Features, care and cultivation of Ipomoea

Ipomea is the largest genus in the Convolvulaceae family of flowering plants.

the ipomeo it is the largest genus in the flowering plant family convolvulaceaewith over 500 species, is a large and diverse group, with common names such as gmorning lori or VSampanitis

He is from America and currently this genus of flowering plants is found in all tropical and subtropical regions of the world. The generic name is derived from the Greek words fps That is yposwhich means “worm” or “creeper” and homoioswhich means “similar”, in reference to its interlaced port.

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Characteristics of Morning Glory

ipomea is a climbing plant

It includes annual and perennial herbaceous plants, vines, shrubs and small trees; most species are climbers.

They have tall, long stems. When the weather is warm, the tips of the bush’s branches bear clusters of funnel-shaped or tubular flowers, in colors ranging from purple to red, blue, white or yellow.

Most species of morning glory, they have spectacular, colorful flowers and are often grown as ornamental plants. Its flowers attract hummingbirds and long-tongued butterflies. It is a very fragile shrub, its lower stems becoming woody, but in frozen regions it usually dies to the ground and quickly rejuvenates in spring.

Some species, such as Ipomoea batatas, have edible tuberous roots.. The seeds of two varieties of bluebells, Ipomoea tricolor “Heavenly Blue” and “Pearly Gates”, are listed by North Carolina State University as poisonous.

The leaves are narrowly oval, with long pointed ends. are a main feature to avoid confusion with noxious weeds Ipomoea cairicawhich has five-lobed leaves.

some people use morning glory for its high content of medical and psychoactive compounds, mainly alkaloids. Some species are famous for their properties in folk and herbal medicine and other species are used as potent entrecogenes.

Care and cultivation of morning glory

Although adaptable to most conditions, Morning Glories or Camapanillas prefer a sunny position and plenty of water during the growing season. It should be planted in moderately fertile, well-drained soil.

You need to water and fertilize the plant monthly during the growing season, but in winter you need to give sparingly.

These plants need a lot of space and should be cut back after flowering. Some climbing species may require support, as vines that do not attach to any kind of support simply grow along the ground and can choke out other plants.

Care and cultivation of Ipomea

In very windy locations, shelter should be provided. This tropical shrub must be tied up in the spring in order to produce more offshoots. It will grow as a herbaceous perennial in mild winter regions where frosts occur.

If the right conditions are met, these plants can be invasivesome species grow so easily that they become weeds in some parts of the world.

If it comes from seeds, you must first cut them with a sharp knife, scrape them lightly with sandpaper or a nail file and then soak them in water for 24h before sowing at 18°C ​​in spring.

Carefully drain the seeds on paper and plant them before they dry out. covering them with half a centimeter of soil and separating them about 15 cm from each other.

Plants may be vulnerable to attack by various insect pests, such as aphids or aphids, caterpillars and ants. A strong current from the hose knocks the aphids off the plant, so repeat this every two or three days until the pests are gone.

Plants infested with caterpillars or larvae can be treated with Bacillus thuringiensis powder and against ants, you can use poison bait. Diseases such as white blister, rust, fungal leaf spot, stem rot, wire blight, charcoal rot and wilt can also occur, so be very careful.

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