Morning Glories is the name given to over 1000 flowering species of the Convolvulaceae family. These annual plants are fast-growing vines that take over all the space where they are grown. They have heart-shaped leaves and funnel-shaped, beautiful flowers that grow on slender stems. This plant is grown widely for its fast-growing invasive foliage that can hide sheds, fences, or other structures. It is also grown for its attractive flowers that open in the morning and close at night. These flowers bloom in red, white, blue, purple, and pink colors. However, this plant needs proper maintenance to bloom. Even minor changes in its care routine can result in no blooms. This is why the most common question asked about this plant is ‘why won’t my morning glories bloom?’ Let us answer this common query.
Why is Morning Glories Not Blooming?
If you have been asking yourself the same question this summer, there are some things you need to know. Morning Glories grow properly in poorly maintained soil. Unlike other high-maintenance plants, you do not need to enrich its soil with compost and manure to increase fertility. If you do so, your plant will not bloom at all! Other reasons for your Morning Glories not blooming are insufficient sunlight or improper watering.
So next time you wonder, why won’t my Morning Glories bloom, regulate these three factors: sunlight, watering, potting soil. Some other less contributing factors would not let your plant bloom. Let us discuss all these factors in detail.
Blooming Time
What if your plant is not blooming just because it is not the right time yet? Maybe your Morning Glories are not blooming because their blooming season has not arrived yet.
Morning Glories are the last plants to bloom in a year. These bloom from late August or even in early September. These can also start blooming before the first frost. So, it is never late for Morning Glories to bloom; give it some time and wait for its blooming season.
You need not worry about your Morning Glories blooming until your plants have gone through a whole year without producing flowers. Only then would you have to look for other reasons.
Rich Soil
Morning Glories are low-maintenance plants that do not fuss about their growing medium. These can grow well in poor or average soil. You do not need to improve the soil quality or its organic content for Morning Glories.
Skip compost or manure and avoid over-fertilization if you want your Morning Glories to bloom. However, a layer of mulch will be beneficial for these plants. You can also add some ingredients to increase drainage, as well-draining soil is also necessary for the proper growth of Morning Glories.
Insufficient Sunlight
This vining plant needs full sun to grow. If grown in the shade, it does not bloom at all. It requires 6 to 7 hours of bright and direct sunlight daily to grow and bloom.
So, if your plants are not receiving enough sunlight, you should transplant them to a different, more sunny location.
Thick and bushier foliage also stops light from penetrating the deeper branches. You should prune the deadheads and old branches from time to time so that sunlight can penetrate to the younger parts of the plant.
Phosphorus Deficiency
Your plants cannot bloom if the soil has phosphorus deficiency. Plants need phosphorus to produce healthy flowers. In the absence of phosphorus in the soil, this plant can produce fewer to no blooms. So, if you are thinking about why won’t my Morning Glories bloom, you should get your soil tested for phosphorus deficiency first.
If your soil is deficient in phosphorus, you should add Bloom Booster to the soil to increase its phosphorus content. This booster does not contain any extra nutrients, so it will not damage your plant.
You can also add wood ash to the soil to regulate the phosphorus content. Another great benefit of adding wood ash is that it keeps away pests.
Improper Watering
This plant prefers regular watering; overwatering or underwatering affects its blooms badly. Its soil should not be kept too damp or too dry; moist soil is preferred the most.
You should water this plant once every week. The soil should be allowed to dry between waterings. Otherwise, the plant can get root rot due to soggy soil.
Another mistake most gardeners make while watering their Morning Glories is that they do not thoroughly water the plants. Shallow waterings lead to shallow roots, which then lead to lesser blooms. You should avoid this mistake.
Why Are the Flowers of My Morning Glories Not Opening Up?
This is another common problem related to Morning Glories. Sometimes these plants produce buds, but these buds do not open up properly in the morning. The main reasons behind the flowers of Morning Glories not opening up are immature plants, excessive nitrogen, or pest infestation.
Immature Plant
No need to worry if the buds of your young Morning Glories are not blooming. Young plants take time to produce healthy blooms. This problem will end as the plant matures. Do you know these plants take 120 days to produce flowers from seeds? You just have to give some time to your Morning Glories, and it will surely bloom.
The real problem would be when the buds would fall without blooming. In such a condition, you should regulate its watering.
Excessive Nitrogen
Plants use nitrogen to produce leaves. So if there is excessive nitrogen in the soil, the plant will focus more on growing leaves than on blooming flowers. It would produce buds but would not try opening them.
More nitrogen in the soil also prevents plants from absorbing phosphorus. And as mentioned earlier, without phosphorus, your plant would not bloom. It is why you should not fertilize your Morning Glories with a fertilizer that is high in nitrogen.
Morning Glories Pest Infestation
A pest infestation can also be a likely answer for the common question, why won’t my Morning Glories bloom? Pests suck sap from the foliage, so there are no nutrients and fluids left for the buds to absorb. With no proper nutrients, these buds do not open up.
Spider mites are the common pests that attack Morning Glories. You should look for these mites on the undersides of the leaves, and these seem like tiny red-colored spots.
The most obvious sign that indicates your plant has spider mites is the presence of web-like structures present on the leaves of your plant.
How to get rid of Spider Mites?
If spider mites have attacked your plant, you must remove them immediately; otherwise, they will not let your plant bloom. You can get rid of spider mites by spraying the leaves with a strong stream of water using a hose.
But if they are large in number, you must try other ways to get rid of them. Mix insecticidal soap, neem oil, or rubbing alcohol with water in a spray bottle, and spray the foliage with this solution. Please do not use chemical pesticides as they can damage the plant foliage.
Final Thoughts
The possible causes for the common question, why won’t my Morning Glories bloom, are improper watering, poor sunlight, too much fertile soil, or phosphorus deficiency. Other factors also lead to blooming problems in Morning Glories, such as excessive nitrogen in the soil or pest infestation. So, if you want your Morning Glories to bloom this season and every coming season, you should keep all the factors in check.
