Tropicals & Tender Perennials: Old dogs/new tricks, 1 by AlohaHoya

AlohaHoya wrote:
They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks...'THEY' (whoever they are) are wrong. I have recently learned a very new aspect about plants, from Mark Randal in fact.

In this picture, you will see an illustration of what happens when the growth point of a vine is held down below the mid growth area of the plant: it tends to die. New growth will come out usually at the node where the dieoff happens...sometimes at the node where the most critical 'bend' happens.

To avoid this...I now wait until the long vine is long enough to be clipped down with the lower half (with the growth point) allowed to face UP, most of the time braced on a leaf. I sometimes am able to make a half circle so that the growth point ends in the UP position. I found this 'new trick' pretty neat...thought I would pass it on, although most of you probably know it already!!!!