People from the South: Help with Moonflowers....?

Question

I live in Idaho and started some Moonflower vines.... a few outside and a few in a pot inside. I would like to know what the weather conditions are that start to kill them. Frost, obviously, but will cooler temps in general kill them?

Also, when do they flower? How can I prompt them into flowering?

Thank you all.

Answer 1

A Yahoo search for "moonflowers" (include the quotation marks in the search box) yields 70,400 results. If you do the same search, and are willing to spend a little time exploring, I'm sure that you will quickly find the information you seek.

Good luck with your search.

Answer 2

Moonflowers generally flower in very warm weather; I remember them as a child in Texas blooming in June or July, when the soil remained warm even into the night. I recall that the plants had grown into a fairly substantial bush before they bloomed, but that they continued to bloom until there was a frost. To encourage them to flower, don't give them much in the way of fertilizer - if the plant is too "happy" it won't bloom. Since the plants had to be fairly large to bloom, I suspect that they have to be a little root-bound to bloom; ours were beside the foundation of the house next to concrete steps, which meant they had only so far they could grow before the roots encountered resistance, so I would think restricting their roots in some way (either a pot or other obstacle) would help.

Answer 3

moonflowers are a variation of a morning glory vine
hence the name... they bloom in the morning hours and in the evening. hard to get started but once they do they will go wild
they like to climb and are great for light poles, fences, etc...
your zone maybe a tat too cold to support good growth
try providing a lot of mulch in the fall to keep them warmer
they love warm and humid conditions
i notice that they bloom heaviest when the humidity is very high