How to Grow and Care for Dwarf Morning Glory

Dwarf morning glory (Evolvulus glomeratus), also known by its cultivar names 'Blue My Mind' or 'Blue Daze,' produces true-blue blooms over a mat of fuzzy, silvery-green oval-shaped leaves that attract bees and butterflies. In cooler growing zones, it is grown as an annual but can be a sturdy perennial subshrub in warmer climates. These plants bloom from late spring until the first frost.

Dwarf morning glory grows best in sunny conditions, requires at least six to eight hours of sunlight, acidic or neutral soil, and thrives above 65 degrees Fahrenheit.

Dwarf Morning Glory Care

Here are the main care requirements for growing a dwarf morning glory:

• Plant it in a location with well-draining soil.
• Prefers acidic soil; tolerates neutral soil.
• Needs six to eight hours of sunlight daily; can handle heat.
• Water regularly when young; drought tolerant once established.
• Does not need deadheading, but prune when looks scraggly to encourage bushier growth and more flowers.

Light

Plant dwarf morning glory in a location with full sun, six to eight hours per day, to encourage continuous flowering throughout the season. Sunlight helps these plants maintain their compact shape and lush foliage. If dwarf morning glory is planted in too much shade, it can become leggy, sprawl, produce fewer blooms, and lose the silvery sheen on its foliage.

Soil

This plant performs best in average, loamy, well-drained soil, whether it's planted in a garden bed or grown in a container. It prefers slightly acidic soil pH but tolerates neutral soil.

Water

Dwarf morning glory thrives when it receives consistent, even moisture, but it does not like to sit in soggy soil. In good, well-draining soil, about half to one inch of water per week (rainfall and/or irrigation) will cause it to thrive, but in dense soil, this might be too much water.

Once established, this plant has good tolerance for drought conditions, making it a great option for neglected areas of your garden or in containers that might not receive adequate water. One of the quickest ways to kill dwarf morning glory is by overwatering and causing root rot.

Temperature and Humidity

This plant is happiest and flowers best in temperatures above 65 degrees Fahrenheit and thrives in the summer heat. It cannot tolerate even mild frost. It has no preference for humidity levels.

Fertilizer

Feed dwarf morning glory monthly in spring and summer. Use a general-purpose liquid fertilizer and apply it according to the label instructions. Do not feed the plant during the winter in warm climates where it is reliably hardy as a perennial.

Types of Dwarf Morning Glory

A member of the morning glory family, this Brazilian native's blooms close on cloudy days, when the sun goes down, and in the hot afternoon sun. But unlike morning glory, this is not a vining climber but a low, mounding plant sometimes grown as a ground cover. A closely related species, E. alsinoides, also called dwarf morning glory,was used medicinally to treat ailments in ayurvedic medicine, but there have been no documented uses of E. glomeratus in the same way.

Three cultivars of E. glomeratus are commonly sold in nurseries:

• 'Blue My Mind' has slightly larger flowers and grows 12 inches tall and up to 24 inches wide. It is a good choice for very hot conditions and full sun.
• 'Blue Daze' grows to about 18 inches tall and up to three feet wide. Its exceptionally brilliant blue flowers, about one-half inch wide, bloom from late spring into fall.
  
• 'Hawaiian Blue Eyes' has one-inch blue blooms with silvery-green leaves.

Pruning

Pinch back stems when the plant is young to force it into a bushier growth habit. Late in the growing season, as stems become somewhat scraggly, a hard pruning can stimulate new growth and make plants more attractive going into fall.

No deadheading of spent flowers is necessary, as these plants are self-cleaning; spent blooms fall off independently.

