philip64 wrote:
rachael simpson;731476 Wrote:
philip64 wrote:-
I am the proud owner of a once thriving sweet potato vine (Solanum
Jasminoides). It was planted close to a south-facing fence (in
London)
about three years ago and grew rapidly. It covers an area about six
foot high by fifteen feet wide and flowers most of the year.

Unfortuntately some deep digging on the other side of the fence may
have cut through a significant portion of the roots. Immediatey after
this happened, about 90% of the foliage simply shrivelled up, leaving
only a small portion at one end still green.

I have heard this ttype of vine described as 'tough'. Does this mean
there is any hope that it will recover or regrow itself if
undisturbed?
Or is the damage likely to be irreversible?

Can anyone advise?



-
if there are any runners left to the plant, then they should re-root
well. i root them in a jar of water in the house all the time. it may

take awhile, but should bounce back some. of course, i'm sure someone

with more experience than i will be along shortly to give you a little

more advice.

Thank you. What part of the plant is a runner? (Pardon my ignorance!)





definition of plant runner:

A stolon is a horizontal stem that is fleshy or semi-woody and lies
along the top of the ground. A runner is a type of stolon. It is a
specialized stem that grows on the soil surface and forms a new plant at
one or more of its nodes. Strawberry runners are examples of stolons.
Remember, all stems have nodes and buds or leaves.

basically, a runner is the part that starts at the base of the plant,
skims along the ground and roots nearby, starting a new plant. if your
vine is as large as you say, you should have several runners.

even if you only have a *nub* of a root, it should work......

all the runners I have started indoors have been off of broken field
plants. Since yours is in place already, i would pamper it a little and
maybe take one or to runners to re-root separately, in case the original
plant doesn't bounce back.