same pot are unaffected. All are green.

Are morning glories a heavier feeder? more sensitive to Iron
deficiency? Some root problem?
COuld this just be light deficiency?
The roof overhangs are blocking more light in that spot that I thought
when I put them there. I could put them out in the sun and maybe they
would either perk up or burn...
DiGiTAL ViNYL (no email)
Zone 6b/7, Westchester Co, NY, 1 mile off L.I.Sound
1st Year Gardener


First of all, it's the nature of morning glories to lose their first
leaves
(think baby teeth) by yellowing/browning off. Simply cut them off when
they
start to look bad. If the vine is growing strongly, lower-leaf dieback
isn't
an indication of a problem.

Second, morning glories aren't heavy feeders at all, but they do like a
shot of
very mild liquid feed a couple of times a season, and this is particularly
necessary if you've got them growing in containers.

Third, water them before they get too dry. Water stress (too much or too
little) will cause weak plants. Morning glories have lots of very fine
roots
and don't store moisture; this combined with lots of thin, large leaves
can
make them thirsty. However, even with the best care they do tend to wilt
temporarily when hit with bright sun; best to see if the soil is still
damp
before watering them again. (You should have them in a very well-draining
mix
so that even some overwatering won't hurt them.)

Different varieties of morning glory behave differently and some tend to
have
leaf problems even if they're otherwise healthy and blooming. They're
also
subject to flea beetle damage....little holes in the leaves.....but this
is
only for a relatively brief period, so don't think about spraying or other
insecticidal treatment; it's not necessary and probably not useful. A
mist of
water from the hose can be useful in general, but don't do this when the
sun is
hitting 'em. I believe that I've had some good results with using a mild
fertilizer as a foliar spray, as well (also, not when the sun's gonna hit
them).

Next, morning glories do need full or nearly-full sun.....at least five
hours a
day, starting in the morning.

Last, always plant more than you need.

As an aside, I don't know what you're growing, but I always have more
trouble
with Heavenly Blues than any other varieties, although I insist on
planting
them because they are the Essential Morning Glory. But I also grow
Scarlet
O'Hara and a whole mess of other smaller-flowered varieties (e.g., Star of
Yelta) that have many fewer problems and bloom earlier.

Good luck.....and enjoy.
Best,
Tyra
nNJ usa z7