Morning Glory 'Cardinal Climber' - Seed

Sow under glass from the end of February until April.
Sow in the garden from May.
There are two ways to sow Ipomoea:

1. Early - from the end of February already, indoors. Use small pots, one seed per pot. Stand the pots in a propagator or just on a warm windowsill. Keep them moist and the light and heat will do the rest. Keep them back if they shoot too quickly for weather conditions by moving to a cooler but still light spot.
2. Sow directly in the garden, in full sun, from May through to June. Loosen the soil with a fork to about 30 cm deep. Draw a straight furrow approx. 1 cm deep and sprinkle the seed between thumb and forefinger along the row, as thinly as possible. Cover the seeds with half a centimetre of soil, press carefully down and sprinkle with water. Label the row.

The seeds should germinate in 14-21days.
Once the seedlings are at least 10 cm tall and it no longer freezes outdoors, they can be planted where you want them.
Loosen the soil thoroughly with a fork and after planting your morning glory plants water them imediately. They will thrive in loose, fertile soil. Improve poor soil with the addition of some well-rotted manure. These climbers like to be in either full sun or part shade.
 

Use a large pot for your Ipomoea. One with holes in the base. If the pot is porous, line it with plastic - or just use a plastic pot. This prevents evaporation and the root ball won't dry out so quickly.
Cover the base with potsherds or a layer of hydro-pellets. Add some potting compost and plant your Ipomoea at the correct depth. Fill the pot with soil and press firmly down. Water your morning glory generously, immediately. Stand the pot or planter in a sheltered spot in full sun.
This fast growing climber like a bit of support - give it something to climb up and wind its tendrils around to get it started. Ipomoea likes it in the garden too so it will do well against fencing, a pergola or trellis. It can reach up to 3 metres in the garden.
 

Water your morning glory (Ipomoea) regularly - do not allow the root ball to dry out. If potted, stand the pot on a saucer to collect any drain-off on warm days. Snip of overblown flowers regularly to encourage your Ipomoea to reflower. We advise regular feeding for extra profuse flowering. Morning glory is an annual.

Morning Glory originated in South America. Each flower blooms for just one day but there are always so many buds on this climber that you can enjoy an abundance of flowers all summer long.
Morning Glory winds its tendrils around anything and everything so some support is always needed. A trellis, fencing or a teepee climbing frame are all fine, just so your Ipomoea can climb higher every day.

Ipomoea is classified under Convolvulaceae.