Morning Glory Help for South Facing Window

7 years ago

last modified: 7 years ago

Hello,

I have read as much as possible here and am now ready to seek out final advice specific to my situation before taking action.

I live in an apartment with a 7'x4' window in my bedroom. I live
about 200m from the beach, in Zone 9b : 25 to 30 (F). I would like to
plant vines (Heavenly Blue) outside the window to mitigate the temps
inside my room.

My plan is to attach a trellis to the studs supporting my awning.
I may build one myself using some paracord, or even just install large
hooks and hang that 4 gauge wire fencing they use for farm enclosures
(https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/feedlot-panel-cattle-16-ft-l-x-50-in-h).
They sell eight foot versions, so I would simply use two of those, side
by side, hanging from the hooks.

I am limited in terms of width, because there is a parking space
adjacent to my apartment. I cannot take up the whole space (between my
walls and the border of the parking space itself), nor would I want to.
Surely someone, given enough time, will come along and misjudged the
distance and hit my pots / raised garden.

My initial questions concern the growing containers. I want to make sure
I have enough plants to cover the window. I see that if I provide a
richer soil the Morning Glory plants won't bloom as much, but will
instead grow like crazy. So, that's the plan. What should I use as a
container? Would multiple 5 gallon pots work best (those black plastic
ones you see in the nursery)? Should I invest in something heavier duty?
I know many use two pots, but I do not know that I would have the width
to do so. Would I be better off building a raised garden to specs out
of pressure treated wood / cedar? As alluded to earlier, I am limited in
terms of width to about 12 inches, maybe as much as 14 or 16 inches
pending approval. How would you guys go about this?

I also have questions re soil. What is the best way to do this? Do I
just buy any standard potting soil and something like Miracle Grow,
using it about once or twice a month and keeping up with watering? If I
use pots, would you use more than one seed / plant per pot? If a
horizontal raised bed is used, will every six inches be enough, or
should I drop down to every four inches for proper spacing between
plants? These concerns may be addressed on the seed packets themselves, but I do not have those in my possession yet, so thought I would ask.

I have many more questions but I will start here, hopefully eliminating options and questions as we go along.

Thank you all very much for your help.

Mark

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Comment (1)

NHBabs z4b-5a NH
7 years ago
Based on my experience growing in pots, since you are in zone 9, sandwiched between a building and a parking lot I would get the kind of potting soil with the moisture "crystals" sometimes called soilmoist, which are little nubs of a polymer that absorbs a lot of water and keeps the pots from drying out as quickly. I've had pots that needed watering a couple of times a day before I started using it when situated in a lot of sun. Plan on watering every afternoon when you get home as well as checking the soil in the morning for moisture. Using the largest pots you can fit will help keep moisture more even, and plastic or glazed ceramic is better than something breathable like terra cotta. Some folks have mentioned having pots stolen, so if that might be an issue, use heavy pots (larger are more difficult to remove) or use a cable lock to fasten them to something unmovable nearby. A narrow raised bed might help both with the theft issue and the moisture control.

Be sure that the studs you fasten your trellis to (either cord or fencing should work well) are strong enough to support the weight of the plants as well as the resistance of the plants when it is windy.

There will be suggestions for spacing on the package, and doing a zigzag pattern or a pair of offset rows rather than a single straight line may give you better coverage if you can fit in more plants that way.

There are other annual vines (or tender perennial vines that you may find hardy enough) that are options as well if you want some variety.
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Morning Glory Help for South Facing Window

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NHBabs z4b-5a NH

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