Corkscrew vine

Help!! I'm losing all the lower leaves on the vine. The top seems fine, with tons of buds (yipppeee) but the bottom looks horrible.
Any suggestions as to what could be causing it? i have it in a pot, growing up a trellis,
thanks
jen

Jen I think it is just the heat and lack of rain. My stuff is looking shabby to. Hose water doesn't compare to rain water. I water water water and it makes no difference but let it rain and everything perks up.

Donna,
Thanks for getting back to me. Maybe i should move it to a shadier spot, i have it in full sun.
DO you have any idea how to root it?
thanks again

I wouldn't move it. It loves the sun and you could have a chance of getting seed on it at your place. Our season isn't long enough. I've heard to root tip growth as long as they don't have flower shoots on them and have heard both water and soil. The only way I could root it was to pin a runner with dirt covering some of the nodes and just wait for rooting. I did several in the house a couple of winters ago by pinning them into a separate pot. Sure was a slow process though.

Thanks Brugie, I noticed that there is a new runner starting, i think ill set another pot down next to the one its in and pin the runner down.
I'm hesitant to cut off the growing tips. I've heard so much about these flowers, im being selfish and want to see them all, lol.
jen

I definately wouldn't move it either....I agree with Donna, it's the heat. Mine too have dropped the bottom leaves but above it is healthy. Don't cut off the growing tips either - if you do you will have a bonsai vine with very few flowers....lol.

Mine do that and yellow badly when I water them too much. A good dose of fertilizer and/or epsom salts(one teaspoon per gallon)will help, but only once they've dried between waterings.
-T

Hi,
wanted add a little something I discoved this year having mine in the ground as opposed to last year in a pot. I had the pot in full sun and got mediocre blooms. This year it is in the ground & only getting full sun in the morning & then again on the top about 3-5pm, and I am covered with blooms. So maybe these don't need as much sun as I was told. Or maybe our full sun is just too hot, but I think MS gets pretty hot temps too, right? Maybe experiment with location, and I do know they don't like their feet too saturated, seedpicker gives good advice to dry out between waterings.

Its in a pot and i will admit i forget to water it at times. I will try the epsom salt tomorrow.
I have a few buds forming, but they arent nearly as plump as the ones i've seen pics of....
thanks
jen