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Mar 25, 2014 7:07 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Joseph
Delaware USA (Zone 7a)
Adeniums Region: United States of America Plant and/or Seed Trader Salvias Region: Delaware Morning Glories
Container Gardener Composter Garden Photography Brugmansias Annuals Vermiculture
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Here is a view of my plant I have been growing at the office for a couple of months. I am growing it ”bonsai” style by pruning the vines to form a compact plant that will make a number of flowers all opened simultaneously. By pruning the vines in this manner the plant will develop larger flowers than what is seen in unpruned plants.



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Last edited by Gerris2 Apr 10, 2014 9:50 AM Icon for preview
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Mar 25, 2014 10:10 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Joseph
Delaware USA (Zone 7a)
Adeniums Region: United States of America Plant and/or Seed Trader Salvias Region: Delaware Morning Glories
Container Gardener Composter Garden Photography Brugmansias Annuals Vermiculture
I grew it under short daylight conditions, which triggers flower production in Ipomoea nil. All I did was prune the plant once, snipping the main vine above leaf 5. Today I made a second cut on the secondary vines above the third flower buds. I took off the growth that appeared at leaf nodes 1 & 2, letting secondary vines grow at leaf nodes 3, 4 & 5.

There are 9 flower buds all coming along, hopefully opening simultaneously in a blaze of deep blue color!
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Mar 25, 2014 10:19 AM CST
Name: Anne
Summerville, SC (Zone 8a)
Only dead fish go with the flow!
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I'll have to give that a whirl!
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Mar 25, 2014 10:33 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Joseph
Delaware USA (Zone 7a)
Adeniums Region: United States of America Plant and/or Seed Trader Salvias Region: Delaware Morning Glories
Container Gardener Composter Garden Photography Brugmansias Annuals Vermiculture
Anne,

It is best if you use a yellow leaf variety, such as Ukigomo. The yellow leaf strain of Ipomoea nil has short internode distance so the plant will stay in its short squat presentation after you make the cuts on the vines.
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Mar 25, 2014 1:17 PM CST
Name: Anne
Summerville, SC (Zone 8a)
Only dead fish go with the flow!
Plant and/or Seed Trader Birds Cat Lover Greenhouse Tropicals Bulbs
Seed Starter Garden Ideas: Master Level Hibiscus Hybridizer Garden Sages Butterflies
Thanks! I've 'bonsai'd' inadvertently a lot of plants by failing to repot rooted cuttings or seedlings in tiny pots (usually 2 inch). The rosa-sinensis hibiscus seems to do it the best .. I had a perfect El Capitolio bloom that was only 3 inches! I'm actually planning this year to try it out on other plants .. and MG's are definitely on my list to try this with .. I'll give the pruning a go too. I wonder if the Sunsmile MG's would be good candidates because they don't climb.
Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.
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Mar 25, 2014 1:35 PM CST
Name: woofie
NE WA (Zone 5a)
Charter ATP Member Garden Procrastinator Greenhouse Dragonflies Plays in the sandbox I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database!
The WITWIT Badge I helped plan and beta test the plant database. Dog Lover Enjoys or suffers cold winters Container Gardener Seed Starter
Oh, this look interesting, Joseph! If it works out well, it would be good material for an article. I've been curious about how to do this. Smiling
Confidence is that feeling you have right before you do something really stupid.
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Mar 25, 2014 3:21 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Joseph
Delaware USA (Zone 7a)
Adeniums Region: United States of America Plant and/or Seed Trader Salvias Region: Delaware Morning Glories
Container Gardener Composter Garden Photography Brugmansias Annuals Vermiculture
I think the Sunsmiles variety may work well. It's worth trying. The Japanese strive to use Ipomoea nil strains that have been selected for large flower size. I think Sunsmiles may lack in giant sized flowers but its variegated foliage I've always found attractive. In order to get those large flowers there is a specific regimen of fertilizer applications, when to begin feeding, and at what concentration, when to cut the vine and where, and it's all done on a strict calendar schedule to make them open on the day of a morning glory festival or competition. There are certain methods that have been developed by asagao clubs in Japan that yield different presentations of leaves and numbers of flowers. For example, the Kyoto Method will yield a plant that will have as many as 18 flowers open at one time. The Nagoya Method will make a smaller plant with at most 2 flowers. I am doing a method which is a modification of Nagoya Method I suppose. I am still a student, and have no specific knowledge of the various schedules of production because the language is all in Japanese. I'll get there eventually, I hope, before too long.
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Mar 26, 2014 8:43 AM CST
Name: woofie
NE WA (Zone 5a)
Charter ATP Member Garden Procrastinator Greenhouse Dragonflies Plays in the sandbox I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database!
The WITWIT Badge I helped plan and beta test the plant database. Dog Lover Enjoys or suffers cold winters Container Gardener Seed Starter
I haven't had a lot of luck with Sunsmiles. The blooms seem kind of buried in the foliage and don't open properly. Maybe if I paid closer attention to fertilizing them? I think I still have some seeds. Might be fun to try, at least.
Had no idea the methods were so strict! I hope you're keeping good notes. Smiling
Confidence is that feeling you have right before you do something really stupid.
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Mar 26, 2014 10:05 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Joseph
Delaware USA (Zone 7a)
Adeniums Region: United States of America Plant and/or Seed Trader Salvias Region: Delaware Morning Glories
Container Gardener Composter Garden Photography Brugmansias Annuals Vermiculture
I guess I learn by trying one part of the technique at a time. I'm not on a schedule for getting plants to a morning glory exhibition. Are there even any such events in the USA?
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Mar 26, 2014 1:08 PM CST
Name: Ronnie (Veronica)
Southeastern PA (Zone 6b)
Count your blessings, be grateful
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No events like that in our area that I'm aware of Joseph. I haven't been to the PFS in some time but when I used to go I don't ever remember even seeing any morning glories at all.
Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.
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Mar 26, 2014 2:17 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Joseph
Delaware USA (Zone 7a)
Adeniums Region: United States of America Plant and/or Seed Trader Salvias Region: Delaware Morning Glories
Container Gardener Composter Garden Photography Brugmansias Annuals Vermiculture
That would be the best venue, but many folks would miss the flowers and only get to see the leaves.
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Mar 28, 2014 2:57 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Joseph
Delaware USA (Zone 7a)
Adeniums Region: United States of America Plant and/or Seed Trader Salvias Region: Delaware Morning Glories
Container Gardener Composter Garden Photography Brugmansias Annuals Vermiculture
The flower buds are getting larger! We ought to see flowers in a couple of weeks.


