Last year's pot grown Chrissy present was carefully tended and kept
frost free in a cold conservatory until Spring. Now planted out, it
has produced 9 feet of straggling growth, flowers but no fruit..
Problem. How to keep it frost free this winter?
Should it be pruned back to three feet or so?
Or does one carefully coil all the straggling shoots so they can be
protected with bubblewrap?
Normally I would hack it back and take a chance but, as it was a
grandchild's pressy, I'd like to get this right first time!

--
ned

http://www.bugsandweeds.co.uk

In article , ned writes
Last year's pot grown Chrissy present was carefully tended and kept
frost free in a cold conservatory until Spring. Now planted out, it
has produced 9 feet of straggling growth, flowers but no fruit..
Problem. How to keep it frost free this winter?
Should it be pruned back to three feet or so?
Or does one carefully coil all the straggling shoots so they can be
protected with bubblewrap?
Normally I would hack it back and take a chance but, as it was a
grandchild's pressy, I'd like to get this right first time!



If you hack it back now it will try and regrow and the new growth, being
tender, will undoubtedly succumb to frost etc. The plant will then be
totally killed off.
Better I think, to leave it as best you can and prune in the spring when
frost has gone.

I know a lot of passionflowers that readily live through winters.

Janet
--
Janet Tweedy
Amersham Gardening Association
http://www.amersham-gardening.net

"Janet Tweedy" wrote in message
...
In article , ned
writes
Last year's pot grown Chrissy present was carefully tended and kept
frost free in a cold conservatory until Spring. Now planted out, it
has produced 9 feet of straggling growth, flowers but no fruit..
Problem. How to keep it frost free this winter?
Should it be pruned back to three feet or so?
Or does one carefully coil all the straggling shoots so they can be
protected with bubblewrap?
Normally I would hack it back and take a chance but, as it was a
grandchild's pressy, I'd like to get this right first time!



If you hack it back now it will try and regrow and the new growth,
being
tender, will undoubtedly succumb to frost etc. The plant will then
be
totally killed off.
Better I think, to leave it as best you can and prune in the spring
when
frost has gone.

I know a lot of passionflowers that readily live through winters.

Janet

Thank you Janet.
'Wasn't thinking of immediate action, Just wanted to get sort out the
plan of campaign. :-)

--
ned

In article , "ned" writes:
| Last year's pot grown Chrissy present was carefully tended and kept
| frost free in a cold conservatory until Spring. Now planted out, it
| has produced 9 feet of straggling growth, flowers but no fruit..
| Problem. How to keep it frost free this winter?
| Should it be pruned back to three feet or so?
| Or does one carefully coil all the straggling shoots so they can be
| protected with bubblewrap?
| Normally I would hack it back and take a chance but, as it was a
| grandchild's pressy, I'd like to get this right first time!

Er, which Passiflora?


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article , Nick Maclaren
writes
Er, which Passiflora?



I was assuming it was the caerula because it was a present from a
grandchild, Nick. I know many people who say theirs gets through the
winter unscathed.


--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

In article ,
Janet Tweedy writes:
| In article , Nick Maclaren
| writes
| Er, which Passiflora?
|
| I was assuming it was the caerula because it was a present from a
| grandchild, Nick. I know many people who say theirs gets through the
| winter unscathed.

Quite a lot of garden centres sell other species, and a grandchild
might easily have selected one of them.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article , Nick Maclaren
writes


Quite a lot of garden centres sell other species, and a grandchild
might easily have selected one of them.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.


Yes, point taken
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

"Janet Tweedy" wrote in message
...
In article , Nick Maclaren
writes
Er, which Passiflora?



I was assuming it was the caerula because it was a present from a
grandchild, Nick. I know many people who say theirs gets through the
winter unscathed.

Yes, that's the one Janet.
Well, the label reads 'caerulea' but, hell, I had always thought it
was cerulea (after cerulean blue) - which I do understand is derived
from the Latin 'caeruleus'.
:-))

--
ned

In article , "ned" writes:
|
| Yes, that's the one Janet.
| Well, the label reads 'caerulea' but, hell, I had always thought it
| was cerulea (after cerulean blue) - which I do understand is derived
| from the Latin 'caeruleus'.
| :-))

Many people spell that "caerulean" :-) Either is correct in English.
However, botanic names are in Latin, and so it must be "caerulea".

Don't worry too much about it, but avoid it getting frozen solid,
staying wet or drying out completely. In most parts of the country,
it will do better if planted out, but is quite likely to be cut
back to the ground in the winter. It can be killed by severe
frost.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 2/10/06 14:23, in article , "ned"
wrote:


"Janet Tweedy" wrote in message
...
In article , Nick Maclaren
writes
Er, which Passiflora?



I was assuming it was the caerula because it was a present from a
grandchild, Nick. I know many people who say theirs gets through the
winter unscathed.

Yes, that's the one Janet.
Well, the label reads 'caerulea' but, hell, I had always thought it
was cerulea (after cerulean blue) - which I do understand is derived
from the Latin 'caeruleus'.
:-))

That's the only one that is anything like reliably hardy in this country but
in colder areas, it will still get killed by frost. You could try mulching
the roots with a pile of compost or leaves held down with stones, if you
live in a very frosty area.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 2/10/06 14:23, in article , "ned"
wrote:


"Janet Tweedy" wrote in message
...
In article , Nick Maclaren
writes
Er, which Passiflora?



I was assuming it was the caerula because it was a present from a
grandchild, Nick. I know many people who say theirs gets through
the
winter unscathed.

Yes, that's the one Janet.
Well, the label reads 'caerulea' but, hell, I had always thought
it
was cerulea (after cerulean blue) - which I do understand is
derived
from the Latin 'caeruleus'.
:-))

That's the only one that is anything like reliably hardy in this
country but
in colder areas, it will still get killed by frost. You could try
mulching
the roots with a pile of compost or leaves held down with stones, if
you
live in a very frosty area.

Thanks everyone. I think we will be OK. It is planted by a 1m wall
surmounted by a sturdy trellis. So protecting the base won't present
too much difficulty.

--
ned

ned wrote:

"the swede" wrote in message
...
:
: If I open a packet of parsnip seeds and do not use all of them.
Will I
: be able to use them at a later date?

Parsnips are renowned for their poor germination rate and the longer
you
keep them the more they deteriorate. Better to get fresh seed if you
meant
to keep them for a good while in spite of the distant 'use by date'
that I
see is even on parsnip packets these days.

Last year I sowed some old parsnip seeds in toilet roll tubes in the
greenhouse (it's much more reliable to sow indoors than to sow straight
into the garden). The three-year-old 'Tender and True' did not
germinate at all; the two-year-old F1 'Gladiator' germinated very well.

Rhiannon