Put Some Seeds in Some Dirt Today - Vine Question

[Elizabeth Ann]

So I went out and got some Morning Glory seeds, some Moonflowers (Ipomoea Alba) seeds and some Scarlet Runner seeds and planted them in some long deep regtanglar planters to put at the bottom of the below cris-cross thing in the below pictures (to create some privacy).

So how crazy are these vines going to get?

Last year I only planted Morning Glorys and they really didn't fill out the way I wanted them too. Am I going to get full coverage this year (I planted A LOT of seeds)

[want4rain]

hmm.... im not sure how they grow up that way (your short summer and all) but i usually soak my moonvines before planting them. soak them *just* until they sprout the tiniest piece coming out and then plant them a few small cm under the dirt, gently pat. i dont know how much privacy they will afford but they make very beautiful, fragrant flowers!!

-ashley

[badger]

I don't know how high that fence is but the scarlet runners (a very old variety) will go as high as you want and when they run out of things to cling to, will turn back on themselves and create a great tangle of vines. They make a very good screen and have beautiful flowers. Don't let the beans get too big before you eat them, they become very tough in the later stages (or leave them on the plant to dry out and you'll have plenty of 'seed' to plant next year). Personally, I think scarlets have the best flavour of all the string beans, way tastier than green and yellow bush beans, which are tasteless in comparison. If you plant all three together, they will climb over each other in their race to the top and you will have quite a thicket. Morning glories will re-seed themselves year after year if you let them.

[Elizabeth Ann]

I didn't know anything about these flowers when I purchased the seed packages (the morning glories however... I am using the seeds from last years vines).

I didn't know that the Scarlets made beans... I love beans.

Now I am super excited.

The cris-corss thingy is about 5 1/2 feet. As you can see the people behind us can look right into our patio. My other Half wanted to build a wood fence (to go with the gate he built last year) but I asked him to give me one more year to see if I can get this vine idea blooming.


I currently have these seeds in two long planter boxes in side my house right at the sliding glass door. I am hoping to give them a running start (so the weather and the animals don't get at them). I really want this plan to work.

Also - the package on the scarlets said they will atract humming birds, is this true?

[badger]

How deep are your boxes? Scarlets will do less well in shallow soil, ideally it should be a foot or more deep. When I yank the vines at the end of the season, the root systems are quite impressive. The average window-box depth (5-7 inches) will not be sufficient.
Hummingbirds are attracted by the colour red. You may want to add a hummingbird feeder to make your courtyard even more attractive.

[14+kitties]

I would be concerned about how strong that lattice is. These vines can get very heavy. They could topple the lattice. Maybe make sure it is reinforced.
Badger is right. The beans do have an impressive root system.
Also, you have your plants inside your house. Make sure you harden the little seedlings off before setting outside or you will lose them.
I planted scarlets around my gazebo last year. Very cute. I also have the glories and moonflowers there which come up every year. Hummers like any flower they can stick their little beaks into.

[Elizabeth Ann]

I went to Tarra (sp) and got the deepest planters I could find (about a foot deep). They are not the window type but are called "Deck Planters".

I have put them in planters because the back planter there in the picture is full of roots from trees that are just outside of the picture. I can't really dig that easily and last year could only get about 7 inches down.

That planter box in the picture is 20 years old and when we moved in was completely over grown. There are left over roots. I would really like to dig up the whole box and start new but there is no where to put the old dirt.

As for the stregth of the lattis, it itself is not that strong but we have polls that we put into the ground (about three - four feet) and the tie the lattis to it. I held up last year with the morning glories, but you are right, if I am aming for more vines this year we may have to add a little more reinforcement.


My boyfriend loves hummingbirds so that's why I was asking the question regarding them.