How to succeed with MG seeds, especially Japanese Variety

This is a cross-post from the co-op forum because I hope there will be interest and input here. I'm going to post my approach - if anyone has additional or better ideas, please post. Especially if I'm doing something wrong!

*warning - I have never grown Japanese MG's - so I only know that this works for Grandpa Ott's and hope to replicate that success*

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As far as starting the seeds - I'm quite primitive - I put them in a damp paper towel, room temperature a few weeks before last frost - it's pretty clear early on which ones will germiniate. After that, I put them in good potting soil in the house until after last frost and they harden up a bit.

For these Japanese ones - I'm going to experiment with half of the seeds first (from 3-7, depending on the variety):

1) nick the sides of the hard seeds with a knife (not all the way through the outer shell, just enough so there is a weak point)

1a) Soak half of the first batch in water as Rik suggested, leave the other intact.

2) put the whole batch in a damp paper towel (one/variety) I fold the towel in half, then fold it in half again and put the seeds inside the middle, which gives them two layers of paper towel on either side. I'll mark the towel and put the soaked on one side, and the unsoaked on the other. I'm going to keep them in the same paper towel because this is more "controlled" - they'll have the same amount of moisture and I'll hopefully be able to discern whether there is a difference.

3) put the paper towel and seeds in either a plastic bag or plastic container and watch for a few days - I like to wait until they're ~ 1/2" long, but not quite to the point where the roots are cutting through the paper towel - this could be from 2-6 days. (Note - these are for another variety, might take longer for these). You might have to moisten the towel with a sprayer to keep it damp.

4) put the successes in potting soil in the window until the weather warms up enough.

If the paper towel works, I'll do the same with the second half - and pick the approach that was more successful - whether it was soaking or just nicking.

This has worked > 95% for me with my Grandpa Ott's MG's for the past couple of years and you know right away which ones aren't going to germinate - for those that don't germinate right away, I pull the good ones, plant them and give these slow pokes a second chance - may or may not work. Can't guarantee that it's the best and most professional way to do it, but simple and successful works for me. :)

If this fails, I'll stalk Rik for help!

Hi Sandra! I saw this thread and just thought I'd mention how I've done it for the last few years. Its just an option, but I have found it works very well for me. (I have grown the Blue Silk, Rose Silk, Tye Dye, Sunrise Japanese Mix, and Mt. Fuji this way).

I nick the seed coat using a large fingernail clippers. I soak the seeds in warm water for about two hours, or to the point you can see them begin to swell. I then sow them in soil-less seed starting mix, covering them with about 1/2 inch of mix. The important thing is to not have the soil-less mix too wet, or the seeds will rot and turn to mush before they germinate. I cover the containers with plastic wrap and put them on a heat mat under fluorescent lights. I check the containers of sown seeds at least twice a day to make sure they're not drying out. I usually get germination within 3 to 5 days.

The funny thing is, I have found out that the mg seeds started indoors do not begin to bloom any sooner than seeds I sow directly outside. In my zone my Japanese MG's do not really start taking off until it is good and hot. I've put transplants outside in early June and they just sit there until at least July, when it finally remains consistently warm here.

I have lost MG vines that I started too early indoors and thats why I don't start many seeds indoors. If you do plant them directly outside, you will have to remember to keep them moist until they germinate (I nick the ones I sow outdoors too).

This is just the way I start mine, I know not everyone has a seed starting setup in their basement. I wish everyone luck with growing all the wonderful seeds you brought back for them! Here's a pic of one of my Mt Fuji from a prior year. Just too cool!

Sandy

Seedsower, where did you get seed?

Seedsower -- I'll be. You've found many of the techniques I've puzzled out over time and answered the questions with which I was still struggling -- though I had my suspicions. Left to my own resources, I'm sure I would have arrived at this in another ... two years.

For the sake of redundancy and, I hope, to benefit my fellow Japanese Morning Glory Co-operators, I'd like to emphasize a couple of the bullets your method dodges.

