Morning Glory is a beautiful vine that gives out colorful, trumpet-shaped flowers. The name ‘Morning Glory’ collectively refers to over a thousand species of flowering plants.
Morning Glory is grown by many gardeners for its beautiful flowers. The flowers bloom in the morning and close in the afternoon.
Some people consider the Morning Glory plant to be invasive. The plant grows in poor soils and can easily take over a fence.
It is quite easy to take care of the plant, but it does run into some problems. The plant is grown for its flowers, what if the flowers don’t show up?
Why are my Morning Glory plants not blooming?
Morning glories fail to bloom when they don’t receive enough direct sunlight. Anything less than 6 hours of full sun daily limits flowering. Insufficient water and nutrients can also inhibit blooms. Allowing vines to sprawl on the ground rather than climb restricts the growth needed for bud production. Cool-weather and nighttime temperatures below 60°F can delay flowering.
Ensuring proper sunlight, moisture, nutrition, climbing support, and ideal temps will promote prolific morning glory blooms.
Soil
Morning Glory plant thrives in poor/average soils. If the soil is richer than needed the plant puts out a lot of leaves at the expense of flowers.
This usually happens if the soil is too high in Nitrogen content. Skip the manure for this plant and do not fertilize the plant.
If you do wanna fertilize, choose something with a lesser proportion of Nitrogen. ‘Bloom Booster’ fertilizer work wonders on Morning Glory plants.
They produce flowers in poor soil as they feel the need to survive and produce progeny. To achieve this they need flowers(which give out seeds).
Note: Fertilize your Morning Glory sparsely as it doesn’t usually need any help.
Sunlight
Sunlight is the most crucial external factor for successful blossoms. Morning Glory plant thrives in full sunlight conditions.
Observe the plant, does it get enough sunlight? If the plant is young and doesn’t get enough sunlight, transplant it.
Can Morning glories grow in shade?
No, Morning Glory plants can’t grow in shade/partial shade. Make sure your Morning Glory plant gets full sunlight for at least 6/7 hours a day.
If a tree is shading your Morning Glory plant prune the branches of the tree using a pruning shears/pruning saw.
Moisture
Overwatering can cause blossom failure in Morning Glory plants. Don’t give your plant more water than it needs, water consciously.
How often should I water morning glories?
Don’t let the soil go bone dry/soggy. Give your Morning Glory one deep watering a week. Do not water it often. Frequent watering induces surface-rooting in Morning Glory plants.
Check the soil with your fingers if needed and water the plant only when the soil is dry to touch. Get a soil moisture meter if possible.
Leaves droop and turn yellow when the plant is given more water than it needs. The affected plant can no longer absorb the nutrients needed for blossom formation.
Phosphorous Deficiency
Morning Glory plants could also fail to bloom in the case of phosphorus deficiency. Get the soil tested and respond accordingly.
Phosphorous deficiency could be due to one of the above factors. Plants can’t absorb phosphorus if the soil has a lot of Nitrogen.
If Nitrogen is more than phosphorus or Potassium, the plant produces a lot of leaves and fails to produce flowers.
If the soil lacks adequate Phosphorous, add ‘Bloom Booster’ fertilizer to amend the soil. I’ve tried this and the plant gave out beautiful flowers.
If you want to amend the soil naturally, add wood ash to the soil. Wood ash not only provides nutrients but also helps keep pests away.
Here are some ways to get rid of Morning Glory if it ever turns invasive in the garden.
Morning Glory flowers not opening
Morning Glory buds don’t open when the plant gets too much of the wrong fertilizer. Increased Nitrogen content in the soil is not tolerated by Morning Glories. Do remember that the ‘Heavenly blue’ variety of Morning Glory takes a lot of time to come to flower than the other varieties. Buds also don’t open when the soil lacks moisture.
Is Morning Glory not old enough?
Morning Glory buds don’t flower until the plant is old enough. This is the most common reason why Morning Glory doesn’t open its buds.
Be patient, the plant will produce just fine. It’s only a problem if the plant produces buds and they fall off without flowering.
The ‘Heavenly Blue’ is the most popular variety of Morning Glory plants that may take up to 120 days to flower.
You just need to give your plant some time. I’ve experienced the same with my plant last season. Then it flowered well into the fall.
Not enough Sunlight
Morning Glory plants thrive in full sunlight. You need to make sure that the plant gets full sunlight for 6-8 hours a day.
See if a tree/other garden decor is shading your Morning Glory. If the plant is young transplant it to a place where it gets better sunlight.
Sunlight is probably the most important factor that influences blossoms in plants.
