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OT- when do you start your MG?

16 years ago

Due to my short summer and lack of full sun in my shady garden

I always start MG in my unheated greenhouse mid April. It grows well and gets not too much messy twining before transplant time. Sunnier spots get to bloom mid August and shadier ones in September.

I remember last year posts where someone showed pics of MG twining around light stand indoor and it was lovely. Am wondering what experience other people have in my zone? Best time to start them?

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Comments (7)

vera_eastern_wa
16 years ago
I wintersowed 'Star of Yelta' on April 18th with germination on April 23rd. They were blooming heavy mid July thru August :D
{{gwi:459681}}
rosepedal
16 years ago
I did not know about ws last year and we did not have our gh up. I started my mg's in the kichen under grow lights at the end of febuary. I put them out at end of may and they were doing great until something came along and ate the bottom stems. (frown). Ellen we are like you, a lot of shade so My mg's bloom in september. I figured they bloom that late due to shade. Please let me know if I am wrong about this. This year they will be on my list to be sprayed with hot pepper spray so nothing will eat them. I have received some really nice seeds from wonderful gw members and cannot wait to see them grow. I have a sunny area this year and thought I would buy some tomatoe cages and let them sprawl on that (doesnt cost alot). Vera I love your picture they really are awesome plants. Barb
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Hi Michelelc, I see you're fairly near me. I'm in southerastern CT, about 15 minutes north of the Foxwoods casino if you know where that is. I'm one of the more conservative here on this forum, as I start them later. I usually start the annuum varieties around April 1 and the chinense varieties two weeks earlier, about March 15. I start to harden them off when the weather gets real nice, about the second week of May, and transplant around Memorial Day every year. I usually get good fruits starting in late July, and the chinense are even later, usually late August up till frost. I've had some bad luck in the past with setting out too early, where they get cold feet and refuse to grow for a few weeks. That experience has left me a little bit timid about setting out too early. Others here have had good results setting out much earlier, so I could probably get away with it too, but in truth, I'm pretty busy before Memorial Day anyway (I'm a teacher), so it works well for me. Here's an old photo of my peppers about two weeks before transplanting them. This was just before I began to harden them off. It was a good year.
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vera_eastern_wa
16 years ago
...and how do you like my ugly ugly put-together-fast trellis LOL! I just wrapped bale wire around that made up tepee :O

After awhile tho you could hardly see it...thanks goodness LOL! I had those MGs planted before they ever starting vining...actually just 1-2 sets of true leaves. It didn't take long for these ones to burst forth at all. I had them in a few different beds and they were nice. I also did one in trade called "Sunrise Serenade" but all of them were weak little suckers and slow as molasses in winter...hmmm

Vera
sheltieche
Original Author
16 years ago
Sunrise serenade is one reason why MG my latest favorites even that I do not have much sun. They were gorgeous exactly as pictured. Bloomed very late so did not get as much seeds as I was hoping.
Barb
everything planted in shade as compare to sun will bloom later by two weeks or so- my personal experience compare to my neighbor sunny garden.
Julie
16 years ago
I find it best when I spring sow my MG and keep them in a warmish spot till the weather warms up and I can transplant out into the beds after our Memorial Day frost date.
My best and earliest producing MG this year was 'Wine and Roses".

{{gwi:459683}}

It went crazy and grew so fast so quick! It produced more blooms even after the first fall frost shut down the already open blooms.
The earliest ever blooming MG was a "Knola's Black Knight" that I didn't find a home for soon enough and kept it in it's little styro cup. It vined about a foot and a half and started pumping out blooms in early June!
I usually have to wait till August or September for most MG's in my Z4 yard...
Vera- I thought you must have planted them near the compost bin- They look so healthy and happy! That is a very good solution for an impromptu trellis!
rosepedal
16 years ago
LOL Julie we were posting at the same time. I thought my new computer was having a meltdown. Shoo it wasnt. My neighbor gave me my first mg seedlins. These are hers planted on my trellis. She is a wonderful gardener. You could spend hours in her gardens. Julie what camera is that? Wow I need a new camera what a picture......

{{gwi:459679}}
rosepedal
16 years ago
Vera,
thanks for giving me a idea. I have metal garden stakes and leftover metal square type fencing stuff I used for my gh shelving. I can make some trellis's like yours. Yipee I love morning glorys.
One more question. I never had problems with mg reseeding themselves here. I was thinking maybe I could also plant them on the vegetable garden fence. DO you think they might reseed with more sunlight getting to them. I would dislike having to pull up mg seedlings in my vegetable garden. Any thoughts on this or bad idea. Barb

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