I love the vining night blooming moonflower . The main draw back is that it takes so long to mature here that I don't get to enjoy the flowers very long before it frosts. For that reason I have decided not plant any next year. I haven't tired to winter sow it as this will be the first year I will be doing that. I have always soaked the seeds and directly ground sowed.

When I take them down they always have large seed pods on the earliest blooms but look too imature to keep.

Now the morning glorys reseed so readly that they have become a 'weed' in the garden.

Connie

Yes, it is an annual and it can self-sow itself in zones where it is not hardy. I tried these last spring though I had no luck getting germination. I did though do some gardenweb research and searched the archives for other's experience with them. A number of plants that we call annuals in colder zones are perennials elsewhere and are self-sowers for us cold zone'rs lol

Vera

They're big fat morning glories! I have winter sowed them and had them rot. I have also winter sowed them and had them emerge - the sprouts look like crazy dinosaurs - and have them killed by late cold weather.

The problem is here is that I don't get blooms. I think Alison who is also here in Columbus, Ohio has tried as well. You can late winter sow them, but you are running the risk of no blooms here in our part of the country.

They are indeed annuals.

Connie,
That is my problem too...I'm lucky if they mature before the frost. I only got buds on the white ones this year-- didn't stay warm long enough for blooms. I did get blooms from the "chocolate" ones, though.
I'm hoping the MGs and Moonflowers will reseed for me, the ones that did bloom.
I have the same problem with Daturas (not Jimson-weed, but the Angel Trumpets that you can buy seeds for). I did get a few blooms from the one I overwintered last year. It's back inside, overwintering now. It has a woody stem now-- pretty cool.

L

They are really cold sensitive, I like to start them indoors early. I'm trying a trick recommended I think by Karyn, not necessarily on this forum: I dug up a couple of plants after frost killed the tops and am overwintering them inside - should get a great early start next year.

Here's a good thread regarding these in colder zones....
One of the posters (LindaMA) had her vines starting to bloom 2nd week of August....

Here is a link that might be useful: Moonflower Vine is just starting to flower...

Wanted to share my moonflowers with you. I had two arches full and the pictured one did the best with flowers till hard frost.

Connie

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After seeing the pictures I might change my mind and try one more time!

How do you do it?? I Live in zone 8ish-9 and I still can't get these doggone things to grow?!! I've tried two years in a row and no success!! argh!! I love em' I plant em' and they won't grow for me !! What gives?!
Barb

I started moonflower last spring in a sunny window (April-ish) and had blooms by the late June/early July. Not a ton of blooms, mind you, but a fair amount. The vine, itself, however, took over the bed it was in and I was always cutting it out of other plants and bushes.
I managed to get two of three seeds to germinate and they over-filled the whole garden! Once established, they got monstrous. And I'm in zone 6. But if it's heat they need, Southwestern Ohio has lots of summer heat.

Connie,
Nice job! They look so nice and healthy!
I do have some seeds left and I'll have to try this again at the new place :D
I really care less if they bloom early enough to get seeds for me. These are just one of those that are easily available in trades...so their setting seed for somebody lol! Just gotta be sure when you request these in trade that you mean the Vine (Ipomoea alba) and not Datura; too many people are calling these Devils Trumpet's Moonflower!! It happened to me already :D

Vera

I live in that dip you see that comes down into Illinois of zone 4 in all the zone climate maps but my zip code says I'm in zone 5.

I have never tired starting them (moomflower vines) in the house as when I did do that with other seeds the plants were so spindly and weak. Thats why I want to do winter sowing for the first time this winter.

Connie

Connie, I do most everything by wintersowing too, but those I do start inside do well if given best light possible and lower growing temperature. High temperature 70+, fertilizers and low light will equal fast spindly weak growth :D

Vera

I wintersowed late Feb. the year before last. They germinated (though not too many) and grew. No nicking or soaking, I just sowed like anything else.

They didn't bloom until around September I think, maybe August. They also seemed have a sleep disorder, seeming to open blossoms at all varying times of morning, noon, and night. While the flowers were beautiful and fragrant, the vines became a huge tangled, ugly jungle. I really don't plan to sow them again.

So many seeds, so little time... there are so many seeds in this world that I've yet to try, the moon vine won't make it back on my list of things to sow for quite a while.

Karen