Too much Nitrogen
Have you fertilized your Morning Glory recently? Morning Glory thrives in poor/average soils and gives out a lot of blossoms in such conditions.
You need not add compost/manure/fertilizer to the soil for your Morning Glory to blossom. It does fine without any soil amendment.
Never feed the plant with a fertilizer that is richer in Nitrogen than other elements. This would only hurt the plant’s blossoms.
Here’s an article on pests that infest Morning glories.
Spider mite infestation
Do you see tiny webcasts on your leaves and flower buds? Do you see tiny white/yellow spots on the leaves of your Morning Glory?
Then it could be a spider mite infestation. Spider mites are tiny, red/orange insects that appear like dots on the undersides of the leaves.
They suck the plant sap and can damage your Morning Glory a lot if you don’t identify/respond early. A severe infestation can damage the flower buds.
How do you get rid of Spider Mites on Morning Glories?
- You can dislodge the spider mites by spraying water at them with a garden hose. You can also use a syringe filled with water to achieve the same.
- If the spider mite infestation is severe spray insecticidal soap on the plant.
Tip: Do not spray insecticidal soap if the temperature is above 90F.
When do Morning Glories bloom?
Morning glories bloom in mid to late summer, typically July through September. Growth starts in spring from seeds or tubers. Vines rapidly climb trellises and other structures through early summer.
Flower buds will form and open once vines are established and the weather warms. Blooms open in the morning and last for one day.
Morning glories will continue blooming into fall if planted early enough. Their vibrant flowers persist through summer into the cooler months, providing months of color.
What month do Morning Glories bloom?
Morning Glory plants bloom in August or early September. Morning Glory plants are one of the last annuals to bloom in most of the US.
What time of year do Morning Glories bloom?
Morning Glory plants bloom from summer through the fall season. The plant blooms fine if it isn’t affected by any external factors.
Do Morning Glories bloom in the morning?
Yes, Morning Glory plants bloom in the morning and the flowers close by noon. This is why the plant is called Morning Glory. There are some exceptions, I’ve heard of a variety that blooms at night.
How long it takes for Morning Glory to bloom?
If you planted the Morning Glory vine from seed it might take a couple of months to 120 days for the vine to bloom.
Different cultivars have different time periods to get established. Keep this in mind and be patient, your Morning Glory will flower eventually.
When do Heavenly Blue Morning Glories bloom?
Heavenly Blue Morning Glories bloom from early summer to early fall.
Start the seeds a month before the last spring frost or outdoors once the frost danger has passed. Nick the hard-coated seeds or soak them in warm water for the best chances of germination.
How to get Morning Glories to bloom?
Morning glories need full sun and warm weather to bloom prolifically. Sow seeds or plant tubers after the last spring frost once the soil is warm.
Provide a sturdy trellis, fence, or arbor for vines to climb. Keep plants consistently watered. Pinch back tips to encourage branching and more flower clusters.
Avoid excessive nitrogen fertilizer which fuels foliage over flowers. Pick off spent blooms to encourage new ones.
Morning glories will reward you with their cheerful flowers all season long with full sun, climbing support, ample water, and good nutrition.
Frequently Asked Questions
People mail me many queries regarding Morning Glory plants. I’ll try to answer the most common questions here in this article.
What kind of fertilizer do Morning Glories need?
Morning Glory plants do not need any kind of fertilizer to flower. They flower just fine in poor/average soils and feeding them is not advised.
You can feed them Potassium if you think the soil lacks the element. I’ve used ‘Bloom Booster’ to enrich the soil with Potassium/Phosphorous.
Should I Deadhead Morning Glories?
You don’t need to deadhead your Morning Glories for it to thrive. You may want to do it if you want fuller blossoms on your Morning Glory.
After the flowers are spent the plant starts forming seeds in their place. This is an energy-intensive process, resulting in fewer flowers.
Can I use Miracle Grow on Morning Glories?
No, I’d not use Miracle Grow on Morning Glory plants. Morning Glory plants do just fine even if you don’t fertilize.
As a matter of fact, they do better in poor/average soils. Increased Nitrogen content is one of the common reasons why Morning Glory fails to bloom.
Use ‘Bloom Booster’ fertilizer instead. I’ve used this fertilizer and I can say it works efficiently.
Heavenly Blue Morning Glory not blooming?
Heavenly Blue is the most popular cultivar of Morning Glory. Heavenly Blue takes months to produce flowers, so be patient!
Heavenly Blue takes up to 120 days to produce flowers. This cultivar produces flowers in the summer that stay on the plant well into the fall.
Be patient, your Morning Glory will blossom soon.
Happy Gardening 🙂