Ipomoea is the largest genus in the family Convolvulus. It is common in tropical and subtropical forests of the entire planet. Flexible vines, shrubs and small trees, covered with heart-shaped leaves and large bright flowers, are very decorative, so they are often used to decorate the garden, terrace and balcony. In a culture, curly forms are more often used. Tender and unpretentious morning glory is very in demand among gardeners. Fast-growing vines create a long-awaited shadow at the beginning of summer, and fragrant flowers contribute to relaxation and a joyful mood.
Plant description
Ipomoea is an annual and perennial climbing vine, grass, shrubs and dwarf trees with bloated caudex. The name of the genus translates as "worm-like." This refers to the structure of the rhizome. Thickened smooth shoots spread in all directions far from the growth point. Often nodules rich in nutrients are formed on the rhizome. They can be eaten.
The shoots are covered with long-leaved foliage of bright green color. Leaflets have a heart-shaped or rounded shape with radial veins on the surface. The edges of the leaves are solid, and the end is often elongated and pointed.
The first flowers appear in mid-July. Replacing each other, they delight the eye to frost. In the natural environment, morning glory blooms all year round. On young flexible shoots, in the axils of leaves and at the ends of sprouts, racemose blossoms with large funnel-shaped flowers bloom. The diameter of the congenitally corolla reaches 12 cm. The buds open early in the morning, in clear weather. At night and on cloudy days they fold. Petals can have white, red, pink or blue color, be monophonic, two or three-colored. Filamentous stamens with large anthers and a column of ovary peep out from the central tube.
Pollination occurs with the help of insects and wind. After that, large black seeds ripen in closed seed boxes. They have a triangular shape and a rough surface.
Species diversity
The genus Ipomoea is considered the largest in the family. It includes more than 1000 species of plants. More than half of them are used in landscape design. In addition to the main (species) morning glories, there are breeding varieties. Almost all garden morning glories are perennial plants, but they react poorly to the slightest cooling, so they are grown in the gardens as annuals.
Ipomoea Neil. Branched over the entire length of the vine with soft grassy shoots grows up to 3 m in length. It is covered with large broadly oval foliage growing opposite to the long petioles. Leaflets are painted in dark green color. Between them, funnel-shaped flowers of red, pink, blue and blue bloom. The diameter of the opened bud reaches 10 cm. Varieties:
- Serenade - terry morning glory with dark red corrugated flowers with a diameter of 8 cm;
- Picoti - blooms blue and red half-double flowers with a white border.
Morning glory Ipomoea. Flexible grassy shoots grow 3-6 m in length. They are covered with heart-shaped leaves and bloom large snow-white flowers with a diameter of up to 10 cm. The buds open at night or on cloudy days. They exude a strong aroma.
Ipomoea Kvamoklit. The annual variety has an unusual foliage structure. Openwork dissected leaves make twisted reddish shoots more airy, similar to lace. Small tubular flowers bloom between the leaves with a diameter of up to 2 cm. As they bloom, each bud of red becomes cream-white.
Ipomoea tricolor. Thanks to the lateral processes, a large perennial vine resembles a sprawling bush up to 5 m in diameter. Flowering begins in a few years. On an adult plant, large (up to 10 cm) flowers bloom between oval bright green leaves. They are collected in groups of 3-4 buds. Varieties:
- Sky blue - has a bright blue color with thin violet veins closer to the center;
- Flying saucer - flowers with a diameter of up to 15 cm are covered with radial blue and white stripes.
Ipomoea Batat. A plant with flexible grassy shoots grows up to 5 m in length. Large oblong tubers grow on its rhizome. Their nutritious flesh is purple. The mass of the tuber varies greatly and amounts to 0.2-3 kg. Along the entire length of the vines, heart-shaped or palmate-lobed leaves grow. In the sinuses are large flowers of pink, white or lilac color.
The variety looks very interesting Sweet Georgia. This ampoule morning glory grows green-purple leaves of a wedge-shaped or heart-shaped. Leaf length reaches 15 cm. Pink-purple funnel-shaped flowers form in the nodes.
