Morning Glories 2009

Really nice grow out blooms Sarah, they all seem special. I enjoyed seeing what you grew this past year, I did the same the other day!

Beautiful flowers Sarah! I especially like this one http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=7464767

Sarah - I never even thought of using empty pill containers. Another good idea. Love you lights and heating mat set-up. Two out of 6 pots I planted MG seeds in have germinated. Only 2 in one pot and 1 in another. The rest are taking their sweet time germinating. I think it was the cold weather. Mine are in my window sill and it got very cold for a week recently, so I am thinking that is the issue.

My veggies though is another story! I transplanted some into self-watering containers which I bring in and out of the garage (depending on low temps). They haven't died and still look quite healthy, but are just sitting there doing nothing. The ones in the window though have grown gangbusters. Not sure what is going on! I need to separate the ones in the window. They are all in small cups and some look like they have already outgrown those cups. (sigh) It's a pain hobbling around and trying to do any potting up of plants! Grrrr ... Murphy's Law!

Thanks, Helenahkh! Your flower post are always lovely.

luvsgrtdanes,
Thanks! Now that I think about it, I do think I have seen that one posted somewhere before.. The seeds were from Emma, and I can't remember what it was named now. It might be Mauve Splash (?) The bag with the name on it is *somewhere* around here.

Becky,the MGs s in the grow unit have been really slow growing here. too. I normally don't anything except leaf vegetables until March.The back of the growing unit is against a window against a window on an outside wall, so it's chilly there. The lights and heating pad don't completely make up for the chill there. When the MG plants are big enough, I'll put them on a large card table upstairs in front of a sunny window. I surround the outer edge of the card table with the marlite looking solar shields I use on the car windows in the summer. They are tall enough to really help reflect the light, and they stand on their own, so are easy to work with. When summer gets here, they go back into the vehicles. I keep a strong gro light there to use occasionally.
I grow spinach and lettuce in one of the other shelves of the seed unit. I use overhead lights, but don't turn on the heating element underneath. The cool condition leaf vegetables don't seem to like it.

Sarah - Interesting info about your leaf veggies. I wonder if that is the problem with mine. They may be getting too much heat. :-( Do you transplant your veggies or just eat them from the pots? (Sorry to be getting a little off-topic!)

Murasaki in the snow

NO WAY!!! Are ya kidding me????? In the snow??? Is this an edited photo? LOL!

Becky,
I will start fresh seeds outside in the spring. The winter inside veg will be ready to be compost by then. With the cut and come again on leaf vegetables, they will be tired by spring. I trim off the top 2/3 of the lettuce or spinach leaves, and they will grow back. It takes several plants, in a rotation, since some are growing back as others are ready to cut again. The ones I had grown looked bent over and kind of wilted when I used the heating pad elements underneath. I read on the net that I didn't need the underneath heat for them, and it might be detrimental. In my case, it turned out to be true. If I hadn't read it on a garden site, i would probably have killed them with kindness, not knowing they were too warm .
I was thinking about Debras post about the yellow and green variegated leaf MGs. I wouldn't be surprised if there were a couple of seeds from the original plant that burst open and I missed collecting them. I usually have a couple volunteers in any area that has the heavy mulch. I could see when the first real leaves appeared that they were blotched with yellow. It would be nice, in case the last seed I'm trying doesn't work out. I will watch for them in the late spring.

Becky,
I took December of 2008. It was one of the (6) MG plants I dug up that grew in a cluster around the mutant one. Emma suggested I bring them in and grow them over the winter, in case they were mutants, too. I real quickly put that one in the middle of a lavender plant, took 2 picks and put it back into the seed shelf. My sister loved those pictures!

Sarah - Thanks for that info on the veggies! I think mine are too warm, though they are not wilted, just not growing very fast. LOL! Maybe that is normal?

I love that snow photo, too! That is one for the books! ;-)

Thanks Becky. A part of the white styrofoam cup shows in the picture. I took the pic because I thought the combination of colors would be pretty.
One of the many great t things about morning glories is that the seeds are viable for such a long time. Probably not all cultivars, but the one I have grown have been that way. The Chachamaru seed that germinated a couple of weeks ago is at least 6 years old now. It was a couple of years old when it was given to me by an ebay seller in 2005. I have ivy leaved white MG seeds from T & M from 2002 that still grow. The leaves are a very deep dark green. Some seeds, like some types of poppies don't last but a few days after harvesting.
Good luck with your veg!
Sarah

Thanks, Sarah! I agree about the long viability of most MG seeds if stored properly. I continue to share seeds that are from 2007 and 2008 which have germinated. So it's good to know that the seeds can last much, much longer than that! :-)

Sarah, I really like that snow MG photo. I also like your growing methods. I would have never thought of the mylar window shields. I have several seedlings that are now sprouted and they are in plastic water bottles with the bottoms being the seed bed and the top another water bottle bottom slid over it for a mini terrerium, and they fit in the window sills perfectly. I am going to try the mylar thing on my garden under lights down stairs, I have a seed table set up.
I had three blooms on an I. Purp today in the pink bedroom window again. They seem to like it up there..
Becky . plz be careful.. hobbling can be dangerous.

Debra,
I'm glad you liked the winter MG photo. My sister says it has an *almost* Japanese feel to it. I think the car solar shields are so much easier to work with, and easier to get, too. I bought mine at the end of the summer at Wal-Mart, and they were cheap, too, The mylar was hard to handle and work with, like loud foil with a bad attitude. I hope the car shields work for you, too. I am going to try your mini terrarium idea. When I get some going I will post them.