Morning Glory, keeping it tamed?

Discussion in 'General Gardening Discussion' started by groundbeetle, Aug 3, 2025.

  1. groundbeetle

    groundbeetle Gardener

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    Those of you who grow Morning Glory, do you have any advice on how to enjoy it without it strangling other plants?

    I have lots of self-sown Morning Glory Grandpa Ott, which is purple and the flowers are beautiful. Some people said it will strangle roses, and I wondered if this is because it coils around rose stems too tightly? I do cut off the lower leaves when my Morning Glory gets very high, above the level of most roses, and this doesn't seem to stop it flowering.

    I am getting a bit fed up with finding self-sown Morning Glory seedlings in unsuitable places. There are some spots where I am happy for it to grow and it isn't interfering with other plants, and other spots where I don't want it to be. I don't mind having to pull up seedlings, I accept weeding, though yesterday I had to rescue a rose from having Morning Glory growing in its pot and tangling all over it.
     
  2. On the Levels

    On the Levels Total Gardener

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    No idea which MG we have as we were given seeds from a neighbour many years ago. We collect the seeds and sow them indoors and plant the seedlings out. We have a frame which they can climb up. Yes some of the seeds from last year do germinate in situ but we haven't had any problems with them taking over other plants.
     
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    • CarolineL

      CarolineL Total Gardener

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      I would suggest sticking in bamboo canes where you want to keep it, and then being brutal and pull out the others. Hopefully they'd go up the canes instead of roses.
       
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      • fairygirl

        fairygirl Total Gardener

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        The only one I grow is a darker purple one - can't remember the name but it might be Black Knight, and is similar to G. Ott, but I don't often get self sown seedlings. I grow it in pots, due to the slug problem here, so it has supports to climb up. If I get seedlings, they're usually just in the container.
        I don't grow roses, so I don't know about it's effect on them. I'd have thought they'd manage though. The tendrils are certainly quite tight. I think you'd just have to keep weeding out the seedlings as they appear, and maybe try sowing some, or transplanting the seedlings, into a site where they're easier to manage. They work well in pots. :smile:
         
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        • Goldenlily26

          Goldenlily26 Total Gardener

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          I only grow the pale blue MG, I am not keen on the other colours, and have problems getting it to survive. I have never had any self sown seedlings. This year I have planted mine in containers and they have only just reached to top of the 4 ft obelisk, not a sign of flowers yet but I live in hope. I was rather late planting mine out this year.
           
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          • Philippa

            Philippa Gardener

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            I always grow the Granpa Otis and I do them up steel spiral supports. I usually have a lovely wall of colour every year but this year they have suffered badly from excessive drying winds and no rainfall. I find they do self seed but I can easily access the dry seed heads and take those off and save the seed.
             
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            • pete

              pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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              I can remember growing a faily vigorous dark purple one, one year, can't remember the name though.
              It self seeded the following year.

              I also remember growing the pale blue one which seemed much more tender and not so easy.

              I only grow a perennial type now in a large pot, it never sets seed.
               
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