moon flower plants from seed

[jdkline]

I have a question about some moon flower seeds that I started in the house. I put them in an egg carton lid and a little dirt. Been misting them every day and now finally I have little plants growing. They are about an inch high. I am now wondering when I should try to seperate them and put them in their own containers? Should I move them into an egg carton tray and put each one in their own little compartment? And how big should they be when I try to do that? Help!! I don't know what to do. LOL
Thanks
Deb

[zuzu's petals]

I usually transplant seedlings out of a "communal" planting once they have theirs first set of real leaves (NOT the cotelydons).
I don't like to let them grow together long enough to let the roots become too badly entangled with each other.
I'd go ahead and move them up into individual pots that will be large enough to sustain them until
you can plant them in their final, outdoor location - - perhaps 2-3 inch pots?
My thinking is that the fewer times you have to disturb the roots, the better.

Just be sure to gauge your watering especially carefully,
it's easy to over/under water at the time you give a seedling more soil to grow in.

I hope they do well for you, I love Moonflowers!
I always grow a vine in one of the pots near the patio,
that way we can enjoy the scent whenever we sit out there in the evening.

[jdkline]

Thank you zuzu. I assume that the cotlyedons are the first little leaves that popped up? I hope they make it too. I still have more seeds of them but planted waaaaaayyyy too many already. I have around 24 little plants. Do you think it would be possible to share these with people here later? Or do you think them trying to make the trip would be too much? I'm asking cause I'm not sure if I want to plant that many of them out in the yard. LOL One more thing please......when they are planted outside should they be in full sun or do they do better in shade? Or maybe it really doesnt matter? LOL I got these seeds last year from a master gardner that lives by me and I'm sure she told me what to do with them but she gave me a whole car full of plants at that time.....I cant remember everything about every plant she gave me. By the time I got home I had lost some of the names of them too. But I can go back and ask her about that later in the summer. Are some of these vines and some not? Or is the one I have likely to be a vine too? Ooopps that was 2 more things. LOL
Thanks,
Deb
PS I'm going to google them right now. That will probably help alot.

[zuzu's petals]

You are most welcome , there may be others with different suggestions that work equally well.
It sure sounds like you got lots of great goodies from your gardening friend.

Do you think it would be possible to share these with people here later? Or do you think them trying to make the trip would be too much?

I have successfully traded young plantlets through the mail,
I do grow them on for several weeks or even months, depending on their vigor.
Careful packaging is critical, I sometimes slide the tops of the wrapped plantlets
into paper towel or wrapping paper tubes to protect them -
taping the wrapped rootball firmly to the end of the tube.
That way, I can use plenty of crumpled paper around the plants to keep them from
shifting and to help insulate them as they travel.
And I watch the weather VERY carefully before shipping,
tender little ones are more suceptible to damage from excessive cold OR heat while in transit.

With many plants, it just makes more sense and definitely costs less to simply send seed.

I assume that the cotlyedons are the first little leaves that popped up?

Yes, you are right, the cotyledons are those first 'leafy' looking thingies that emerge from the seed,
the 'real' leaves will follow shortly thereafter.

Are some of these vines and some not? Or is the one I have likely to be a vine too?

Ah! Here we bump into the issue of 'common names'
and the confusion that sometimes comes of using them,

If the 'Moonflower' that you are growing is Ipomoea alba,
then yes, that is a vining plant, closely related to 'Morning Glory'
and it likes the same sort of growing conditions.
I'd give it a location with at least a half a day of good sun.

But another plant that some people call 'Moonflower' is Datura innoxia
(or a couple of other white flowering Daturas),
and if this is what you are growing, it will be a shrubby plant, not a vine.
It also grows well in full sun, but can tolerate a location where it gets
a half a day - either one grows well in average quality, well drained soil.

[bali]

Moon flowers get really huge.. I had them one time and made me mad, cause they open up when we have darkness.. they grow very large vines. And bloom a lot.
They were fun.

[ok_nurse]

I planted the moonflower seeds from Deb with some blue morning glory on a trellis along the wall of the front of my house. My MIL came over Saturday and told me the moonflower takes several years to bloom. Is this true? I guess it doesn't matter cause the morning glories will still grow up and bloom along the trellis this year and I can replant them next spring but I was hoping to have both alongside of each other on the trellis this summer. One can bloom in the morning and one in the evening. At least this was the plan.

[zuzu's petals]

I planted the moonflower seeds from Deb with some blue morning glory on a trellis along the wall of the front of my house. My MIL came over Saturday and told me the moonflower takes several years to bloom. Is this true? I guess it doesn't matter cause the morning glories will still grow up and bloom along the trellis this year and I can replant them next spring but I was hoping to have both alongside of each other on the trellis this summer. One can bloom in the morning and one in the evening. At least this was the plan.

If this is Moonflower Vine (Ipomoea alba), it should certainly bloom for you this year.

In fact, it is an annual in my zone 8 garden. It is a quick-growing vine
which generally blooms within 60 - 90 days after sprouting.
It dies back at frost, but supplies me with plenty of seeds to grow it year after year.

[jdkline]

This should bloom this year. The people I got it from pick the seed pods off and save them for planting the following year. If I go by there and see them out in the next few days I will stop and ask them. I'm fairly sure this is an annual. If it had been a perrenial (sp) they would have dug a plant for me. But hopefully I will see them out in the yard and be able to ask them about it.
I'm thinking its an annual because they gave all plants except for 2 seeds. One was the moonflower and one was scarlet runner bean. And both of them needed to be planted in the spring instead of the fall, which makes me think annual. And I"m sure at least on the scarlet runner bean that they said it wouldnt come back next year unless seeds were planted. And I thought the same for the moon flower.
I guess we will soon see huh? LOL
Deb

[bali]

They bloom first year and at nite......Mine did anyways ......THus I always forgot to look at them .. Ha ha

Just hide and watch..

bali

[AlphaDog]

Just out of curiosity... How long did it take your Moon Flower seeds to sprout out of the soil? I've had some planted for 3 weeks and still nothing... Are they dead? lol

If they are, thats fine, I have more. But could you please tell me how to start these seeds? Do they need to be soaked for 12 hours before planting or what?

Probably be easier to PM me. I don't want to hijack your post.

[zuzu's petals]

Hi David, 3 weeks sounds a bit long ... but if your soil wasn't quite warm enough yet,
it could take that long, they may surprise you yet.

I haven't ever bothered with soaking my Moonflower vine seeds before planting,
but I don't see how it could hurt.

One tip, to help figure out if your seeds are still viable,
stir them around in an inch or two of water and see if they sink or float ...
sinkers are good but floaters aren't.

[bali]

Here is another method......
Take and wet a papertowel.....Put couple seeds in it and roll it up and put it in a plastic baggie, sealed.

In about a week you should see sprouts..

[AlphaDog]

That's great!! Thanks for the tips!

[bali]

My pleasure.

[danabird]

I planted six from seeds and the stupid squirrels dug them up. I put 4'o clocks out there now and so far they haven't got into them.