MG pics from Japan

Here is the method of Ann (japanese version).

http://www005.upp.so-net.ne.jp/asagao/4page.html

I always asked myself the question: why did they not perform over their pots?
I think the volume of roots, taken over time will fill the pot.

okay good cuz that is pretty much what I use in my soil mix, except I use the ground corn cob or rice hulls more than the vermiculite. I have lots of red clay with mulch and rocks and sand here , but the compost pile has the best organic nutrients. so... 30 percent fertilizer? does that mean dump in a bag of bloom buster in with the mix?

I up ended a pot with lobata in it that was frozen outside, the pot was filled with roots, and the bottom stem still alive, so i emptied it out, trimmed the roots, refreshed the potting medium, we will see how it does under the grow light now.

It is true that these formulas do not exhibit high dryness resistance .The high percentage of sand heated roots.
Even myself, for my containers of 5 - 6 gallons I also make a mixture of soil richer ( vegetal soil) but I never got this kind of rooting.Too much water continuously at the root make them rot.
Good quality roots = good quality = high production plants so large flowers

40 % Sat means soil of rice field so is for us garden soil.
Becky, you're right they use 10% of charcoal .For heathy roots .
Even myself I am still using a little percentage of charcoal since I had the knowledge of TERRA PRETA :
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/11/081119-lost-cities-amazon.html

30 % of more for the structure.River sand - pumice and vermiculite.
40 % Mulch = compost .
Debra, you use rice hulls ? not composted so they serve only for the soil structure (water retention) and can not serve as a plant nutrient.
The recommended pH is 6.5 to 7 or slightly acid. Adding peat can make it acidic.
Regarding fertilizers will be more difficult to broadly follow the recommandations. It's a fondamental point . Requires more research.They do not seem to use the liquid fertilizer.

Dany, Thanks for interpreting the mixture. Karen

those look like mine did last spring since I kept feeding them and cutting the stems to keep them short when the blooms started they actually exceeded my expectations on the size about two to three inches bigger than I was expecting and when they bloomed outside the same vines the flowers opened and they measured the size that it was suppose to be so it does make a big difference in the bloom size to keep the plant small and I also noticed that the seeds came out bigger almost double the size of the ones from outside so I will do it again this winter since I so enjoyed them during the cold months

Mona, you've done it!
I'll try for the first time and I'll follow strictly the Japanese way . A few months ago I laughed at this "Petunia" cup !
Karen did you experienced?

Mona - What kind of fertilizer did you use on your indoor vines last year?

Dany - Interesting potting soil mix. It makes good sense to me. I must try to find some of these ingredients to make my own mix as I don't know of anything close to it that is sold commercially. Because of the heat, I do need to have soil that holds moisture, otherwise my vines dry out and wilt pretty quickly. But that is a fine line between a healthy root system versus root rot. I haven't started any more indoor seeds yet. I need to do some research to create good potting soil for my vines before I sow anymore seeds. I haven't used charcoal and that may be a good ingredient to add. :-)

Thanks for bringing up this important topic. I would love to hear what others are using, too!

on those in the pic it looks like they are using somekind of mulch on the top of the soil which makes sense since they do not like to be wet but also not over dry, and I used 10 52 10 which is a very high middle number for big healthy blooms and it worked but the stuff is expensive so I didnt use that outside I used multi purpose and they didnt get blooms as big but I was carefull so the fist cut of the tip waited then started using a quarter strenght for a couple of weeks then half for two weeks and three quarters for two weeks that took them to the point that small buds started to show and then I went full strenght, I had blooms in about 8 or 9 weeks from seed 64 days if I remember right
but I will not start so many this time one of each maybe 12 plants had to many and that is not good since they need good air to be healthy

From what I understand, the fertilizers most commonly available that comes VERY close to providing nutrients in the RATIO plants use them, are 3:1:2 (NPK) ratio fertilizers. 24-8-16, 12-4-8, and 9-3-6 are all 3:1:2 RATIO fertilizers. To force blooms, N is reduced or completely left out. Which I believe is what Bloom Booster's ratio is.

