Wishing to decorate their summer cottage, or maybe just a balcony, many owners prefer bindweed plants. This is not surprising. After all, such plants very beautifully frame objects located on the territory of the site, blooming beautiful flowers. Ipomoea has been known to mankind for a long time. She is considered one of the most delicate varieties of plants that you can choose to decorate your summer cottage.
Many poems are dedicated to this indescribably beautiful plant. And this is not surprising. Anyone who has ever seen the freshness of her delicate buds will fall in love with this miracle of nature forever. Different species are distinguished by bright colors of flowers. Every year, breeders create new varieties of this plant. Because of this, the coloring of the buds takes on a wide variety of options.
General characteristics
Indescribably gentle look on the stem leaves and flowers. Ipomoea (photo below) can outshine many garden plants with its beauty.
The name of the plant comes from the fusion of two Greek words, which in translation sound like the phrase "like a worm." This is due to the appearance of the underground part of the flower.
However, not all nations have the name of a plant sound so prosaic. Its beauty reflects the English name, which in translation into Russian means "glorifying the morning." In Japan, Ipomoea is called "morning face". This is no coincidence. The flowers of this family are distinguished by the peculiarity of blooming with the first rays of the rising sun and closing at noon. If the day is cloudy, the plant does not close its buds until the evening.
This group includes a variety of flowers. Ipomoea is the largest genus of the bindweed family. They include about 500 varieties of herbs. It even includes some types of shrubs and trees. The plant in the wild lives in temperate and tropical latitudes of Eurasia, Africa and America.
The root of the plant is taproot, rarely tuberous. The stem of almost all species is curly (creeping). This is a photophilous plant that loves abundant watering. The plant blooms in summer and even in autumn. Ipomoea has a lot of buds, but the duration of the existence of each of them is no more than a day. Therefore, she throws out all the new flowers.
The fruit looks like a spherical box. It contains from 4 to 6 seeds of a rather large form.
Plant character
Bright flowers look very nice on various objects of the site. Ipomoea (photo below) is distinguished by certain features of agricultural technology.
They must be taken into account by everyone who is going to grow a plant in their area. This is an annual liana. She grows very quickly, letting out her mustache and clinging to the vertical supports she meets. If there are shtaketins, trees, threads, wire or nets pulled up on the site, hedges, morning glory will cling to them. With proper care, the vine blooms very profusely. Some species may even collect buds in paniculate groups.
In the wild, Ipomoea flowers can have a size of 5 to 15 cm. But artificially bred varieties have buds up to 20 cm. This increases the decorative qualities of the plant.
If the weather is rainy, the bud stays closed all day long. Pollination occurs in corollas closed with petals. But on a sunny day, the plant is pollinated by insects. In the wild, even birds (hummingbirds) or small animals (bats) can participate in this process.
Depending on the variety, today there are morning glory intended for the conditions of the backyard, as well as indoor plants. Therefore, when purchasing seeds, it is necessary to specify in what conditions this species should exist.
Varieties
There are a huge number of plants belonging to the genus Ipomoea. Even individual families stand out among them. These include various flowers. Ipomoea kvamoklit, koloniktion, farbitis are the most common.
Farbitis flowers are very popular today. One of the most common varieties is Havently Blue. Its flowers are blue in color. In their center, yellow-blue colors predominate. These are very beautiful flowers.
Coloniktion (also called moonflower) is distinguished by white flowers. They exude a subtle sweet aroma. Most morning glory can not boast of this. A feature of the moonflower is the ability of the buds to bloom only for one night. But the flowering period can continue until the frost.
Ipomoea quamoclit looks pretty elegant.
The foliage of plants of this variety is similar to openwork feathers. Against this background, flowers stand out with bright red stars. Ipomoea quamoclit Slaughter looks like a feathery plant with fiery red buds. The dense curtains they form will decorate any area.
Popular Ipomoea varieties
Ipomoea is famous for its variety of species. A photo of flowers in the garden is presented below. There are several of the most popular plant varieties that are worth considering in more detail. This will allow you to choose the right kind of creeper.
Ipomoea Cairo is characterized by very abundant flowering and high density of leaves. If you want to decorate objects on the site with the most beautiful natural carpet of flowers, you should give preference to this particular variety.
Indescribable beauty buds open sky blue morning glory. Flowers have a long stem and are able to turn towards the sun. The buds are azure. And ipomoea purpurea is characterized by a rich expressive shade. Its stems are very long. They can reach 8 m. The buds are pink, red,purple, lilac.
Ipomoea Nile is characterized by very fast stem growth. The buds of this plant can be of various colors. These are pink, and blue, and lilac shades. There are also buds of dark, saturated flowers.
Many artificially bred varieties are now used everywhere for decorative purposes. The variety of shapes and shades is difficult to retell. Everyone can choose a plant to their liking.
Reproduction of morning glory
Ipomoea flowers, which are easy and fun to grow, are most often grown from seeds. In warm climates, they can be sown directly into the ground. But in the middle latitude, it is still better to resort to the seedling method. Otherwise, the plant may simply not bloom.
