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Post by nightowl on Aug 1, 2007 12:22:31 GMT
I was really pleased, 2 years ago, when my new baby Solanum Alba seemed to settle in well and be happy in its position against the fence.  I was chuffed to bits when it grew really well last year, and was flowering right up into December.  But now I'm scared!  I have never seen anything grow quite like it! It has spread along the trellis fence -top in both directions, in fact is spreading more away from the sun, which is unusual in my experience.  It's heading fast for the neighbours garden. It has thrown long stems out across my garden which, in the ones I haven't spotted and cut off, have wrapped around other plants, and marched on, and it looks like it wants to invade the house! I know it's partly my fault  because every time I go to cut some stems back, they have flower bud clusters on the end and I can't bring myself to cut them off!  Is this usual behaviour for one of these? It gets no feeding, it shades its own roots from the rain, it doesn't often cop for a watering cos it's the only plant the other side of my pond and gets forgotten. Maybe it's really a Triffid, masquerading as a S.A.! |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2007 12:36:39 GMT
Hi Nightowl ... that sounds about normal Solanum behaviour. I have an Alba grown from cutting two years ago and it's behaving pretty much as you describe; two Glasnevins that I grew from cutting last year are also making a bid for world domination! I just tie in the shoots, and when one is completely unruly cut it off ... there are so many flowers it doesn't matter if you sacrifice a few ;D ... like you said, they've had no special care and the two Glasnevins are in horrible soil (and one in total shade to boot)! I believe - perhaps someone who knows can tell us - that they can be pruned really hard and come back better than ever - I haven't done this yet because it's a new garden and they're doing a great job of covering an ugly breezeblock wall and providing a screen from our neighbours ;D ... cheers ...
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Post by beejay on Aug 1, 2007 13:02:33 GMT
Someone I work for has both types of solanum. Her next door neighbour had a new fence installed & both plants were a bit battered & lying flat. I cut both back very hard this spring, although not all at once, & both have bounced back.
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Post by nightowl on Aug 1, 2007 13:34:38 GMT
I have to say, as plants go, you really do get your money's worth with Solanums! ;D Hardly ever known such a trouble-free plant ( except controlling it) I wish I had gone for one years ago, when I had space for it to "do its thing", but I always thought, for some reason , that they were not hardy!  |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2007 13:44:22 GMT
For some reason a lot of gardening books do seem to describe them as 'not fully hardy', 'slightly tender' etc. Can't think why ;D
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Post by beanie on Aug 1, 2007 20:42:51 GMT
they seem to be tough as old boots here. i cut mine right back to short spurs in spring otherwise it grows across my living room window. well worth having though. it's one plant i wouldn't be without because of the length of flowering season. mine started in may and it's still going
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Post by jean on Aug 1, 2007 20:55:12 GMT
Put one in to cover an arch a couple of months ago and its up to the top of one side already. Slugs and snails aren't interested at all Pruning advice appreciated ;D |
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Post by beanie on Aug 2, 2007 9:46:26 GMT
i'm not sure whether i prune the right way but it seems to work. i shorten all the growths back to a framework of very short spurs , more to keep it in check than anything else. i've done this for about 5yrs. i'm growing it on a wall not as a free standing plant, pruning would be different in that case
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Post by Chuckles on Aug 3, 2007 15:25:31 GMT
Really hope my cuttings do as well as yours have CC. It sounds a really good no nonsense plant to have |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2007 15:31:15 GMT
Don't worry, they will. Together with ivy, this was the first cutting I ever took (from the back wall of a derelict house down the road). Knew nothing about leaf nodes, rooting powder etc. Just took a piece and stuck it in some soil. Now it's massive, and positively drips flowers for much of the year ... cheers ... |
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Post by Chuckles on Sept 2, 2007 20:04:51 GMT
Well all of my cuttings are still alive ;D 1 of them has grown to about 2ft and has flowered, another has put on about 4ft of growth but no flowers  The others are alive but haven't put on any growth, I guess when decide to go they will probably go mad |
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Post by jean on Sept 2, 2007 21:21:45 GMT
Sounds like yours have done really well Chuckles. I took a few cutting a couple of weeks ago for the other side of my arch and they seem to be doing fine (fingers crossed). Has anyone tried the blue one ?
