Well, my idea of growing kudzu indoors crashed. So all of you who warned me about being eaten alive are stuck with more of my zany ideas. My Pandora vines are doing well as curtains, however. Seem to like the location. And to those of you who requested kudzu seeds/crowns...it seems NC and other states frown on my shipping the plants. The postmaster was horrified that I would consider such a thing. Oh, well. I still think the vine covers a multitude of uglies and if you are ever here, we'll go dig some.
Gave up on Kudzu
I grew passiflora as vine curtains last winter! Loved them
What do you mean the idea of kudzu indoors crashed? I have been wondering what you mean by that.
I planted a small crown of kudzu. It died. I planted another one. It too died. I had to assume the vine doesn't like the climate in my house. Maybe the pot was too small. I just gave up and decided to enjoy it outside. But now it is all black from the first little frost we had. It could also be that the variety I planted isn't the variety that the Victorians used as indoor vines.
try seeds
they should do better starting in the house
Larry
vine curtains will be unreal this year
I have one seedling from S.A. that has grown 6 ft. and still
not a sign of a leaf and it's what "last of march till
it gets a home in the yard" lol
and one of my Dioscorea is gong to out grow the above lol
Kudzu was originally developed (or imported) for highway rapid erosion control...when I75 was being built. It has become a nightmare in Atlanta. Richter's in Cananda is not allowed by law to ship it to the US.
I seriously doubt that this stuff would survive our winters if it was ever outside.
I don't know anything about varieties, but, having climbed through the stuff, I remember that it covers you with its maddeningly itchy little stiff hairs. Its brown ‘pubescence’ is unattractive. The node spacings are large, petioles long, trilobes widely spaced, flat and matte. I even believe I remember a slightly unpleasant odor.
If you got it started, it would be weedy and thin unless you had a dozen pots of it in two ranks under your window.
I've heard that it has a large and very deep root system, which is one of the reasons it is difficult to eradicate. That would explain why it wouldn't like life in a pot.
It can make intersting sculptural shapes when seen from a distance, but, up close, I can't find anything appealing about it.
There are so many attractive vines available. It's hard to believe that refined Victorians would have had any interest in it.
I have never seen it and am just very curious about it since I heard that it can be used for livestock feed. Can't it be harvested for that purpose?
I don't know anything about its nutritional qualities. Perhaps you can find a kudzu association, club, society or yahoogroup. There is usually at least one for anything so universally scorned.
There are so many people involved in finding cheap, low-maintenance livestock feed that I would think that, unless it posed particular problems, it would have already reached that market. I've also heard that cows don't like fuzzy plants -- again, possibly vicious gossip from those who don't like fuzzy plants themselves.
The main problem with any application of it in the South is the danger of its escaping, covering and strangling trees and forests -- which it has done to such an extent that -- well, you've seen the general consternation expressed here.
I'm no kudzu historian, but I've often heard tell that it originated in Japan. If it thrives in Japan, I'd think that it would survive most US climates. And why would a Canadian company be selling it (see above) if it is not winter hardy. Wasn't it NJ that outlawed its import into the state? They certainly have cold winters. But, then, NJ (the toxic-waste capitol of the continent) is strangely paranoid about many things, including several species of tropical parrots that it fears will establish there and start destroying crops.
Maybe the Japanese and Canadian winters prevent it from becoming the blight that it is in the southeastern US.
If you are into exploring new livestock feed crops, have a look at Azureus Sweet Peas (Lathyrus sativus). They are used in Asia, from China to India, from verdant to arid climates, as a grazing crop. As a legume, they enrich the soil, they have beautiful bright blue flowers, and they don’t eat forests, since they only grow to two feet.
I just read the comments on the definition page linked to the word "kudzu."
Ye Northerners, look upon it and tremble!
I was only wondering about it being used as a livestock feed, not wanting to raise it for that purpose. LOL
Here we have alfalfa for livestock feed and I am sure that kudzu would not be a viable alternative to that good plant. I just can't get over that I have heard that it could be a good one and I have not heard of it being used as such from anyone. Just my curious mind working overtime here.
Here in Tennessee it grows like weeds. Weeds that climb real high. When I moved here, I was told it was imported from Japan for livestock feed and went wild and took over everything. I thought it was great, and still do. It looks like great basket weaving material to me. Its real strong, like rope. I don't have any on my property, but most anyone will let you have some, they're glad to be rid of it. As if you could ever get rid of it. It's hard to kill. It gets cold here sometimes. Not as cold as up north. I'm going to get me some this year. I'm going to try to grow anything that will be useful, such as dried flowers, grasses, bamboo, and anything that will block noise from the street and those peskie neighbors who have nothing better to do than stare at me. Good thing I don't garden in the nude anymore, too old for that now.
Thanks Auzzie for the information. I thought it was livestock feed gone amuck! Sometimes all it takes is somebody figuring out what to do with a product and it will be in demand. Good luck on screening the neighbors. I have some that have the noisiest geese in the world that I want to screen RIGHT NOW. Those geese drive me CRAZY when I am outside working in my own yard. If they ever get over to my house they will be dinner!!!
You'll find many of your answers here! http://www.jjanthony.com/kudzu/
"eyes"
Thank you "eyes" that clears up a lot of my questions. :~)
Wow, thank you "eys" A new jelly source and that solves where that sweet smell was coming from. I never noticed the flowers. I'm definately going to get me some.
Please keep it in TN, Auzzie.
"eyes"
Auzzie, your neighbors may lynch you if you do! I know that if my neighbor deliberately introducted this horrid plant near my property I'd be seeking legal redress. It's considered a 'noxious weed' in most Southern states, and deliberately spreading it is illegal.
yep, I'd get me a big ole dog to take care of a neighbor that did that to me.
And what the dog left would be target practice. I thought it was imported from Japan in the 30's or 40's to help farmers with erosion problems. I worked with a guy that had a cap that was made from the vine. It looked just like a regular baseball cap but on the label it had made from kudzu.
you can make baskets from the vines, but no one could ever work as fast as it grows. Can you tell we southerners know this plant well and hate it?? :)
I didn't think dead kudzu was that fibrous or durable. As a kid, climbing through dead kudzu in winter, it tore like other dried herbaceous vines, like dead morning glory vines. Fast-growing vines that die back to the root each year are generally pretty tender.... no?
Fortunately, it's been eradicated from this area during the past 20 years. I think anyone who tried to reintroduce it would be faced with a mob of angry villagers.
Unfortunately, the stuff they used to kill it, killed other native underbrush as well, leaving ivy and privet to take over -- both also invasive foreign species (re. the problem of ivy, see http://www.irregulartimes.com/privet.html ; re. the privet problem, see http://www.irregulartimes.com/privet.html ). So much for biodiversity in the wake of kudzu.
you're very lucky they got it there Rik, we moved here 20 years ago and a once thriving house, yard and store up the hill have since been eaten by the green monster.
Gosh, I thought if I'd cut it every year, it wouldn't be a problem. Just like you do willow. Which can grow pretty quick. I thought I'd grow the wild honeysuckle too for vines and perfume. Didn't know I'd get lyched for it.