Seeds before planting should be soaked for a day in a small amount of water. During this time, they should swell. If this does not happen, the seeds can be pricked with a needle. This process is called scarification. After that, the seeds are again soaked for a day.
It will not be difficult to organize a small greenhouse. Soil is simply poured into a small container. Pre-swollen seeds are planted in it. Then they are covered with glass or polyethylene. The container is regularly ventilated. As the earth dries, it is watered.
The first shoots appear 1-2 weeks after planting. As soon as the first leaves appear from the ground, the film or glass is removed. When the plant has about 4 full leaves, it can be transplanted into the ground. This isperform together with a clod of earth at the root system. It should be large enough, as Ipomoea does not like transplants.
Then the seedlings need to be supported. Otherwise, the stems will become intertwined with each other. It will be almost impossible to unravel them later.
When can I land?
Many owners strive to have these flowers on their site. Ipomoea, which is planted in open ground on the site, involves breeding seedlings. The whole process should start from March-April. The plant grows very fast. Therefore, after 3 weeks it will be completely ready for transplantation. There is no point in planting seedlings in advance.
Before planting seeds in greenhouse soil, it is necessary to calculate what ambient temperature can be in 3 weeks. If it should not (according to forecasts) drop below +10 degrees, then you can get to work.
The plant does not tolerate frost. Its normal climate is warm, humid weather. A line of +10 degrees is critical for most types of morning glory. In exceptional cases, the vine can withstand extreme temperatures for it up to +2 degrees. But this is quite rare.
It is best to plant seeds in open ground during the period when the night temperature does not fall below +10 degrees. This is most often typical for April-May.
How is landing in the ground?
You can plant flower seeds directly into the ground. Ipomoea sprouts well, but before that, the seeds must be soaked for a day in water. If the weather wasappropriate, shoots will appear in a week.
After the first shoots have broken through the thickness of the earth, there is a rapid growth of morning glory. Near each creeper it is necessary to put a support. Ipomoea is regularly pinched. This is done when the stem has about 4 full leaves. This contributes to the rapid emergence of new shoots from the sinuses, which make the flower voluminous. Ipomoea, planted and cared for properly, blooms faster and grows thicker.
Whether seedlings or just seeds are planted in the ground, the distance between each individual plant should be at least 20 cm. This will provide the required space for the plant's root system, allowing it to receive the necessary nutrients from the soil.
Breeding on the balcony
These flowers decorate the balcony very beautifully. Ipomoea can be planted in a pot. If there is not enough light, the plant will produce extra leaves, and flowering will be poor. Therefore, it is necessary to properly consider its location.
The balcony should also be glazed. On its open varieties, the wind can easily damage the stem and leaves of the plant. It is necessary to ensure proper protection of morning glory. Under such conditions, the plant can be planted in large pots, as well as long boxes. When planting, it is necessary to calculate the density so that each morning glory has at least 2.5 liters of soil.
In conditions like these, proper care is essential. Complete watering, bait and gentle handlingwill allow you to grow a plant of indescribable beauty even on the balcony.
Plant diseases
It happens that the plant does not throw flowers. Ipomoea curly is susceptible to various diseases. To prevent this, it is necessary to ensure proper care of the plant. The most common pathogens are aphids and spider mites.
If the green leaves of morning glory suddenly become covered with yellow spots, this most likely indicates the harmful effects of aphids on it. This parasite pierces the leaf plate and draws juices out of it. Aphids release honeydew. Sooty fungus, which is deadly for the plant, begins to multiply on this substance.
To keep your plant alive and well, it is necessary to treat the leaves with an appropriate insecticide at the first sign of aphids. The sooner this is done, the sooner morning glory will be able to restore its strength.
The second dangerous pest for the presented plant is the spider mite. He makes himself felt with a thin cobweb. It appears on the leaves of the flower. You can also see small dots. Here pest control is quite simple. Just spray the leaves with cold water every day.
Plant care
Ipomoea is considered to be quite picky plant. A flower, the care of which does not require much effort and time, will be grateful to its owners for the right actions. Ipomoea will thank them with its wonderful flowering.
Initially, it is necessary to provide proper supportfor liana. You can install a vertical grid or wire for these purposes.
The soil should always be slightly damp. Too strong or, conversely, poor watering is equally dangerous for the plant. In order for morning glory to please the eye with an abundance of buds, it should be regularly fed with a frequency of 1 time in 5 days. Fertilizers should contain little nitrogen and a lot of phosphorus. This encourages her to bloom.
Due to improper care, the plant can quickly wither. It can hurt, which will affect flowering. The immunity of the plant after suffering hardships becomes very fragile. Therefore, it is better to take care of him correctly and in a timely manner.
Many people tend to have presented flowers on their plot or balcony. Ipomoea produces unusually beautiful buds. They will delight the owners for a long time. Not requiring special care, morning glory is a picky plant. This is a great solution for decorating any backyard or even a balcony. The rapid growth rate will allow you to hide even the shortcomings of the surrounding objects and fill the world around with harmony and indescribable beauty.
