And yet mine, which is planted in full sun, is languishing. Hasn't grown to more than 6 feet tall and two feet wide all spring and summer! Go figger! I did have one out back that grew to enormous size, but like yours, the side facing the sun was growing into my neighbor's yard, threatening to take over their patio. And all the flowers were over there. NONE in my yard. So I moved that one, and it promptly died. I love this vine, and where I have mine planted now, it would be welcone to run 20 feet in both directions. But it's not happy for some reason. Wish we could BLINK yours off of your fence and onto mine. Then I'd have my BSV and you could try something less vigorous. Good luck! Marcia

Hi, I'm new here, wishing I had read this before I pruned my Jiro persimmon tree about three weeks ago. I couldn't bear to throw the large branches I cut off the tree, so I stuck several of them into a bucket of rain water. Is there anyway to get new Jiro persimmons from these salvaged twigs and branches? I've never grown or propagated anything except from seed and little plants from the store, or else transplanted from another garden. The tree was dormant when I pruned it a few weeks ago. The main tree is just now starting to leaf out. It is growing in the mid-atlantic region zone 7. Our temps here are between 40-70s'F. The tree blossoms are finished and now starting to leaf out. Would these prunings be treated as hardwood cuttings? Any advice/suggestions for a newbie will be greatly appreciated. Could I use similar techniques to propagate my fig tree? Thanks!

Leave it in a pot, or, even better, get a 2-3 gallon bucket and drill 1" holes around the sides (but NOT in the bottom!). Plant the vine in the bucket, then plant the bucket in the ground. This will allow the roots to grow out through the holes and get more water, etc., from the surrounding soil. Before your first frost, prune the top back to a manageable size, then cut around the outside of the bucket and lift for overwintering indoors. I did this with mine for a couple of years, and it worked beautifully. I also planted a second one directly in the ground, and it did well the first year. But when it had to re-sprout the next spring, it didn't reach blooming size until a few days before frost. I live in Zone 8a. Thunbergia grandiflora---Blue Sky Vine---rarely ever makes seeds, and I hear they're difficult to germinate and slow to flower from seed. They're mostly propagated by cuttings.

Kat What did you do with be-headed plants? When cutting, one should make sure that there aren't any black/dark spots or marks in the remaining stems. 'Dead' leaves may not root - some succulents root and grow very easily from leaves, some are little more finicky. In general, leaves should be healthy. They will, often, root without help of rooting hormone, and may be growing well just sitting on top of mix. Is it possible for you to add your growing zone besides your name? Rina