Nicking – I also like using nail clippers. I find them much less frustrating than a nail file and less dangerously ineffective than a knife – no more julienning of seeds and/or fingertips. From watching the unfolding sprout, I’ve seen that the pointed tip of the seed, opposite the ‘eye,’ is farthest from the vital bits – where the cotyledons (seed halves) meet the hypocotyl (which becomes the lower stem down to the root). (No, this is not my normal vocabulary; I got frustrated at not knowing what to call these things and looked them up a few months back.) So nipping that tip is not only easiest, it is safest in terms of avoiding damage to the sprout – the worst you can do is mangle the leaf-tips. Since I have big, clumsy fingers that can’t easily stabilize the seeds, I use needle-nosed pliers to grip them (gently) for this operation.

Soaking – If one leaves Japanese Morning Glory or other Ipomoea tricolor seeds to soak overnight, as we do our American I. purpurea MGs, one will wake up to fully expanded cotyledons and partially unfurled yellowish leaves floating separate from the seed casings that they have outswelled. Just try to keep that bit of salad from rotting once you bury it.

After doing that a few times, I put them to soak earlier in the day and checked on them every half hour or so. I found that some seeds were sufficiently dilated after the first half hour, and some took as long as two or two and a half hours. Not more.

Bacterial Rot -- These seeds seem to be more vulnerable to bacteria and fungi than I. purpurea, so it is important to use a fresh, sterile medium. If soil-less starting mix is not available, at least use fresh potting soil, preferably one without fertilizer added. Recycled potting soil or yard dirt contains microbes that will attack and rot the seed or unfolding sprout. These non-sterile media (especially with added fertilizer) contain nutrients that feed bacteria and fungi and that the germinating seed doesn’t need. The seed uses nutrition stored in the cotyledons to sprout and put down its first roots.

Cool temperatures seem to help the germs overtake the sprout, which will grow more slowly or not at all when it’s too cold. When starting seeds early, it is best to keep them in an environment that is artificially warmed -- on a specialized heating mat, for example. Without such a set-up, wait until the air temperature is warmer.

Too much moisture provides a good situation for germs to grow and prevents the medium from being sufficiently aerated -- effectively drowning the sprout. Yet the seed/sprout would also be injured if it is allowed to dry out. Sterile, soil-less starting mix moistens easily and drains quickly; it provides the delicate balance of a humid medium that remains well aerated. All moisture would evaporate very quickly on the warmth of a heating mat if it weren’t trapped by a covering of plastic wrap. Still, the humidity goes quickly, and checking frequently to be sure that the medium has not dried is vital.

Heat and Light -- Japanese Morning Glories, like many other rapidly growing plants, will not start that rapid growth until the air and soil temperatures are warm enough. The length of light exposure is equally important. Japanese Morning Glory exhibitors will manipulate the photoperiod to influence the vines’ growth rate and, more importantly (for them), in order to induce blooming. Many of these morning glories begin to bloom in response to the shortening days of later summer. Serious exhibitors will use shortened-light-period “therapy” to bring the vines into bloom for a competition.

So, don’t be surprised or disappointed if you don’t have blooms until after Mid-Summer’s Night/the Summer Solstice/the Feast of St. John or whatever you want to call the longest day followed by the shortest night.

Ok, I think that horse is dead now.

Sandy, if you are still reading, I’d love to know what “Sunrise Japanese Mix” is and where you found it. I’m familiar with the others you mentioned, but several meta-search engines say that this mix is nowhere on the internet, and I know I’m not going to come across it in the racks at Walmart.

This message was edited Monday, Jan 20th 5:00 AM

Hi PlanterRik: I'm going to post a few pics of the MGs that were included in my Sunrise Mix. I'd have to check where I got them since it was several years ago. I think I've seen this same flower entered in the "ugly" category of the morning glory contest. Maybe whoever entered it knows its by another name?!

Sandy

Here's another of the "mix"!

Sandy

And lastly....

-Sandy-

Shame on whoever thought they were ugly. Their vines should be confiscated immediately and redistributed to those who can appreciate them.

Is that variegation on all their leaves?

Please do let me know the source, if you can find it. Alternatively, if you still have seed, just tell me what you want for them!

Akatsuki Murasaki (80906)

Soaked as per PlanterRik's instructions of checking every half hour or so and then planting immediately as each seed swells.

It took an entire day to do this method but it worked very well. It seemed that the ones the swelled the easiest did the best on germination rate. I soaked 150 seeds of 23 different colors. They were planted right into the ground in Mid June.

The variegated foliage has been as enjoyable as the bloom.
They bloom is more than two times the size of Grandpa Ott's.