Forum home Problem solving
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

cobea - cup and saucer at ten ft

My cobea has reached ten ft and I am running out of space for it. Can I pinch out the tops without concern?  Thanks
«1

Posts

  • Bright starBright star Posts: 1,153
    Have you got space to train it sideways? I’ve done that in the past on my 6ft high fence. 
    Life's tragedy is that we get old too soon and wise too late.

  • SalixGoldSalixGold Posts: 450
    ....For a bit, but it seems the plant has hardly got going - no flower buds yet. I am going to rapidly run out of house. I wondered if "pinching out might make it bushier" type-thing.
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    ‘Run out of house’. Are you keeping it indoors? 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • SalixGoldSalixGold Posts: 450
    No, I am growing over my porch but .... I'm going to need a bigger porch.
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    Ah right,  I grew some over an arch and they did grow long but didn’t flower until very late,  by that time it was winter and they died.  I haven’t grown them since.l
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • SalixGoldSalixGold Posts: 450
    I've tried them before but never got this far. The plant is in full sun so stands a chance of flowering if we get late frosts. I get the impression it wants to travel around the block. I have heard that it works well trailing from a third floor window.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Everything I’ve read says to pinch out the growing tip at about 5 feet to encourage sideshoots and bud set. 


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I never pinched them out when I grew them. I only grow the white ones so I don't know if they're smaller. They covered the screen I have quite quickly and flowered later on, but I can't remember exactly when. I preferred them in bud rather than flower. 
    They weren't planted out till quite late on, as is normal here, but they were a good size by then. They certainly need a fair bit of room to do their thing.
    The screen has raised beds at each end, so the total they had to cover was around ten feet in width and about 6 feet in height, which they did quite easily. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    Same here @Fairygirl they don’t like cold so I had to put them out later,  not suited to colder climates I don’t think,  they need a long growing time. Nice we’re a pale lavender colour. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • SalixGoldSalixGold Posts: 450
    Everything I’ve read says to pinch out the growing tip at about 5 feet to encourage sideshoots and bud set. 
    Thanks

Sign In or Register to comment.