Moonflower

[horticulturist]

I am going to be growing some moonflowers soon. Does any one know when to plant the seeds, how much sun,etc. Is it just like a morning glory that blooms at night? I know they are related somehow. Do you give it the same care? Thanks for any info.

 

[jimscott]

By moonflower, are you referring to morning glories / ipomaea? I plant them right about now. They take awhile to germinate. they have hard seedcoats and need saturated conditions. Some folks nick the seeds to help get them started.

 

[Guest]

The moonflower I am talking about is the one that is related to the Morning Glories, but it blooms when moonlight hits it and closes when the morning sun hits it. Morning Glories bloom when sunlight hits them and close when the sunlight fades. They are the opposite but still related. Any tips in growing them will be appeciated.

 

[PlantAKiss]

You are probably referring to Datura...or jimpson weed. Its also called moonflower. Daturas are related to morning glories. The plants get quite large (shrub-like). I understand they like a lot of sun. I've always wanted to grow them but don't have the space or the sun. But its a beautiful flower. I believe they are pollinated by moths (bloom at night).

 

[nepgrower]

The moonflower I have does look like a morning glory but is white and about 6-8 inches across the bloom. It does bloom at night. Ours comes back from seeds from the previous year. It is in full sun. The seeds are rock hard and probably should be soaked in water a day before planting. The first year we planted this plant we had really poor germination, but you only need one or two vines as they can get big. We also have Datura and it comes back from the roots as well as seeds (zone 7). It likewise loves full sun.

 

[DizzyLizzy]

I've been trying to get some moonflowers started for a while. One year I had a good batch going and they died during/because of a move. The last few times I've tried they die shortly after sprouting. I start them indoors and try to give them as much sun as possible, I keep the soil pretty damp and still seem to have no luck. Any ideas on how to get them past the sprouting stage would be great. Thanks all!

 

[jimscott]

Hi Betty - (Or is this Meg?) I did a quick search and came up with this site:My Webpage

 

[DizzyLizzy]

Great, thanks Jimscott, gave me a few new ideas, And I think I'm gonna get some new soil too.
Thanks again,
Meg

 

[jimscott]

You're welcome!

 

[DizzyLizzy]

Alack and alas, I am begining to think it was not meant to be. I had followed alot of the suggestions on the web sites mentioned above, and my moon flowers (and morning glories) were doing wonderfully. They were all at least 2-3 inches tall and looking very healthy. I thought I would put them outside to enjoy some one of the first really sunny days we had had for about a week. I then went into Colorado Springs to see my grandparents and do alittle shopping. When I came home I found that a hail storm had gone through , and most of my plants where destroyed. A few of the morning glories look like they might survive, but I'm not going to hold my breath. So I'm going to have to wait a few weeks, and hope I can find some seeds this close to summer, and try yet again. I'm going to be very stubborn and ignore any signs that may be being sent to me and I will suceed in growing some of these silly plants more than three inches high. (I'm just glad that none of them where my mom's CPs!!)

But I just thought I would keep everyone updated.
Meg

 

[jimscott]

You grow girl!

 

[Starman]

I planted some morning glory"cameo". It germinated today, and I planted the seeds on saturday. So It germinated fast, on the packed it said "germination will occur 5-8 days" My germinated in 3 days.
Well, now that its germinated, how do I look after it?
How much sunlight do they need?
How much humidity.etc.
The instructions said "put in dark, cool place(about 15-20C) and cover with clear plastic bag" It worked!
So I would reccomend this!

Regards,
Dino

 

[jimscott]

They do well in full sunlight. I'm not aware of any humidity specifications. Give them a trellis or something their tendrils can latch onto. By late summer a little as one plant can spread sufficiently to cover much area with beautiful flowers.