Another DGer posted this on another thread:

What plants use:

I gave Nitrogen, because it's the largest nutrient component, the value of 100. Other nutrients are listed as a weight percentage of N.
N 100
P 13-19 (16) 1/6
K 45-80 (62) 3/5
S 6-9 (8) 1/12
Mg 5-15 (10) 1/10
Ca 5-15 (10) 1/10
Fe 0.7
Mn 0.4
B(oron) 0.2
Zn 0.06

I had a "normal" Star of India, I believe that there are actually several types, I water with a solution of P (P2O5) or Mn (I do not remember exactly - not very scientific!)
and a week later he produced this kind of flower - a jewel !
Soil more or less acid can also increase the intensity of blue.

Here is Abyss - healthy plant.

And here Abyss always but with a lack of fertilizer.

The color is strange.
The white throat is not well marked.
The board is discolored petals.
Foliage not well developed.

This is described as suffering from too much fertilizer.

yes with to much they open to quickly and the bloom splits open, I read that also, didnt have that problem with mine, when I cut the feelers I make sure to leave the first bud cross section on it since that is where the bloom will come from
the one plant that did not bloom inside then didnt bloom outside I have now back inside and is showing signs of buds cant wait to see what color this one is
I allowed it to climb on a topiary metal stucture about three feet tall and now I am trimming all the sections to three feet lots of buds are showing but still very small

Mine split like that and I don't even feed mine. So something else must
cause it too.

I have had a few like that also.. the split one. I do have fertilizer for acid loving plantts, would that work on mGS?

Debra and everyone - You know ... I am really, REALLY wondering if acid fertilizer works better on Ipomoea plants? I have noticed that on I. purpureas that the vines seem to do very well with an acid fertilizer like rose fertilizer. I remember someone else from here using an acid fertilizer on I. purpureas and had very good results.

Maybe it's time to try an experiment using different fertilizers to see which one produces the healthiest vines?

the stuff I use is for pansies with a really high middle number and it seems to do a great job the plant was really healthy but I wonder if using one for building roots first then for the green and then for the blooms just as the buds start would work to grow the perfect plant with really strong roots great lush green leaves and great flowers I think that I will try that this time around but I think as I cut back on the root building I will start the low dose of the next step so to flow from one to the other mmmmm lots to think about since I cant start any till mid january as the days start to get longer

I am going to start 12 plants each one different and I think I will do different things for each one and keep a record to see what happens to each one

the small vines I have growing are all different in the ways that they are growing, but some are in the backyard clay soil, some are in my potting medium, some are in seed starter medium, all have been blooming, but different sizes in each one and some are exactly as the ones I grew outside , only in miniature. I may be overwatering, over fertilizing or over spraying with a mild soap spray since I have aphids right now in the downstairs garden. the seeds I planted the 28th of november are up merremia siberica was first up, then operculina brownii, another blue jishi x tenten, and the minia lobata i just harvested. the I. indica vine is climbing away and getting into the yable vines all the way from its pot on the floor. ut ohhh.. LOL plum delight and star of india have been blooming, I just keep missing them, durn it.

Debra, if you have aphids (sucking insects) I advise using a systemic insecticide that gets inside the plant. Outdoors sometimes I use rose-care granules in the soil, and I got some d-syston granules which are similar, which contain potent stuff. For INDOOR pots you can get african violet spikes that control mites and others. This is not an endorsement for any particular product.

Y'all know me ... I always do my plug when it comes to systematic and strong insecticides. Please, please consider carefully when using these products. Anything that gets "into" the plant structure can also get into the nectar. Morning Glories are a nectar (food) plant for Butterflies and Hummingbirds. So if plants you are growing inside are destined to be transplanted outdoors, please consider what insecticide to use!!!

A little soapy water sprayed on foliage usually does the trick for aphids. And if you are really brave, you can purchase some Ladybugs online and release them in your basement! LOL!

In all seriousness, I think if I had a basement ... I would be one of those crazy people who WOULD get Ladybugs!!! Maybe 10-20 of them. LOL! I have the caterpillars and butterflies in my house, so why not Ladybugs! LOL!

Gosh! If I had a basement ... I could release butterflies down there! Oh COOOOL!!! Now I am really envious of your set-up, Debra!!! Oooooh! The possibilities ... (sigh)

BTW - We FINALLY have been getting some steady rain! My poor yard was so dry! Anyway, I was looking out the french doors towards the hummingbird feeders and saw the poor little hummer out there hovering at the feeders as the rain was pouring down. I don't know how that little bird stayed in the air. It's coming down hard!!! She then zoomed right over to the Cape Honeysuckle tree to perch and get out of the rain! I love my little birdies! :-) So please folks, only use insecticides after careful consideration!