Ipomoea Mina Lobata. Flexible annual with shoots 1-3 m long. Stems are covered with beautiful wrinkled foliage of bright green color. Three-lobed leaves grow on long soft petioles. In their sinuses in the middle of summer, small flowers of an unusual shape appear. The bud with a narrow tube does not open and the exterior looks like miniature bananas. Petals change color from red to orange and yellow.
Propagation of morning glory
The easiest and most convenient way to propagate morning glory is seed. Since in a temperate climate, plants are grown as annuals, the seeds are pre-planted for seedlings. If you sow them in March, then flowering will begin in mid-summer. Two days before sowing, they are soaked in warm (25-30 ° C), clean water. If the shell does not frown, it is damaged with a file or a needle (scarify).
For planting, use a mixture of garden soil with expanded clay and peat. The soil is poured into shallow drawers or peat cups. The seeds are buried by 1-1.5 cm. The soil is watered and the containers are covered with a film. The greenhouse is daily ventilated and sprayed on the ground. At a temperature of + 18 ... + 20 ° C, seedlings appear after 2 weeks. Seedlings 15 cm long begin to tie, so that the vine grows stronger. To get a lush bush at this age, pinch the top.
Perennial morning glory can be propagated by cuttings. For this, shoots are cut in the spring of 15-20 cm long. Each should contain 2-3 knots. The lower cut is done at a distance of 1.5 cm from the site, at an angle of 45 °. The lower foliage is removed. Rooting is carried out in water at a temperature of + 20 ... + 25 ° C. With the advent of the first roots, plants are transplanted into sandy peat soil. After a week, they fully adapt and begin to develop faster.
Landing and care
Garden varieties of morning glory are fast-growing and unpretentious. They can be planted in open ground or grown on the balcony in containers. Seedlings are moved to the flowerbed in late May or early June. The soil should warm up well and completely freeze frost.
For a plant, you need to choose a sunny, open place without strong drafts. Gusts of wind can tear the vine from its support. Seedlings are distributed in shallow pits with a distance of about 20 cm. In order not to damage the roots, it is necessary to preserve the old lump of land or to plant plants along with peat pots.
Immediately after planting, a support is formed in the form of trellis, rods or fishing line. To make the liana branch better, pinch the top of the main shoot. The soil for planting morning glory must be loose and fertile. Suitable soil with a neutral or slightly acidic reaction. If necessary, peat, sand and leafy humus are brought into the ground.
Ipomoea loves moisture. She needs regular and plentiful watering. In the absence of natural precipitation, it is watered every other day. The surface of the soil should always be slightly moist, but water stagnation is unacceptable. Since early September, watering is carried out less frequently, allowing the top layer of soil to dry.
Twice a month, plants are fed a universal mineral complex for flowering plants. It is better to choose compounds with a low nitrogen content. Periodically, you should inspect the plants, cut dry and broken branches, as well as wilted inflorescences.
In the fall, garden morning glory begins to dry. She will not be able to survive the frosty winter, so the vegetation is cut and destroyed, and the site is dug up. On a warm balcony, morning glory can overwinter. To do this, it is necessary to maintain a temperature of about + 15 ... + 18 ° C and good lighting.
Ipomoea is distinguished by strong immunity. Only with prolonged flooding of the soil, dampness and low temperatures does the fungus appear. The main pests of the plant are spider mites and aphids. They settle on the leaves and drink all the juices. When small punctures and cobwebs appear along the edge of the leaf, it is necessary to carefully examine the entire plant and conduct insecticide treatment (Actellik, Aktara, Fitoverm).
Use in landscape design
Morning glory serves as an excellent decoration for vertical surfaces. With its help, it is possible to mask problem areas, decorate the arbor and create a screen from prying eyes. Some species are grown as ampelous plants, placing them on a balcony, veranda or terrace.
Ipomoea can be combined with wild grapes, ivy, hops or other climbing plants. Liana can safely run through tree trunks, fences and walls. It behaves non-aggressively and will not leave damage on surfaces.
