Landscape Horticulture -- Vines
- What is the name of the vine that grows up a lot of local trees with big green-and-yellow leaves? I thought it was a type of pothos, but the leaves are more than a foot long
- What is chayote, and how is it grown?
- I have a sky vine with attractive blue flowers that has nearly covered an old oak tree. Will it harm the tree?
- I have a Confederate jasmine vine that is growing wild. How should I trim it?
- I have a Blue Lake grapevine growing on a trellis. Should I prune this vine? If so, when and how?
What is the name of the vine that grows up a lot of local trees with big green-and-yellow leaves? I thought it was a type of pothos, but the leaves are more than a foot long.
A pothos it is, but not the meek and mild-mannered vine you grow inside. Once planted outdoors, those cute little plants grow out of control to produce the large leaves up to 2 feet long and thick stems found growing up and around the trunks of trees.
Even though attractive, the vines are not good for the trees. By covering the trunks, they give insects a place to hide, and they keep the trunks moist, which encourages diseases. If they grow large enough, they could compete with the trees for foliage sites.
Cold weather often stifles pothos growth, and some years the plant dies back to the ground. Plants recover as the weather warms.
What is chayote, and how is it grown?
It takes a special vegetable to stand up to the summer heat, humidity and rains. One of the best is the chayote, also known as the tropical squash, vegetable pear and mirliton. Starts can be obtained at grocery stores and produce stands. Set the fruit in a pot with the pointed end up and cover about halfway to get it growing. Then when the short, vining stems are produced, transplant the chayote to the garden or landscape.
Allow the vines to climb a fence, a trellis or an arbor during the summer. Around September, the flower buds begin to form to produce the pearlike, green fruits. Chayote can be peeled and boiled or stuffed. They also can be pickled. One plant is usually enough to feed you and your neighbors.
I have a sky vine with attractive blue flowers that has nearly covered an old oak tree. Will it harm the tree?
Untangle the vine from the tree and send it over a fence, a trellis or an arbor. Trees cannot compete with vigorous vines for sunlight and often decline when covered with the entwining stems and foliage. Sky vines normally decline during cooler fall and winter months, so it's a good time to find them a new location where they won't harm desirable plantings.
I have a Confederate jasmine vine that is growing wild. How should I trim it?
Feel free to be as brutal as you must. The Confederate jasmine is a tough plant, and it can take a severe trimming once in a while. Most gardeners would trim the plant back several feet beyond where you want the growth to begin. It can be shaped like a hedge. Throughout the growing season, you also can remove long, lanky vine portions as needed.
I have a Blue Lake grapevine growing on a trellis. Should I prune this vine? If so, when and how?
Rein in the plants to obtain good growth and fruits with a mid- to late-winter pruning. Blue Lake is a type of bunch grape, and the vines are renewed each year. Save four to six of the best shoots from last year, and use these as the main vine portions to keep on the trellis. Remove all other vine portions. Contact your local University of Florida Extension office to obtain a free bulletin on bunch-grape care.