Two ways to plant morning glory sweet potatoes and the basics of flower care
Ipomoea sweet potato can rightfully be called a universal plant. Its beautiful leaves in the shape of a heart or spreading blades have a variety of colors, and curly shoots grow in a lush liana up to 5 m long and braid everything around. The morning glory blossoms are no less impressive, when in the middle of summer, blue, blue, purple or purple buds bloom in the form of funnels among the foliage. However, in addition to its decorative appearance, the flower also has culinary value - most varieties are edible and in many countries tubers, leaves and shoots are eaten.
In the vastness of our homeland, the flower is most often grown for decorative purposes, both as a garden and indoor plant. Planting and caring for the sweet potato Ipomoea is not a troublesome business, because it is also not capricious and grows well with minimal care.
Planting methods
Seed propagation is one of the most affordable methods growing morning glory sweet potato. Seeds can always be found in the store, while cuttings are still to be found. There are two ways to sow seeds:
- Directly into open ground... This should be done not earlier than the second half of May, since morning glory is very thermophilic and early shoots can die from recurrent frosts. Crops should be rare, it is advisable to spread the seeds at once into the holes in several pieces, if necessary, the seedlings are further thinned out.
- For seedlings... Depending on the specific region, you can start sowing seeds at the end of March and in April, given that the seedlings grow very quickly. Place the seeds in separate containers at once, since the morning glory does not tolerate frequent transplantation. You can move seedlings to a flower bed in early summer, when the weather is warm. There should be a distance of 20-30 cm between the bushes.
Ipomoea has a fairly high germination capacity, but in order to accelerate the sprouting of sprouts, the seeds must be soaked a day before sowing.
How to care?
Morning glory sweet potato it will not give special trouble to flower growers. Caring for her is simple and consists in the following procedures:
- Abundant watering at first (about a month), and then moderate. In the constant moist soil, morning glory begins to ache.
- The introduction of ammonium nitrate during the period of active growth, complex fertilizing (without nitrogen) during the budding phase, and potassium fertilizing - at the end of summer, when the tubers ripen.
- Installation of support for curly lashes.
- Periodic pruning of weak and diseased branches. Garden morning glory, wintering in the ground, needs to be trimmed before winter and again in spring.
In regions with cold winters, morning glory bushes growing in a flower bed are dug out for the winter, having previously cut off the aboveground part, and brought into the room or they are grown as an annual flower, sowing seeds annually.