I've been reading several posts, but I'm not getting where I need to be.
I cannot get Morning glories or Moonflower to grow to save my soul. I've soaked in water overnight, tried the moist paper towel and have started the Moonflower in peat pellets.
Please I need the secret.
Yesterday I purchased Crossvine, Tangerine Beauty. I've planted it so hopefully it will climb over my pergola on my N, ENE front porch. Is there anything specific I should do for helping it survive, besides normal watering and a balanced fertilizer?
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GomoIsGardening
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rainbowgardener
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OH yes.... dig that thing (the crossvine) up IMMEDIATELY and plant it somewhere away from your house.
Sorry, but I'm dead serious. It looks innocent and pretty now. It will take a couple years to get established, but then it will take off and eat your house. I am literally going today to take a chain saw to mine, that we mistakenly planted next to our house. I hate to because it is beautiful and hummingbirds love the flowers and finches eat the seeds all winter. But even though we keep cutting it back and cutting it back, it clogs the gutters and gets under the roof shingles. It is tearing our house up.
Plant something more well behaved like clematis on your porch or annual vines like the moonflower or cardinal climber. Cardinal climber is really pretty annual vine with little red trumpet shaped flowers that hummingbirds like.
I don't know what the secret to moonflower is, but they work for me. I soak them for 24 hrs and then plant them in potting soil on a heat mat and got 100% germination this year.
Sorry, but I'm dead serious. It looks innocent and pretty now. It will take a couple years to get established, but then it will take off and eat your house. I am literally going today to take a chain saw to mine, that we mistakenly planted next to our house. I hate to because it is beautiful and hummingbirds love the flowers and finches eat the seeds all winter. But even though we keep cutting it back and cutting it back, it clogs the gutters and gets under the roof shingles. It is tearing our house up.
Plant something more well behaved like clematis on your porch or annual vines like the moonflower or cardinal climber. Cardinal climber is really pretty annual vine with little red trumpet shaped flowers that hummingbirds like.
I don't know what the secret to moonflower is, but they work for me. I soak them for 24 hrs and then plant them in potting soil on a heat mat and got 100% germination this year.
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rainbowgardener
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Well maybe better restrained because of heat and drought. We have had tons of rain lately and it has gone crazy again. But it isn't that mine is in good soil. It is right next to the house foundation in gravel and concrete with hardly any dirt. It doesn't care about soil, it doesn't care about sunlight (if it is planted in shade, it will just travel until it FINDS sun!).
I did just go out with the chain saw and cut a big chunk out of the trunk (cut a piece out instead of just making one cut, just for insurance). The trunk on this is 4" in diameter. I don't remember when we planted this thing, but we've lived in this house 11 years and it wasn't in the first couple years. I'm thinking it's about 8 yrs old and it was a tiny baby when we planted it. Now we have to keep cutting it back from the 3rd floor roof and gutters. My partner keeps calling it the Little Shop of Horrors...
I know I didn't kill it, it is already sprouting lots of suckers from the roots. I just slowed it down for awhile. But now that we are forewarned we can deal with it better. And seedlings of it are starting to come up all over my yard...
I did just go out with the chain saw and cut a big chunk out of the trunk (cut a piece out instead of just making one cut, just for insurance). The trunk on this is 4" in diameter. I don't remember when we planted this thing, but we've lived in this house 11 years and it wasn't in the first couple years. I'm thinking it's about 8 yrs old and it was a tiny baby when we planted it. Now we have to keep cutting it back from the 3rd floor roof and gutters. My partner keeps calling it the Little Shop of Horrors...
I know I didn't kill it, it is already sprouting lots of suckers from the roots. I just slowed it down for awhile. But now that we are forewarned we can deal with it better. And seedlings of it are starting to come up all over my yard...
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GomoIsGardening
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- Joined: Sat Sep 11, 2010 9:27 pm
- Location: Hill Country, TX
Everyone, thank you so much for your information.
RG, I'm positive I've read previous warnings you've posted concerning Cross Vine. They probably stopped me from planting it in the past.
I planned on another going on the back of the house, but I'm not going to chance it.
It's too hot here to grow clematis, I've have tried.
I'm going to try your idea for the moonflower.
MG, I have Blackland Prairie soil on quite a bit of my property. Do you think it would get to heavy to plant against a dead ceday? It's the type with the multiple branches at the base.
RG, I'm positive I've read previous warnings you've posted concerning Cross Vine. They probably stopped me from planting it in the past.
I planned on another going on the back of the house, but I'm not going to chance it.
It's too hot here to grow clematis, I've have tried.
I'm going to try your idea for the moonflower.
MG, I have Blackland Prairie soil on quite a bit of my property. Do you think it would get to heavy to plant against a dead ceday? It's the type with the multiple branches at the base.
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rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
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- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
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GomoIsGardening
- Cool Member
- Posts: 65
- Joined: Sat Sep 11, 2010 9:27 pm
- Location: Hill Country, TX