Image – Wikimedia/CT Johansson
Morning glory is an herb with very pretty flowers, which bloom during the hottest season of the year. Moreover, as it does not grow much, it is one of the plants that are kept in pots, for example on a table on the terrace, or near the swimming pool.
The seeds germinate very quickly, within a few days, so they are ideal for a good start in gardening, even for children. But, Do you know how to care for potted morning glory? So that problems do not arise, I will tell you below.
Choose a pot with drainage holes
The material it is made of is not as important as whether it has at least one hole in its base or not. The plant we are going to grow does not tolerate stagnant water in its roots, since it is not an aquatic plant. For this reason, it is very important that you look for a container that has holes; otherwise, the morning glory won’t last us long.
Another point we need to talk about is the size of said pot. For this, you will have to look at the plant itself, because if it is still very young and is in a seed tray for example, you will have to put it in a small pot, about 10 or 12 centimeters in diameter. . But if we have just bought an already grown specimen, we will put it in a specimen that is about 6, or at most 8 centimeters more in width and height.
Can we put a plate under the pot?
In general, I do not recommend it, because as we have just said, it does not like having waterlogged roots. But yes, it might be a good idea to leave it on if after watering we thought of emptying it.
Likewise, it could also be added if the summers in our area are very hot to the point that the land dries up practically overnight. But for that it would be necessary to control the irrigation a lot, by checking the humidity of the substrate before watering, so as not to make the mistake of pouring water on it while it still has some.
One way to do this is to use a wooden stick, like chopsticks in Japanese restaurants. It is inserted downwards, and voila. When you take it out, you’ll see if it’s dry, in which case you’ll need to hose it down, or if it’s wet.
What plant substrate do you need?
Although very hardy, the morning glory, whose scientific name is Mirabilis jalapa, you need a growing medium of a certain quality; that is to say, you can’t put any type of soil in it, otherwise you would have to assume the risk that it will get sick, or you can’t control the risks well and that at the end he dies.
It’s more, That’s why I recommend buying dirt bags from well-known brands.like Flower, or even others less known but just as interesting, like Westland or Fertiberia.
When should I water potted morning glory?
When you have a plant in a pot, you must think that the waterings will be a little more frequent than if we have this same plant on the ground, since the container contains much less soil. In addition, As it must be exposed to direct sunlight, it will be necessary to pay attention to the irrigation so that it does not become dehydrated.
We will therefore water frequently in summer, but more spaced out the rest of the year. The question is, how often should you water morning glory in the evening? Well, that will depend on the climate in your area and how long it takes for the soil in the pots to dry out. For it, In general, we can say that it will be watered on average three times a week in summer, and once or twice a week the rest of the year.but if the weather is very hot and dry, you will need to water more often.
How is it watered?
The morning glory the night is watered from above, that is to say pour water on the floor. You must add the necessary amount until it is soaked and until the water comes out of the holes in the pot. Only then can we be sure that we have watered it well.
When do you have to pay?
Morning glory is an herb that you can start fertilizing from the moment it is a seedling until its flowers wilt. For this, organic fertilizers can be applied, such as those authorized for organic farming: mulch, guano, seaweed fertilizer, earthworm humus.
Of course, as it is a plant that we are going to have in a pot, it is preferable that they are liquid, so that the roots do not have difficulty absorbing the nutrients quickly.
When should the pot be changed?
Although it is a plant that only lives a few months since with the onset of cold weather it dies, we will have to change the pot when the roots come out through the drainage holes of the container in which it is at the moment. Thus, you will need at least two changes:
- From seedbed to first pot.
- From the first pot to the second so that it can continue to grow.
- From the third to the fourth, so that it can bloom normally.
In the end, we will have adult grass in a pot about 17-20 centimeters in diameter.
Morning glory is a plant that, as you can see, can be kept in a pot without any problems.