Monday, February 27, 2012

Growing Moon Vines

One of my additions to the garden this year will be the hot weather loving night bloomer: the moonvine.  It is notoriously difficult to germinate, and while I might have good luck rooting woody plants, my seed sowing successes have been limited to those who are fine with a fling onto the ground method.

I have visions of it growing up my two story columns on the corner of my front porch.   The area that it will be planted will be completely surrounded by driveway, sidewalk or house, so though a member of the locally invasive ipomoea (morning glory) family, I am not too worried.  If its up in my attic next year I might change my story though. In its planned spot it will only get morning sun, then a brief one hour burst of evening sun, but given the intensity around here, I'm also feeling it will fair pretty well.

A week ago, when I went home for a brief visit to my childhood home, it snowed nearly a foot!  Which was awesome for this southern girl to see, since it melted before I needed to be anywhere seriously, and I looked at the weather at home as a security blanket on the internet and it was 68 degrees.   Anyhow, along the Blue Ridge parkway where I grew up Spring is nowhere near at hand, and coupled with a roaring woodstove, coffee and nothing much to do, my Mom and I flipped through seed catalogs and talked about the gardens.  She then admitted that she had never been able to grow these things.  Therefore, I am bound and determined to grow not one, BUT two so I can give her one all potted up when she visits in late spring.




So here we go.  I think I am going to try several methodologies at the same time.  First the soak method, and if that doesn't work, I'm going to use the nick method.


This involves a couple of seeds, some water, a paper towel, and a baggie.  Combine and you get this:

I will check it every day for the next several and once (or if) I see the shell split I'm going to plant it in my handy dandy see through milk carton and peat moss and gallon baggie combo that I am partial too.

P.S.  3 days later:

2 of the 4 seeds have sprouted, so I'm going with this soak plus warm window method.  Into the sphagnum they go!




12 comments:

  1. I love moonflowers. Each spring I throw a couple of packets into a bowl of warm water, put the bowl in a sunny window, then plant them after they start showing growth. The only bad side of moonflower vines is they get looking kinda raggedy come fall. That's why I like to grow them with other vines that are prettier. Watching them unfold is the coolest thing ever!
    Jeanni

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    1. Ooh, what do you grow with it? I think thats probably a good idea. Its either that or I might cut it all the way back. I was planning on growing it with a morning glory.

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  2. My sister has them growing over her boxwoods every year. Where they came from we do not know but she has to pull half of them out every year or they will take over.

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  3. Great job getting these seeds to germinate so quickly. Your mom's house looks so gorgeous with all the evergreens coated in white. Though I agree it's nice if you don't have to actually go anywhere in all that snow.

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  4. I love moonflowers! The hummingbird moths just love them, too. I nick and soak (not taking any chances!), but looks like your soaking method is doing the job well. They are not invasive like the morning glories, thank goodness. Enjoy yours! I think you'll love them!

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  5. I think moon vine is a wonderful, romantic flower. Be sure to plant yours where you can catch a glimpse of it when looking out a window at night. I love seeing it glowing in the moonlight!

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  6. Excellent Jess..success and I love the snow at your family home...just gorgeous.

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  7. I used to grow everything from seed and moonflowers were easy so I predict success. Maybe I will try them again this year---you have inspired me.

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  8. Jess, I always wanted to grow a moon vine, but never got around to do it. I believe they are fabulous plants. Good luck with sprouting yours, the germination process seem to start out very well. I hope you get also one for your mom!
    Christina

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  9. Thanks everyone! I've been traveling this week and just got a chance to look at the comments. They are all potted up now. 3 out of the 4 sprouted. Not bad. I'll report more as they (hopefully) grow.

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  10. Hi Jess. Tried to reply to your reply to my comment, but it wouldn't let me for some reason. hmmmm. Anyway, I grow them up an arbor with Carolina Jasmine and Swamp Jasmine. I've never had my MFs survive a winter here or when I lived in Savannah. They do give me lots of seedpods and seeds though.
    Jeanni

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  11. I did those too.. I'm moore worried about saving seeds. ;)

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