The vibrant flowers and lush green foliage of beach morning glory (Ipomoea pes-caprae) make it a gorgeous addition to any seaside garden. However, these tender coastal plants are prone to damage from birds who feed on the seeds and nest in the foliage. If you want your beach morning glories to thrive, it’s crucial to safeguard them against avian interference. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll outline several highly effective strategies to keep your beach morning glory plants intact and flourishing, bird-free.
Understanding Why Birds Are Drawn to Beach Morning Glories
To protect your beach morning glories, you first need to understand what motivates birds to target them. Here are the main reasons birds damage these plants
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Feeding on seeds – The mature seed pods on beach morning glory plants are an appetizing snack for birds. They love to feast on the large nutritious seeds.
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Nesting material – Birds often pluck leaves, stems, and flowers from beach morning glories to incorporate into their nests. The soft foliage makes ideal cozy nesting material.
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Perching – Sturdy beach morning glory vines make convenient perches for birds. Unfortunately, all the landing, scratching and trampling can significantly damage the plants.
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Nipping at seedlings – Some birds, like California towhees, like to nip at tender new growth on seedlings. This can stunt or kill newly emerged beach morning glory plants.
Knowing these motivations provides helpful context for choosing effective deterrents tailored to the specific bird behaviors causing damage.
Physical Barriers to Keep Birds Off Beach Morning Glories
Installing physical barriers is the most direct way to protect beach morning glories from marauding birds. Here are two options that safely and effectively prevent access:
Bird Netting
Bird netting creates an impermeable barrier between birds and your plants. Drape the netting completely over the beach morning glories and anchor it securely to the ground around the perimeter. This prevents birds from flying in and scratching at the soil or pulling off leaves and flowers from above or below. Opt for a small mesh size so birds can’t tear holes.
Wire Cages or Mesh Screens
Build enclosures out of chicken wire, hardware cloth or plastic mesh to surround vulnerable beach morning glory plants. Bury the bottom edge to prevent access from below ground. The caging creates a protective buffer while still allowing ample sunlight and airflow to nourish the plants.
Deterrents to Scare Birds Away from Beach Morning Glories
In addition to physical barriers, you can also incorporate scare tactics using sounds, sights and obstructions to frightening birds away from your beach morning glories. Effective options include:
- Wind chimes
- Shiny metallic tape or balloons
- Reflective mirrors or pinwheels
- Predator bird decoys like hawks or owls
- Predator bird distress calls
- Scarecrows
- Pruning beach morning glories to remove bird perches
- Eliminating other bird attractions like feeders or birdbaths near plants
Smart Landscaping Techniques to Disrupt Birds
You can also design your landscape strategically to make it less appealing to birds seeking to nest in or feed on your beach morning glories:
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Plant thorny or prickly buffer plants around beach morning glories to deter landing/perching
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Intersperse beach morning glories with less enticing flowering species to obscure and camouflage
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Provide dedicated bird feeders and nesting boxes away from your beach morning glories
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Include bird-attracting plants like sunflowers on the perimeter of your garden to divert birds away from beach morning glories
Maintaining Vigilance Against Bird Damage
Consistent monitoring and rapid response are key to effectively protecting beach morning glories from bird damage. Routinely check plants for signs of nibbling, nesting or uprooting. As soon as any damage is detected, take action by scaring off the birds and reinforcing barriers. Pick up fallen seeds promptly to eliminate a food source. Stay vigilant so issues can be addressed before they escalate.
Persistence Is Vital for Preserving Your Beach Morning Glories
Protecting tender beach morning glory plants from birds takes diligence and commitment. But the effort pays off through vibrant, prolific flowers and lush unfettered foliage. By applying a combination of physical barriers, scare tactics, smart landscaping and vigilant maintenance, you can successfully safeguard your beach morning glories from ravaging birds. A bird-friendly garden and intact beach morning glories can coexist with mindful care and dedicated persistence. Don’t let birds bully your beachside blooms!
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Growing Morning Glory Plant Time Lapse – Seed To Flower (114 Days)
FAQ
Do birds eat morning glory flowers?
How to control wild morning glory?
What is eating my morning glories?
How do you grow beach morning glory?
Growing best on dry to moist sandy soils in full sun. Beach morning-glory is tolerant of heat, drought, and wind, as well as salt spray. Propagate this plant by seed or division. The large, showy funnel shaped whitle flowers open in the morning and close by afternoon blooming from early summer to fall.
How do you take care of a coastal Morning Glory?
Coastal morning glory displays vigorous growth and develops into a thick, covering mat of vegetation, sometimes climbing 4.5 m into the canopy. Climbing growth of individual plants may be physically removed using a brush hook or similar tool. Take care to dig out and remove the crown and roots of the plant to prevent regrowth.
How do you propagate beach morning-glory?
Beach morning-glory is tolerant of heat, drought, and wind, as well as salt spray. Propagate this plant by seed or division. The large, showy funnel shaped whitle flowers open in the morning and close by afternoon blooming from early summer to fall. The stems root at the nodes providing stablization to the sandy dunes on which they grow.
How to care for a morning glory plant?
You can give your morning glory plant one deep watering a week and never water it often. If you water them often, it can induce surface-rooting. To know the condition of the moisture of your morning glory plant soil, you can check the soil with your fingers.