Aristolochia elegans question...

Hello All.

Due entirely to the generosity and kindness of Calalily in sharing her vine seeds with me this spring, I am now the proud parent of a half dozen Aristolochia elegans seedlings. They emerged about a week ago and are slowly adapting to life above ground.

Is it reasonable to expect that they will bloom this coming summer in my south-facing garden on a trellis, or is it more likely that they will bloom in the summer of 2006? I have limited trellis space in my small garden and need to plant vines that will (at least somewhat) reliably bloom. I can carry over the elgans seedlings on my south porch this summer if they are more likely to bloom well in 2006. Any advice that anyone could offer would be sincerely appreciated.

Erick

Great question! I'd like to know, too!

BTW, how long did it take for yours to germinate? I'm not sure if mine are just incredibly slow, or if they are duds. I would appreciate any input you have to offer!

Hello Sequee.

Mine took about a month to germinate. I planted them in a peat starting mix, just barely covered with soil and kept them moist (but not soggy) and covered with a bit of plastic wrap. Of the six different Arisotlochia seeds I planted at the same time, the elegans are the only ones that have germinated. I'm hoping that the others (e.g. gigantea, clematatis, pearci, etc.) will germinate in the coming weeks or months. While I have very little experience with Aristolochias in general, it is my undersanding that they can take a long time to germinate - as long as a year!

All the best to you in germinating your seeds.

Erick

Erick, I need to send you my seeds to germinate! They probably won't bloom this year, they usually take two years and can take up to three years to flower, but they are worth the wait. If you can keep them actively growing thru the winter, they may flower sooner.

I had read that they take 30-90 days to germinate, so I'm TRYING to be patient! Not an easy thing for me, alas! I planted the elegans and the gigantea...will just keep my fingers crossed! Mine, too, are from the wonderfully generous Calalily! If we are lucky, we will be representing her all over this fine country of ours!

Thank you very much for the most helpful response, Calalily. I will be happy to wait the two or three years it takes for these vines to flower. Thank you again for your generosity in sending me all the seeds this spring. My Clitorias are now up as well, and I expect to see the Cryptostegia and Solanums soon.

Sequee, good luck in keeping your patience while you wait for your elegans to greet the world. Good things come to those who wait...sometimes anyways!

Erick

Here are my clitorias. When do they go to grounds??? Any tips would be greatly appreciated as this is my first year for flowers and vines!

Be really careful transplanting the clitorias, they don't like to have their roots disturbed too much. They should flower this year but if you don't get seeds, you can root cuttings. New growth without flower buds roots easiest. My white one already has more seedpods. That thing is fertile!

Oops - guess I should have asked for advice before I started them indoors. Drat! I could have used something biodegradable. Sure hope I don't lose them...

Just take them out of the containers very carefully. Hold your hand over the soil with the plant stem sticking between your fingers. Squeeze the sides of the container/cell pack to loosen the soil from the edge, then tip the plant out into your hand.
There should be enough roots to hold the dirt together so they won't even know they were moved.