The seeds have to be the right onesIf HBWR seeds, then it has to be the "Hawaiian" or "Madagascar" variety (e.g. "Indian" or "African" are way less potent). If the common smaller vine seeds, then they should be Ipomoea Tricolor ("Heavenly Blue" ). But as it seems quite some vendors/distributors in the US sell instead I. Hederacea as "Heavenly Blue". And generally (also in Europe) vendors/distributors often confound I. tricolor with I. purpurea, and so mislabel their seeds. I. tricolor seeds are asymmetrical pointy at one end. If they instead have a "C"-shape, don't use them, as they are not Ipomoea tricolor. Also the seeds of the cultivar "Heavenly Blue" of I. tricolor are always black (that's why they are called "Badoh
Negro" ). Here a pic of the typical shape and color of "Heavenly Blue" seeds:
https://www.weberseeds.d...omoea-tricolor-seeds.jpgYou can also use Turbina Corymbosa seeds.
About the climate conditions neededTurbina Corymbosa, as well as Argyreia Nervosa (HBWR) have quite higher demands regarding climate (for proper growth, temps shouldn't go below 15-20C, even during the night or winter), and therefore are only recommended to grow in a very warm climate.
I. tricolor start to get damage at temps <5C, and just one short time below 0C, and the plants are completely gone. But otherwise they are fine with temps >5C, and are therefore the right choice for most people to grow non-perennial.
These psychedelic morning glory vines are root bound, so they need quite some rootspace. This is especially true for Argyreia Nervosa (HBWR), which will not even flower if it cannot establish large roots. So growing Argyreia Nervosa in pots is not really an option, if you wanna get seeds.
Plant advicesPut the seeds into some water until they have swollen. Argyreia Nervosa (HBWR) seeds you have to nick first a tiny bit at the pointy end (e.g. with a nail clipper). They like nutritious soil. So then put the swollen seedling into the soil, flat, about 0.5in deep or about 1cm. If a seed didn't swell or is swimming on the surface, discard it. If the seeds aren't old germination rate is usually very high.
Make sure temp isn't too high in the beginning, as otherwise your seedlings may grow too fast and there's the possibility that the stem will break if you don't give them anything to climb along this early.
Set outside as soon as above mentioned temps are met. Leave enough space between plants so that they can develop enough roots (distance a bit dependent on the soil), and make sure they have something to climb on.
Nutritional factorsI personally never cared about nutrients, but just let 'em grow, but if you're into this topic, here a few possible contributions:
* As it has shown ideal nutrients for maximizing ergoline content in tissue cultures is tryptophan+mevalonic acid (1). But I don't know if this is also applicable directly to plants.
* As some people reported, they are sensitive to nitrogen levels in the soil. Excess nitrogen triggers them to produce foliage rather than flowers. Nitrogen deficiencies will trigger earlier, heavier flowering. Too little nitrogen will interfere with seed formation.
* In the book "Home Grown Highs" by Mary Jane Superweed this gets recommended:
Quote:One factor influencing this is soil chemistry. Test your soil with a soil test kit, available for a low price at most nurseries. The soil should have a pH factor of about 6.5,a high phosphate and low potassium content.
High phosphate concentration increases indole alkaloid formation. Low potassium content of about 1.5 parts to 100 parts dry soil aids free tryptophan accumulation and biosynthesis. It also produces a low indoleacetic acid content, which means that more indole alkaloids will be formed.
This can be accomplished by using sodium nitrate instead of potassium nitrate for a nitrogen source and sodium hydrophosphate instead of potassium hydrophosphate to increase the phosphate content.
Some additional short notes* Don't use very old seeds to grow plants. For as research has shown: The viability of the seedling exceeds the viability of the fungi in the seeds, so that it can happen, if you grow quite old seeds, to get plants devoid of any ergolines.
* Also it should be obvious to
never ever use any fungicide on them, as it kills the ergoline producing fungi!
* Ergoline content is highest about exactly when the seed pod lost its green. They lose up to half their potency until ripe.
Fun factI. tricolor plants do contain a kind of herbicide inside them (Tricolorin A). This hinders the growth of other weed, so that the new generation can grow with less competitors. In some areas in the world this property still gets used, by first growing some vines on the field, and then plow them under - delivering a natural herbicide, for their new crops. If you like, you can also use the plants for that after collecting the seeds.
(But you could also extract the plant material itself, for as Gröger has shown, the plant matter itself also contains the ergolines, with about 1/4th the potency per dry weight, compared to the seeds. This is not true for Argyreia Nervosa.)
(1) Ipomoea, Rivea and Argyreia Tissue Cultures: Influence of Various Chemical Factors on Indole Alkaloid Production and Growth
I claim not that this is the truth. As this is just what got manifested into my mind at the current position in time on this physical plane. So please feel not offended by anything I say.