Japanese Morning Glory

5 Seeds

Seeding Japanese Morning Glory (Ipomoea nil) is a beautiful way to bring exotic, vibrant blooms to your garden. Unlike the common morning glory (Ipomoea purpurea), the Japanese types have larger, ruffled, or fringed flowers in colors like blue, purple, pink, and variegated patterns — often with decorative foliage as well.

Here’s your full guide to seeding them successfully:

🌸 Japanese Morning Glory (Ipomoea nil) – Seeding Guide

📅 When to Sow

✅ Indoors (recommended in cooler climates):

• Start 4–6 weeks before last frost

  • Example: Sow in mid-March to April for transplanting after frost

✅ Outdoors (direct sow – easy in warm climates):

• After last frost, when soil is consistently above 60°F (16°C)

🌱 Seed Preparation (Important!)

Morning glory seeds have a very hard coat and benefit from pre-treatment:

1. Scarify: Nick or lightly rub seeds with sandpaper or a nail file

2. Soak: Place in warm water for 12–24 hours before sowing

This will increase germination rates and speed up sprouting.

🌿 How to Sow

Depth:

• Sow ¼ inch (6 mm) deep

Spacing:

• Space seeds 6–12 inches apart, or sow in pots with a trellis support

Light:

• Full sun (at least 6 hours/day)

Soil:

• Well-drained, average soil

• Avoid over-fertilizing — too much nitrogen = more leaves, fewer flowers

🌡️ Germination

• Temperature: 70–85°F (21–29°C)

• Time: 5–14 days (with scarification and soaking)

• Keep soil evenly moist (not soggy) until sprouted

🌸 Blooming

• Blooms in 8–10 weeks from sowing

• Flowers open early in the morning and close by midday

• Blooms daily throughout summer

• Japanese cultivars may produce more unusual shapes/colors than common types

🪴 Growing Tips

• Provide a trellis, fence, or vertical support — vines can reach 6–12 ft

• Water regularly but avoid soggy soil

• Remove seed pods if you don’t want it to reseed

• In cool climates, treat as an annual; in frost-free zones, it may self-sow

🐝 Pollinator Note

• Attracts bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds

• Good for privacy screens, arches, or colorful fences