Growing HBWR

[GoldenTeacher]

Hey gang!

I've just started growing some HBWR over the past month. I've had some success, but some seeds didn't germinate and I'm retrying more. I have one beautiful little sprout (four little leaves!) and it is very happy. I have my seedlings and my sprout in small pots in a east-facing window. I've looked through other forums for advice. It seems to be that they don't like too much water (susceptible to root rot), but they don't like too much light either. Some forums I've looked at say that more light is good starting off because it helps acclimatizing the plant to lots of light to potentiate growth. I'm not really concerned about getting viable seeds to eat, I just like the plant for the fact that it has beautiful leaves and flowers! Plus having a psychoactive plant in the house is kinda cool. Now, about other seeds not germinating... my sprout came up about a week after planting. I'm wondering if I didn't puncture the seed coating properly on the other ones, or punctured too deep. I snipped away from the germ eye with some scissors. I didn't pour boiling water over them or soak them over night. I think that will be what I'll try next.

What are other people's experiences with HBWR? I'm interested to discuss!

 

[Lago Chiller]

Hey GT
I started my HBWR in June '11. I'm in Z6 so I had to take it indoors overwinter.
Indoors it grew to 6-7'. This spring it was in the GH until June where it suffered greatly from whitefly infestations. TIP if your leaves get shiny all of a sudden touch them and if they are sticky, you've got whiteflys and/or aphids.
Equal parts of organic dish soap and 70% isopropyl alcohol mixed with 2X that amount of water sprayed on the leaves controlled but never eliminated them.
Planted outside in June, in full sun, she promptly took over my shed, west part of garage and walkway.
As I have about 3 weeks before the average killing frosts arrive(IME they can't take ANY frost}, I've been taking cuttings to bring indoors, no luck with those so far.
Along the base of my plant up to about 6' there are what appear to be buds forming.
I seriously doubt now that they can flower in time for some seed.
Anyway it is a beautiful vigorous plant that can grow quite well as an indoor plant but the fireworks really start inground.

Good luck and keep us informed how she does with you.

 

[Ringworm]

zone 8b when I grew it.

seems like some seed was old as germination should been better than 80%
Once it got going it was like any morning glory type vine, little tender in the start.
A month in the hot south got it rocking. By fall it was 20ft of vine and had taken over my porch. Huge foliage (95+ degrees and 90% humidity average for 6months).
Before the first frost, I cut the vine down with a machete and dug the vine up, not expecting much. I threw the bare rooted plant in a plastic bag to keep the roots moist during winter in a cold frame to hold it.

Replanted in spring and it once again attacked my porch... small animals often attacked by the plant as they walked past.

 

[Lago Chiller]

zone 8b when I grew it.
.
.
.

Before the first frost, I cut the vine down with a machete and dug the vine up, not expecting much. I threw the bare rooted plant in a plastic bag to keep the roots moist during winter in a cold frame to hold it.

Replanted in spring and it once again attacked my porch... small animals often attacked by the plant as they walked past.

Hey Ringworm!
Did your plant ever set seed?

Thanks for all of your great posts!

 

[Ringworm]

not that I know of.
I've seen it bud and flower, but it's kinda off season, ya know?

I had a habit of leaving some plants out over winter, as every couple years we have very mild winters. Mind you this was like the year 2000 I had that house so I can't really remember when it flowered or whatever..... was a confusing year, we were young, childless, we grew our own fungus, etc.