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Post by nightowl on Sept 3, 2007 7:29:29 GMT
Mine is still scaring me, I think it's marching into Poland!!! I have never seen anything grow so fast!!! From a spread of about 5ft last year (its first), it is now about 20ft across, with shoots combining to make 2-3ft columns above the trellis, and shoots that keep making attempts to get to the house (about 5 mtrs away) by scrambling across other plants. All this with no feeding, and technically no water cos it shields its own roots from the rain (and everything else that's planted along the fence!) I'm going to need a truck to take away the trimmings when I cut it back. Actually I'm scared to try cos I have a feeling that it will envelop me in its shoots and pin my arms down so I can't hurt it!!!! It should be called Solanum Triffidus. ;D ;D |
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Post by Chuckles on Sept 3, 2007 22:02:26 GMT
I'm pleased with them JL, hope yours take. Would like to try the blue one but don't know anyone who's got one I can have a snip at ;D NO sounds like you have got a Solanum Triffidus ;D I think they can take a good trim  |
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Post by jean on Sept 6, 2007 21:18:08 GMT
I'm getting worried now, hope I haven't planted a monster It is beautiful though and is flowering its head off - does it self seed ? |
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Post by nightowl on Sept 7, 2007 10:48:45 GMT
I sincerely hope not JL!!!!! I don't think so cos the dead flowers just seem to disappear, not form seed heads. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 12, 2007 10:32:35 GMT
Good news on your cuttings, chuckles. When I got back from holiday yesterday - only 10 days - I saw that my Solanum Alba had invaded next door's yard and was in the process of wrapping itself around their rotary clothes line ... so spent about an hour pulling back errant shoots and bending them down to trail over our side of the wall ... cheers ... |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 29, 2007 12:48:30 GMT
Hi all ... I know you're supposed to cut in back in the spring, but would it do any harm to have a go now? Things are getting a bit out of control ... cheers ...
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Post by Chuckles on Sept 30, 2007 19:47:21 GMT
Fab news that yours is growing so well CC, although I'm sure you would rather it be in your garden ;D I would give it a little bit of a trim if it's getting really out of control. My cuttings seem to have varying growth rates, some are dormant others growing like mad ;D
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Post by Deleted on Oct 1, 2007 12:50:47 GMT
Thanks, Chuckles .... I'll get out later and start hacking. It can spread as far as it likes in my garden, but I don't want to annoy the neighbours ... cheers ...
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Post by jean on Oct 1, 2007 20:44:52 GMT
One side of my arch has been covered really well so my cuttings have gone on the other side, its beautiful at the moment and has still got plenty of flowers to come - I love it :)l
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Post by Deleted on Oct 4, 2007 11:05:44 GMT
Just thought I'd put up this pic to illustrate its general rampantness:  It was given a trim a couple of days ago ... those long shoots are new (incidentally, it's mixed in with a passionflower, if you're wondering about the different leaves) ... cheers ... |
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Post by prodigal gardener on Oct 4, 2007 16:41:08 GMT
Oh like that, is it smelly??
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Post by Deleted on Oct 5, 2007 16:14:56 GMT
Hi Karlsass ... although some books classify Solanum Alba as scented, I've never smelt anything ... cheers ...
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Post by prodigal gardener on Oct 8, 2007 16:40:06 GMT
Hi CC, Looks like it shold smell wonderful dont it ! Oh well just goes to show. still might have to find room for one its really nice. I wonder how it would do in a (hideous) laurel hedge???  ? |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 9, 2007 11:47:51 GMT
Hi Karlsass ... I think it'll happily scramble through anything! A neighbour has a solanum scrambling its way through a huge red rambling rose ... looks fantastic! Hope you can squeeze one in ;D ... cheers ...
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Post by Chuckles on Oct 12, 2007 22:08:02 GMT
Just thought I'd put up this pic to illustrate its general rampantness: It was given a trim a couple of days ago ... those long shoots are new (incidentally, it's mixed in with a passionflower, if you're wondering about the different leaves) ... cheers ... Wow CC that looks really healthy and the Passion Flower too. I can't wait for mine to flower |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 14, 2007 14:19:09 GMT
Hi Chuckles ... apparently it takes a couple of years for passionflowers to flower from seed, or even cutting - here's hoping for next year. But now you know what you can look forward to with the Solanum ;D ... cheers ...
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Post by prodigal gardener on Oct 14, 2007 20:18:36 GMT
I saw one yesterday and was sorely tempted, but it was really dodgy looking round the lower stems, do the go all brown and yukky looking or was that one on its way out Might leave it till spring. Might not tho ! ;D |
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Post by jean on Oct 14, 2007 20:46:37 GMT
I saw one yesterday and was sorely tempted, but it was really dodgy looking round the lower stems, do the go all brown and yukky looking or was that one on its way out Might leave it till spring. Might not tho ! ;D Sounds like that one was on its way out Karlslass Mine is in full flower and is stunning |
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I have never seen anything grow quite like it! It has spread along the trellis fence -top in both directions, in fact is spreading more away from the sun, which is unusual in my experience. 
It's heading fast for the neighbours garden.
because every time I go to cut some stems back, they have flower bud clusters on the end and I can't bring myself to cut them off! 
The others are alive but haven't put on any growth, I guess when decide to go they will probably go mad 
?