Thumb of 2014-03-28/Gerris2/f3cb00
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Mar 30, 2014 10:05 AM CST
Name: woofie
NE WA (Zone 5a)
Charter ATP Member Garden Procrastinator Greenhouse Dragonflies Plays in the sandbox I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database!
The WITWIT Badge I helped plan and beta test the plant database. Dog Lover Enjoys or suffers cold winters Container Gardener Seed Starter
Yea! Two of my old Sunsmile seeds have sprouted! They should be fun to play with. Smiling
Confidence is that feeling you have right before you do something really stupid.
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Mar 30, 2014 10:08 AM CST
Name: Anne
Summerville, SC (Zone 8a)
Only dead fish go with the flow!
Plant and/or Seed Trader Birds Cat Lover Greenhouse Tropicals Bulbs
Seed Starter Garden Ideas: Master Level Hibiscus Hybridizer Garden Sages Butterflies
I've had MG seeds that were 12 years old sprout with no difficulties. MG seeds have a VERY long shelf life in my experience.
Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.
Douglas Adams
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Mar 30, 2014 11:01 AM CST
Name: woofie
NE WA (Zone 5a)
Charter ATP Member Garden Procrastinator Greenhouse Dragonflies Plays in the sandbox I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database!
The WITWIT Badge I helped plan and beta test the plant database. Dog Lover Enjoys or suffers cold winters Container Gardener Seed Starter
The I. tricolor don't seem to keep as long, tho. Or maybe it's just me they hate! Hilarious!
Confidence is that feeling you have right before you do something really stupid.
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Mar 30, 2014 10:44 PM CST
hungary
Bonsai morning glory .... in some pruning !


Thumb of 2014-03-31/dany12/5ec076 *Blush*
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Mar 31, 2014 5:26 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Joseph
Delaware USA (Zone 7a)
Adeniums Region: United States of America Plant and/or Seed Trader Salvias Region: Delaware Morning Glories
Container Gardener Composter Garden Photography Brugmansias Annuals Vermiculture
That diagram basically shows what I described earlier in this thread. A difference lies in that I did not snip the central vine where there is a 2 in a circle. So I will have an extra secondary vine with 3 more flowers, I hope.
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Apr 3, 2014 5:40 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Joseph
Delaware USA (Zone 7a)
Adeniums Region: United States of America Plant and/or Seed Trader Salvias Region: Delaware Morning Glories
Container Gardener Composter Garden Photography Brugmansias Annuals Vermiculture
The buds are getting big, they should open up I'm hoping next week! Click on the photo to see it better.


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Apr 3, 2014 6:05 PM CST
Name: woofie
NE WA (Zone 5a)
Charter ATP Member Garden Procrastinator Greenhouse Dragonflies Plays in the sandbox I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database!
The WITWIT Badge I helped plan and beta test the plant database. Dog Lover Enjoys or suffers cold winters Container Gardener Seed Starter
How fun! Can't wait to see how it turns out. Smiling
Confidence is that feeling you have right before you do something really stupid.
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Apr 8, 2014 7:55 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Joseph
Delaware USA (Zone 7a)
Adeniums Region: United States of America Plant and/or Seed Trader Salvias Region: Delaware Morning Glories
Container Gardener Composter Garden Photography Brugmansias Annuals Vermiculture
And the waiting is over. Here's the first flower of the 9 buds on the plant. The color is a deep blue, which is a different kind of blue when using the flash on the camera.

It was a fun learning experience. I think I'll try the Kyoto method this summer.

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