What do you suggest for an 16' arch covered with cypress vine, hyacynth bean, and moon flower? Leave and allow to freeze and eventually dry? Clean off as soon as possible -- how?
There was a time I had hoped to make this a winter greenhouse (covered in plastic). Seems a bit far-fetched to me now. Dreams. . . . . .
Next, do I pull coleus and sweet potato vine before an ugly frost hits? Does SPV make a good mulch, even though black and ugly? I've taken cuttings of the coleus, but it sure is hard to pull, they are still so pretty, though, I do have some strawberry geranium to place in that area for next season.
We are expecting freezing temps this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Does anyone know how cold it is to cause frost?
So many questions -- thanks for the help, insight, experience, whatever!
preparing for winter questions. . .
Now i do grow all three of those and I just let mine die fro the frost and dry out the Cypress Vine is a tough one to pull until it gets dry and brittle >>now as far the Sweet Potato vine if you want to use the sweet potatos then it is important to dig/harvest them before frost at least that is what I am told by commercial growers..I just grow for the foliage so just leave mine to get killed off by the frost I bought 60lbs for $20 so at that rate I wouldn't dig them for that
When you say sweet potato vine, I assume you meant the ornamental vine, not the vegetable kind. I grow coleus here, and I always leave them until they frost and are dead and then on a sunny afternoon I pull them up. I just leave most everything until frost. Replant in the spring after all danger of frost is past.
It is a ornamental sweet potato vine that I am asking about. The other is in the veggie garden and has mostly been dug up, though we have a bit more to go.
I've been told the SPV gets slimey after frost and nasty to remove. Any one experienced this?
Moonflower and Hyacinth Bean, collect the seeds and then cut them down now if you want to. Won't make any difference time-wise, because they will die anyway with first frost/freeze and you will have to cut them down them. These plants are generally to be newly started by seed every single year. I grow them both.
The same with the sweet potato vine....Take cuttings and root them in water before the first frost....they root EASY. The only other way is you can dig up the tubers if you have them and store for the winter, or if you live in a warmer area like me they can stay in the ground and will come back next year.
One more question -- if I leave the beans on the trellis, will those that fall and come up next spring? I sure hope not, there are way too many. I have collected seeds -- buckets full. I'd have enough hyacinth beans for every fence in TX.
If they are just laying on the ground where they drop, I would think critters would eat many of the seeds over the winter. But then again, I could be wrong, and I don't want to be responsible for your vine invasion!
Frost forms when a surface cools to a temperature which is colder than the dewpoint of the air next to the surface---- and--- the air temperature drops below freezing.
Greta from what I have read the seeds are slightly pousinous (sic?) so if you have pets probably not a good idea to let fall...
TOXIC ONLY IF LARGE QUANTITIES EATEN.
I've been feeding my perennial transplants with seaweed solution once a week. No previous experience with it. Should I stop now that we're likely to have a freeze?
I would just water them when the soil starts to dry through the winter, but you don't need to give them the seaweed all the time, although it doesn't hurt.
greta? Please! save me some hyacinth bean seeds? would love to start them growing again...
someone sent me some, would love to plant them somewhere, but never did get around to it. That was 2 yrs? ago, are they still good? If so I will hang on to them. I guess plant in the spring? The seeds look kind of hard, like a shell almost over them. Do they get cracked open before planting? How does it germinate like that? Ok that question sounds stupid lol
they are still good after 2 yrs, yes. they need a trellis to climb, morning sun and afternoon shade, soak them - they are beans, or simply plant in the spring after all danger of frosts and water well. They grow on you, honestly.
Okay kittriana, I understand! (via d-mail). By the way, my plants had sun all day. Sure didn't slow them down! I'll get some packaged for you.
They grow in full sun here, but I suspect they would do just as good with some shade.
Brenda, would you save me some of the Hyacinth Bean seeds also. I would like to grow them to eat. They are only poisonous if dried and they can be boiled to get rid of toxins. It is grown around the world as food. Thanks
Sure Ken -- how many are you thinking you'd like?
I did not attempt to eat them, as I have them growing over our septic system and it leaked last year. You must let me know how they taste.
I'm off to pick beans.
Hey, Ken, keep your eyes open for a d-mail. . . wanting to send picture of a plant I got from you at round up for ID. Just got to find picture -- hubby downloaded and I can't find.
This message was edited Nov 7, 2010 12:35 PM
Kenboy, I wish I would have known that before I got rid of most of the seeds. What is the exact way to get rid of the toxins?
Greta, in another thread , we were discussing SPV. Someone said if you store the bulb it will convert back to the original. So if you had a tricolor it may change. Karen is right. It is very easy to root. I would eventually put it in potting soil to insure it survives.