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It's Gonna Be 'Spring,' gonna grow MG's?

ARUM
17 years ago

Well, I tried to grow ONLY a few MG's last year, but this year I'm afraid I will be growing QUITE a few. Can't wait!!! What SPECIAL one's will you be growing? :) arum

Comments (11)

  • User
    17 years ago

    Hi Arum,
    I have so many I am going to try this year but this is the one I look forward to the most. I was lucky enough to get a few seeds from a dear friend as a birthday gift. The worst part for me is my season isn't long enough for some of the Japanese ones to go to seed.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Take a look!

  • karyn1
    17 years ago

    I grew a few varieties last year and got hooked. I have about 40 varieties to try this season. I had the same problem with the Japanese MG's as Ronnie17. The seeds didn't ripen before we got a hard freeze. I've started some varieties inside and hope that they'll transplant ok and bloom earlier in the season. That pink speckled bloom is beautiful.
    Karyn

  • littleonefb
    17 years ago

    Oh, Ronnie, that one is beautiful. If you get any seeds from them please, please save me a few.

    Arum, I must have at least 70 different ones to grow and ronnie is adding to the count.

    Don't ask, I don't know where they are going to go, what they are going to climb on.

    some of them can go in pots and haning baskets.

    Had the same problem too with lots of the MG seeds. got really late germination on lots of them, the seeds where drowning in containers outside full of rain, 20 inches plus of it in May. Some of the seeds where still germinating in mid July.

    I was slow getting some of them in the ground and pots so they stayed in their spring sown containers. Found that the same ones that got in the ground vs the extras in the containers was interesting. Seems that the ones in the containers where quite pot bound with their roots so bloomed much earlier than the ones in the ground, but alas it didn't make a difference on the seed production. Some of them didn't make seed pods at all, others didn't ripen.

    I had a suggestion from Ron that seemed to work quite well.
    He suggested to leave the pods on the vines to ripen as long as I could but not let them get really nipped by the frost. Before that point he suggested to cut the vines where seed pods where, leaving enough stem to put in water. Label the vines and put them in glasses of water in the brightest light or sunlight you have in the house. Many of the pods will continue to ripen. I did that with the ones that I cold get and at least 50% of the pods continued to ripen. I was thrilled. But, some of MG I wanted seeds from the most didn't make any pods.

    OK Arum, now what ones are you going to grow. Give us a list to see. then we'll give you ours.

    Oh ya, no more excuses for me not to get pics of everything. My daughter gave me her old digital camera. not the best, but better than nothing. Now I have one and don't have to wait for her to visit in time to get those early morning MG pics.

    Fran

  • ARUM
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Well, the one Ronnie is growing is a real winner,I'm sure we ALL PRAY he has success. :) I have some that don't seem to have names, but that are breathtaking. Then a gal sent me one, which is called "Wisteria Tye Dye" and, is speckeled. Then there's some Ronnie sent me,(he's been very generous), I am anxious to get in the ground, like Blue Silk,Fusino momo,(that s could be a j). :) Anywho, my stand bys like Akasuki no umi, and Shiruki ao, which I call "Love is Blue" There's no way I could let a spring go by without planting these two, and both have varigated leaves. One vine I collected from is white with brownish pink lines exploding from the center, which I call"Chocolate Explosion", really interesting. The Tye Dyes, purple,blue,and pink,and several mix's that have some that look like "Star of India", but the colors are more vivid. The trick for me is to get them in the ground early, even if it's cool, that way they seem to have time to soak in the damp spring weather, and come up at different times, just not plant TOO late. A couple of mine were lost last year because I got them in the ground late, and they didn't set seed just like you mentioned. I'm not one for starting seeds inside very much. Oh, - I have a camera now, but have'ft to figure out how to post pics.

    Karyn, seems like you have the same problem as I do, SO many, SO little space. "If there's a will , there's a way"!!! :)

    Fran, Ron has had so many useful ideas, I love the one he gave you, it also works great for Moonvine, which I had trouble getting seeds to before. Now I have a ton, due to his good pointers.
    Last year I let a lot of my MG seeds come up that had just dropped, and If I liked the vine, I would let it grow, and if I had one that came up that wasn't that special, I would pull it out. Only problem, I have never really met a MG I didn't like. Even the Noah is really neat, but goodness is it invasive! Just to see a MG poking it's little stem out of the ground is so exciting, and you wonder what it's going to look like, that is, if it comes up in MY garden anyway! :) arum

  • User
    17 years ago

    Arum Ronnie is a she!! LOL âº

  • ARUM
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    YOU"VE GOT To BE KIDDING ME!!!!!!!! I AM SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO SIKED OUT!!!!! I mean since we have been trading, I have always thought you were a MAN! This is just too weird, I havef't to think about this. :) Well, I'm a she also,guess you never know what to expect in the computer world. LOL is right!!! :)

  • karyn1
    17 years ago

    I'll try putting the cuttings in water next season if I have pods that are late again. I ended up bringing one of my moonvines that was growing in a pot inside last winter. It must love the HID lights because it's still growing and blooming like crazy for me. I've had to cut it back a few times because it's spreading too much. As soon as the temps allow I'll put it back outside. This will be the first year that I have moonflower blooms in May! Arum I have plenty of space outside for the vines. My problem is finding somewhere to put them until it's warm enough for them to go in the garden. We didn't heat the greenhouse this winter and the nighttime temps are too cold for the seedlings so I have a dining room full of vines right now. I had good results transplanting them into containers last year but not inground. The only ones that did well inground were directly sowed.
    Karyn

  • sammiandfargo
    17 years ago

    I didn't get to harvest many seeds from my Japanese MGs either because of the growing season being too short. I envy you growers farther south. :) I was able to harvest the seeds of a couple varieties I had growing in pots. I brought them inside before the frost got them and the seeds ripened inside.

  • juanital
    17 years ago

    You bet I am....I tried a few different ones and kept some favorites, too...I usually try whatever new ones are in the stores...quite limited to what I've seen here...so can anybody direct me too a good, reliable MG seed catalogue?...I usually have teepees spotted, tomato plant cages and those tall tripod like ones for enclosing, (I didn't enclose but put a couple together to make a fence amongst garden...last year made an upright frame for climbing vines...Here's a pic to show...I think of it as an outdoor theater...I had scarlet runner beans last year, but was'nt pleased...I'd like to know what you would like to try here on the frame...


    I tried milky way and don't remember if it was scalet ohara or crimson rambler...but that was sparse, too...I have half an idea here...
    {{gwi:21920}}
    A teepee one...

    The heavenly blues seem to do the most filling one last year on my bottom garden arches...but you can see I looove MG's...

    juanital

  • ARUM
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    juanital, if you email me, for a SASE, i will send you a heavenly mix of MG's to grow on your frames. They are To DIE for! :) Arum

  • juanital
    17 years ago

    Arum, you've got mail!