This message was edited Dec 5, 2009 10:56 AM

I am using the soapy water spray because I do have lady bugs ordered, they havn't arrived yet. I usede them last year in the basement garden and they did the trick. I inspect in the meantime and get them off as much as I can. I was hoping to catch a butterfly to pollinate.. but it was too late for that. I am willing to make my garden down there as natural as possible.. otherwise, it would be a waste of space.

I think the reason sor the very small pots is one lack of space and also I found that with mine that the first few buds inside gave me the largest blooms I think like any other plant that if you tie up the roots in a ball like that the plant will respond by shooting out buds quicker and larger since all the strenght of the plant is going into that bloom

today I sorted all my pots and will be starting my plants again just after the new year just as the days start to get longer it worked well last winter so I am up for it again this year I just love to see those blooms in march when winter is getting old and the cold wont quit its nice to have a little piece of summer

Mona, I agree with you entirely about growing inside. I had alot of fun with the ones I grew last winter..

here is my i. obscura

this is the second plant that bloomed inside

this was the first one

Debra, Can't wait to see your obscura blooms. I can't even
germinate obscura.

Mona, gorgeous blooms.

Mona , excellant colours and the forms are really nice!



this little pink one is climbing the dead ivy vine, and it seems happy here behind the tapioca plant

yes it does look good I have to get some scrap wood and build myself something for them to climb on or maybe I will keep them short like last winter

Debra - Healthy looking i. obscura you have there! Yes! DO share bloom photos when they bud and bloom for you! :-) I can't get that one to germinate either. Glad someone here has good luck with them! :-) Is your little pink bloom a picotee cultivar?

Mona - I agree! Lovely blooms!

Does anyone have the link or photo of where to cut JMGs to keep them short? I remember a while back, someone posted a Japanese photo of where to cut the vines to keep them compact.

In fact I think there are several methods.
A resulting in this type of plant.

And another type of cutting plant that produces higher - more "climbing " type.

So
3. - Cutting - pruning.
Someone who would have received the translation of this book last year: Morning Glory flower color illustrated by Mr. Yoneda (2006), could make a small summary of the passage explaining how the cuts.

in the second one with the blue blooms if you look closely the left one you can see that it has been pruned so they are making bonsai out of the plants by specific trimming to keep it short as soon as the bud or two buds appear they keep everything above the bud cut short so it makes a small round plant and not a vine

Yes! I want my indoor vines to look like the photos you posted, Dany.

Someone posted either a link or photo of a diagram of a MG vine and where to make the cuttings to keep it compact. I just can't find those photos now. :-/

Mona - To make them more bushy rather than tall vines is what I strive to do in the winter months indoors. I hope someone has the link on where to cut/prune the plants!

It was Joseph`s and some of his threads like this should go into the sticky thread.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/940886/

ok well some of mine last winter I kept them at 10 inches with no support and they looked very bushy I am going to do that again this winter but I have to wait till january to start them since the days are getting shorter now and as the plant will demand more light they will not do well

I have one growing in my house the I took in from outside I cut till back to 10 inches so it looked like an octopus with no leaves or vine it took about three weeks but it started growing again and now its about three feet on a topiral metal struction I have been trimming it to stay that tall so more vines are growing lower which I will trim after the third leaf allowing for three buds on each section and the buds are coming when it blooms I will post the pics for now I am just trying to keep it alive since the sun is not co-operating
but it should start to grow stronger as the days get longer in the new year

Karen - THANK YOU for that link! I was thinking it was Joseph that posted the photos. Perfect pictorial! :-)

Mona - I think bushy vs. tall is ideal for indoor growing of MGs. You'll have to take photos this winter of yours to show us how they look! :-)

Great, Karen !
Mona is right, the sunlight is better than artificial light.I'll wait february or march.

~~ SUMMARY ~~
1 - 4 or 5 true leaves - you cut.
2 - Transplantation.
3 - Waiting 8 / 9 leaves - you prune above 6th. leaf.
4 - Waiting secondary vines grow.
5 - On secondary vines - you cut above the 3rd. leaf .
6 - Put the fertilizer and wait with your camera!

I feel that this will give the small vine type and not the " petunia " type .

Here is a picture that shows the " petunia " type, but without explanation.