Propagating Dwarf Morning Glory

Dwarf morning glory is usually planted from a potted nursery start in the spring after all danger of frost has passed. It is a fast-growing plant that will mature in a few weeks. '

These plants will reliably propagate from both seeds and stem cuttings, but rooting stem cuttings is the more reliable method of achieving plants identical to parent plants. Rooting stem cuttings is best done in summer to start plants for outdoor planting the following spring. Here's how:

1. Using sharp pruners, cut three to five-inch tips from healthy stems. Remove the leaves from the bottom one-third of each cutting, and remove flowers and flower buds.
2. Dip the cut end in rooting hormone, then plant it in a small container filled with a commercial seed starter mix or a porous mixture of sand plus peat moss or potting mix.
3. Cover the pot with a loosely secured plastic bag and place it in a location with bright indirect light (not direct sunlight).
4. Keep the potting medium moist until roots develop (you will feel resistance when gently tugging on the cutting stem). At this point, transplant the cutting into a pot filled with standard potting mix.
5. Continue growing the cutting indoors through the winter (or in a sheltered outdoor location if you live in a region that does not freeze in the winter). In the spring, transplant the actively growing plant into the landscape.

How to Grow Dwarf Morning Glory From Seed

You can collect dwarf morning glory seeds from your own plants or purchase seeds online or from a nursery. Start dwarf morning glory indoors eight to 10 weeks before your area's average last frost date.

1. Plant the seeds in pots filled with a seed starter mix or a mixture of sand and standard potting mix, covering them with 1/4 inch potting mix.
2. Keep the potting mix moist and set the pot in a sunny indoor location at least 65 degrees Fahrenheit. If you cover the pot or tray with plastic, uncover it for at least 20 minutes daily to allow fresh air to prevent fungal infection.
3. Once the plants have developed several sets of true leaves, carefully transplant them into individual pots filled with standard potting mix and grow for planting outdoors once all danger of frost has passed.
   

Potting and Repotting Dwarf Morning Glory

Dwarf morning glory can be grown in any well-drained container with a lightweight, well-draining potting mix. Pots can be any material, but lightweight plastic is a good choice for hanging baskets.

Repotting should be done whenever the plant becomes root-bound. However, this plant is not a good permanent container plant, as the stems will become woody with sparse flowers. It is a short-lived perennial and is usually discarded after a few years. Before discarding, take stem cuttings to propagate new plants.

Overwintering

When grown as an annual, plants should be pulled out and discarded at the end of the growing season to prevent self-seeding, which can be prolific. In colder climates, bring potted plants indoors to overwinter as houseplants. Dwarf morning glory may continue to bloom all winter long if placed in a sunny window and watered regularly.

Inground and potted plants can survive outdoors year-round in warm climates. Cut back the stems and reduce watering. Do not feed during the winter months. As the stems become woody with age, flowering is reduced. Most gardeners growing this plant as a perennial replace it every three or four years.

Common Pests & Plant Diseases

Dwarf morning glory has no serious pest or disease problems.

How to Get Dwarf Morning Glory to Bloom

Bloom Months

Dwarf morning glory begins blooming in late spring and continues until it is killed by frost in late fall or winter.

How Long Does Dwarf Morning Glory Bloom?

The small flowers last only a day and are immediately replaced by new blossoms. The only requirements for prolific blossoms are lots of sun, regular watering, and monthly feeding.

What Do Dwarf Morning Glory Flowers Look and Smell Like?

Dwarf morning glories are a true blue hue with five petals and a white star for a center. It appears flatter than common morning glories, which have a trumpet-like shape. It has no discernible scent.

How to Encourage More Blooms

To encourage more blooms, trim scraggly growth, ensure the plant is in full sun, and give fertilizer regularly or plant in a compost-enriched location.

Deadheading Dwarf Morning Glory Flowers

There is no need to deadhead or remove the spent blooms. They fall off, and the plant replenishes its blooms on its own.

Common Problems with Dwarf Morning Glory

Dwarf morning glories require little maintenance if planted in an enriched soil environment. The only notable problem with dwarf morning glory occurs if it is planted in dense, poorly draining soil or gets too much water. Under these circumstances, the plants will do poorly and may collapse from root rot.

From: thespruce