When is it time to give up on it?

13 years ago

Hi. I grew a passionflower from seed. Took about a few mos. to germinate, which I was warned of, so I was prepared. It grew and grew and has had many cuttings taken from it over the years. I've never fertilized it but I water it every week or two and it's kept indoors. We are zone 5a and I don't relish transplanting it or fear of spider mites should I bring it out over the summer, so it sits in indirect sun in the living room. This particular cutting is now about 3' high and in a pot 10" wide. It has never, EVER bloomed. Some leaves are oval and some are shaped like 3 fingers. All on the same vine. But not one bloom.

Here's the thing...it's over 10 years old. At what point do you decide, it's never going to bloom and give up, start another one. Is there certain varieties that don't bloom? Are they like Holly and need a female/male near it? We worked so hard to get this little guy to finally sprout so long ago...but I'm not too keen on 'just greenery' so do I try again with another variety?

Pls help...I'd like some info on this before I break the news to my mother that all her passionflowers she's started from cuttings will never bloom and to chuck them...

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (2)

karyn1
13 years ago
There are some seed grown passies that never bloom but without trying to keep it outside I wouldn't give up yet. Plants are more prone to spider mites when kept indoors. I get them on indoor and greenhouse plants but never on plants that are outside. I can also get rid of them by putting an infested plant outside and spraying it with a hose regularly. FWIW I've grown many passies, lots of different varieties, from seed and have yet to find one that doesn't eventually bloom for me.
eristal
13 years ago
Growing from seed 10 years ago, unless you purchased it from an exotic source, it is most likely either Passiflora edulis or Passiflora caerulea. I would wager it is the latter. In either case your problem is almost certainly not enough light. Most Passiflora prefer a good amount of sun.

I have two possible suggestions for you. Since you are almost ready to give up on it, try putting it outdoors in full sun for the Spring and Summer. P. caerulea tends to bloom in late Spring and early Summer, so as long as you bring it out early enough, it should bloom for you with enough sun. I live in California (zone 9), and ours are in full day harsh sun. We get about a dozen days per year over 100 degrees, and they thrive. Obviously, you will need to be very aware of the watering, since you are used to growing it indoors.

Alternately, make a cutting or two and create new plants to experiment on. If you started them now, it is still possible, though unlikely, that it could bloom this year.

If I am right, and it is Passiflora caerulea, it can withstand quite cold temperatures, even some frost. I would put them into sun as early as it is safe to not get too many days of freeze, as your plants are not used it. As for the spider mites, Karyn is right that they are much more prevalent indoors than out, but even if you did get them, P. caerulea is a strong hardy plant that unless badly infested, can and will survive with a little care. Pests are just part of growing plants, and something we all learn to live with.

One last suggestion. Post or email me pictures of your plant, so I can try to help you identify it. If I am wrong with my P. caerulea guess, or even if it is P. edulis, much of my advice will not be voided.

Good luck and happy growing! Feel free to email me or post with any other questions you may have.

Eric Wortman
Related Discussions
Hosta that turn to carp in the summer
Q
Comments (15)
The post's title made me chuckle. It's so true that we are bound to have some (or at least one) that looks ugly. For me, my ugly is Brim Cup. (Runner up to Brim Cup is Twilight.) When I bought Brim Cup in 2011, it looked nice. In 2012, it also looked good, and I patted myself on the back (especially when I found out it was considered one of the "difficult" ones). Well, I congratulated myself too soon, as this year, right off the bat, it looked ugly. Ugly it has been all season. Mind you, mine has been in a pot, so no slugs or pest issues like North53. I think mine has two problems: I've never repotted (I know, I know . . . I'm a bad girl). The second problem may be that it got too much sun in spring. So how long will I try with this hosta? I think I will try my best for 2014 and then 2015 will be the year it goes. I like a challenge, but there are so many beautiful and less demanding hostas out there that it just isn't worth my time. Babka, I also would find it very difficult to throw away a hosta. It is hard for me to imagine that no one would want it, even for free. I certainly do not have that problem. I can sell at garage sales, fund raising events, give them to our library's gardens or just post on kijiji.ca. If I were giving them away, a posting on kijiji.ca would guarantee that they'd be gone in no time at all. Just like plantbug, I would say "send them to me!" and I'll pay the shipping, but I am in Canada. My opinion is that if you are looking at some ugly plants, have tried almost everything you can and they continue to look ugly, then I would get rid of them. Doesn't it make you sad to look at them? Isn't life just too short to (year after year) see that kind of ugly? Part of gardening is to learn what grows well for you and what it is that makes you happy. I have purchased hosta that are going to grow too big for my garden (if I am lucky). What I am going to do? I don't know. What I do know, is that they are bringing me joy now. As for the future, well I can dream. But there are no guarantees for the future. So I choose to find enjoyment in the present.
...See More
Time to give up on my 7-pot, or still give more time?
Q
Comments (10)
Personally, I restart seeds after about two weeks or so. I will still keep the originals to see if they finally pop, but I don't want to get too far behind in case they never do sprout. It has been my experience that most all peppers (with a few exceptions) will sprout within two weeks if they are going to at all. Like I said, there are a few exceptions but even most super hots will pop within two weeks if they are under proper conditions. Heat and moisture are the two biggies. Too little or too much is not good. 70 to 85 for soil heat and constant moisture without being soggy is good. If you grew several other varieties of peppers and they sprouted fine, then I would consider it a problem with the seed. If you had wide spread failures to sprout, then I would look more at your setup. My 7 Pot Brain Strain-Yellow seeds that I got from the trade actually were the first to sprout for me. They were going strong at 6 days. The photo below shows my early sprouts. Notice the ones that sprouted first were near the center of the heat mat that I had them on. That probably had something to do with it. I expect it was just a bit warmer there than on the outside cells. If you click on the photo it should open in a bigger size so you can see it easier.
...See More
Why wont this oak tree thrive??
Q
Comments (13)
you are not living in tree time .. 1 to 3 years to get ESTABLISHED ... and then it might show signs of thriving ... was it leafed out when planted??? see link for primer on planting ...same as brandons .. its a deciduous tree .. as long as it leafs out next spring ... you win ... and frankly.. you wont know until them ... and you arent going to get any instant gratification answer sooner ... keep in mind.. its doing all its work.. underground.. growing roots ... and its frustrating because we cant see it all ... ken https://sites.google.com/site/tnarboretum/Home/planting-a-tree-or-shrub
...See More
Impossible bathtub ring... time to give up?
Q
Comments (12)
Bleach is not acidic it is a base. Please stop trying to clean the tub till you figure out if the tub is acrylic, fiberglass or porcelain tub. Unfortunately baking soda, Bon Ami and Soft Scrub are all abrasives and used aggressively or on the wrong finish cause damage. The dullness is damage and I am not sure if you can get the ring out. Please stop and only use something appropriate for the type of tub you have. Bleach based is probably fine. Your landlord will not be happy if you scratch that tub even more. And by the way I too live in NYC. The green you see in the water and the green stains you see occasionally on sinks from drips is actually copper from the pipes. Iron is brown and usually only found in our water when the pipes are galvanized or a water main has been disturbed. Good luck.
...See More

When is it time to give up on it?

Comments (2)

karyn1

eristal

Related Discussions

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US