![]() Push the leaf node into the mound of soil. Rough up the soil beneath one of the leaf nodes to mound it up. If necessary, use a rock to hold the vine in place.Įxamine the stem and locate one or more leaf nodes about six inches from the growing tip. In the summer, choose a vine to direct toward the ground. Tip layering is the process of taking a growing stem and anchoring it to the ground to grow roots and become a separate plant. Once settled in the soil, tamp around it and water well.Īnd finally, if you have vines of your own, you can easily root additional plants with the following method. The key is to maintain the same depth in the ground as it was in the pot, to avoid transplant shock. Whether it’s a little “start,” with a soft stem and few leaves, or a well-established specimen with creeping tendrils and ample foliage, the method for planting is the same. If you don’t want to start with seeds, and don’t have a friend with a vine, you can purchase a plant from a nursery. Keep the soil evenly moist but not soggy.Īfter the danger of spring frost passes, transplant the entire seed-starter pot into the garden with the rim even with the ground soil surface. Tamp the soil firmly around it and water well. Cut a five-inch length just below a leaf node.įill a six-inch biodegradable seed starter pot three-quarters full of potting medium.ĭip the stem into rooting hormone and place it two to three inches deep in the potting medium. In late fall to early spring, when the vine is dormant and leafless, select a woody stem with multiple leaf nodes. Plant it one to two inches deep to completely cover the roots.Īlternatively, dip the bare stem into rooting hormone powder and place it directly into the garden soil at the same depth. When roots sprout, transplant the cutting to the garden. Place the container in a location with bright indirect sunlight. Place the stem in a clear container that contains three inches of water. ![]() Snip off the leaves from the bottom three inches so you have a leafless lower stem. Ideally, there will be several leaf nodes on the stem. Use clean pruners to slice through the stem just below a leaf node. In the spring, cut a length of stem from the growing tip that is five inches long. Perhaps you have a friend who will share theirs with you. Instead, consider the following methods for taking cuttings from existing plants. Starting with seeds is not the easiest method, as germination rates are often low.Īlso, I don’t recommend starting seeds indoors in seed-starter cells, as we do with many plants, because transplanting the fragile seedlings creates further opportunities for failure to thrive. Maintain even moisture and avoid oversaturation. “Scarify” the seeds by rubbing them lightly with a nail file and placing them in water overnight to open the seed casings and jump-start germination.Ĭhoose a sunny location and sow the seeds outdoors at a depth of three-eighths of an inch. Sow them outdoors in the fall for sprouts the following spring.Īlternatively, you can provide artificial cold stratification.Ībout eight weeks before the last average frost date in the spring, place the seeds in a zippered plastic bag with moist vermiculite or potting medium.Īfter eight weeks of chilling, remove the seeds. Winter chilling is necessary for seeds to germinate. Photo by Salicyna, Wikimedia Commons, via CC BY-SA. Start with seeds, cuttings, or nursery plants to grow Virginia creeper. In addition, deer don’t generally seek it out when there is other foliage to nibble. quinquefolia is prized by many, not just for its vibrant fall color and appeal to local wildlife but its ability to withstand air pollution, salt, compacted soil, and excessive heat. Historically, native Cherokee and Iroquois healers used Virginia creeper to treat various ailments, including jaundice, sumac poisoning, diarrhea, inflammation, lockjaw, and urinary infections.ĭespite its aggressive nature, P. Standing water is likely to cause rotting. The plants tolerate clay soil, provided it is not so compact that it doesn’t drain. ![]() Mature lengths average 30 to 50 feet but may reach 100 feet.Ĭultural requirements include soil of average quality, a pH of 5.0 to 7.5, and good drainage. ![]() In one year alone, it’s not uncommon for a vine to put on 20 feet of new growth. It rapidly sprawls over fences, ground, rocks, tree trunks, and utility poles. Woodbine is featured in gardens as an ornamental type of flora that thrives in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 9. The growing tips of the stems or tendrils have sucker disks that adhere to surfaces with a sticky mucilage, making it difficult to remove them from porous surfaces.Īs they creep over ground soil, the stems sprout adventitious or aerial roots that anchor them to the ground. Nonenmacher, Wikimedia Commons, via CC BY-SA.
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