trumpet vine
 

Hello,
I have had my trumpet vine for over 5 years, but this is the first time I
have seen 8-10" beans on it - I presume they are seed pods of some kind, but
I haven't been able to verify that.
Does anyone know? and if so - do I let them dry on the vine before
attempting to harvest?

Sue

"SavvySurfer" wrote in message
...
Hello,
I have had my trumpet vine for over 5 years, but this is the first
time I
have seen 8-10" beans on it - I presume they are seed pods of some
kind, but
I haven't been able to verify that.
Does anyone know? and if so - do I let them dry on the vine before
attempting to harvest?

If you let them dry on the vine, they'll self harvest, creating more
vines. You've reached the stage where I was when I decided it was time
to eliminate the trumpet vines. It took 5 years, but it's finally
gone. It was worst than passion vines (May Pops) to kill off!!

Tom J

In article ,
says...
I have had my trumpet vine for over 5 years, but this is the first time I
have seen 8-10" beans on it - I presume they are seed pods of some kind,
but I haven't been able to verify that.

Yes they are seed pods, full of "flake" type seeds. If you let
them dry completely, they will split open and spill out the seeds.
You can probably harvest them anytime after they start to turn color.

"SavvySurfer" wrote in message
...
Hello,
I have had my trumpet vine for over 5 years, but this is the first time I
have seen 8-10" beans on it - I presume they are seed pods of some kind,
but
I haven't been able to verify that.
Does anyone know? and if so - do I let them dry on the vine before
attempting to harvest?

Sue

Sue, what I've learned now since planting my own trumpet vine (an orange
sherbet colored one dug up from my friend's gardens in west Knoxville ten
years ago) is CUT THEM PUPPIES OFF NOW!!!!!!!!!!!! Don't wait for them to
ripen and split open to spread their wind blown seed everywhere. The seeds
are tenacious about burying into the ground despite their flat nature. Once
germinated, you'll find you have a vine that will resist all efforts to
eliminate.

I love my vine, don't get me wrong. The hummers, bumblies and other
pollinators adore the blossoms, but now I get up on a step ladder and cut
off every pod I find. I'm pulling at least 5-11 volunteer vines every year,
and I realize I'm not really getting them because of that deep thunking
sound the root makes as I try to tear it out. I regret that I didn't plant
this vine against a Jack pine down in my woods where it didn't matter.
Where the vine is planted is at the entrance to my only side yard which has
four of my ten raised gardens in it. I've already tried to rip out five
babies in my western bed alone, and even as small as they are, they are
deep.

Now unless you like having these popping up everywhere clip them off and
send them packing to the landfill. Or better yet, find a wild, orange one
and drop them next to that vine and maybe they'll blend colors and make a
whole new color! (just kidding, even though we do have the wild orange ones
all along the roadsides here in Eastern Tennessee). and did I mention that
the roots are tenacious about germinating new vines as well? I'm finding
them up in my beds as far away from the main vine as 15
foot.............scary, huh?

madgardener up on the ridge, back in Fairy Holler still trying to heal from
blood poisoning, watching my gardens go on with or without me thru the
windows, overlooking English Mountain in Eastern Tennessee where the days
are deffinately shortening and we're fast approaching Fall
Solstice.................zone 7, Sunset zone 36