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Any tips for growing Thunbergia alata?

RM98RM98 Posts: 43
in Plants
Hi all,

I'm new to gardening and therefore growing anything (I'm currently spending lots of time online trying to get my head around growing things from seeds and getting very confused about heat pads, propagators, etc ...)

Anyway, I think I have the perfect place to grow Thunbergia alata for this season. There's a gap at the front of the house between the bay window and the porch - probably only about 45cm wide but just a plain white wall right now and I think it would look much better with a bit of colour from a climbing plant such as this one. It's south-facing and because it's between the bay window and porch, will be sheltered from cold winds, etc ...

I just have a few questions if anyone can help who has experience of growing this?

1) I understand it needs some sort of frame to climb up and I'm just wondering what would be best, a wooden trellis-type setup or something thinner like a mesh of some sort?
2) Does it need tying in at all to train it up the support or will it find its own way?
3) Is it better to grow it from seed or to buy young plants? I don't have a greenhouse or heat mat etc but I can buy a propagator and put it on a windowsill in the house
4) I'm planning to house it in a pot of say 30cm diameter, would one plant be enough or would I need a few to fill it?
5) Is it likely to grow quite tall and flower this year? I'd love it to get to about 2m tall
6) Is it best to deadhead them?

I realise that's a lot of questions and I've looked online but different places say some different things which to a beginner can be frustrating!

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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Posts

  • RubytooRubytoo Posts: 1,630
    1)  You can use whatever you can afford or like the look of.
    A thin wire or plastic mesh ( I would prefer the larger solid but still thin "clematis" mesh over a thin mist like plastic,  which does not last and can be a hazard to wild life if not firmly stretched and fixed. I have used a bunch of tall twiggy hazel in pots to grow it so also an option if you like wild and fuzzy :D

    2) I used to just poke the wiry stem ends into the support every few days depending on rate of growth.
    It does not really need tying in, it twines very nicely.

    3) You can buy plugs, I think.
    But I used to start ours off on a window sill in pots or trays. March onwards , you do not need a heated propagator if you have a warm windowsill.

    4) Not sure been ages since I grew them , but I had three or four crowded into a 30/35 cm  (12/13? inch diameter) pot and that was very much enough to make a nice display.

    5) Yes it will flower this year. 
    (Not sure of Thunbergia heights without looking up).

    6) I do not remember dead heading .

    Caveat :smile:
    We were raising a fledging starling the last time we grew them, and  starlings are very fond of poking beaks into holes. Shoe lace holes , between toes, and Black Eyed Susans aka Thunbergia were/ are  irresistible.
    He was adorable, so forgiven for beaking them apart.
    Sorry off topic, but hey maybe you are the kind of person to want to save a fledging starling...Just sayin' ;):)
  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    As a first time grower of Thunbergia last year, I would echo all @Rubytoo’s replies above although I got excellent cover on a six foot obelisk with just one plant and it wanted to grow higher! Interestingly, it twines to the left so remember that if you are trying to give it some help!
    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    I think the only potentially tricky bit is starting from seed, so if you want to make the process easier, perhaps start from plugs. I grew some a few years ago and was surprised how late they started to take off; For me they were more late summer and autumn flowering plants. I didn't tie in; They seemed happy to scramble through the roses.  

    There is a fabulous range of colours now - from pales, to deeply saturated (like mine). I admit that the reason I grew it was pretty much purely for that colour. 


  • RM98RM98 Posts: 43
    Rubytoo said:
    1)  You can use whatever you can afford or like the look of.
    A thin wire or plastic mesh ( I would prefer the larger solid but still thin "clematis" mesh over a thin mist like plastic,  which does not last and can be a hazard to wild life if not firmly stretched and fixed. I have used a bunch of tall twiggy hazel in pots to grow it so also an option if you like wild and fuzzy :D

    2) I used to just poke the wiry stem ends into the support every few days depending on rate of growth.
    It does not really need tying in, it twines very nicely.

    3) You can buy plugs, I think.
    But I used to start ours off on a window sill in pots or trays. March onwards , you do not need a heated propagator if you have a warm windowsill.

    4) Not sure been ages since I grew them , but I had three or four crowded into a 30/35 cm  (12/13? inch diameter) pot and that was very much enough to make a nice display.

    5) Yes it will flower this year. 
    (Not sure of Thunbergia heights without looking up).

    6) I do not remember dead heading .

    Caveat :smile:
    We were raising a fledging starling the last time we grew them, and  starlings are very fond of poking beaks into holes. Shoe lace holes , between toes, and Black Eyed Susans aka Thunbergia were/ are  irresistible.
    He was adorable, so forgiven for beaking them apart.
    Sorry off topic, but hey maybe you are the kind of person to want to save a fledging starling...Just sayin' ;):)
    This is amazing, thank you so much! 
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    We may have crossed posts. More thoughts above
  • RM98RM98 Posts: 43
    Fire said:
    I think the only potentially tricky bit is starting from seed, so if you want to make the process easier, perhaps start from plugs. I grew some a few years ago and was surprised how late they started to take off; For me they were more late summer and autumn flowering plants. I didn't tie in; They seemed happy to scramble through the roses.  

    There is a fabulous range of colours now - from pales, to deeply saturated (like mine). I admit that the reason I grew it was pretty much purely for that colour. 


    Those deep coloured ones are lovely! Thanks for this and noted about seed being potentially tricky, I’ll look to source some plugs from somewhere instead as I’d like to make things as straightforward as possible for the first year  :)
  • RM98RM98 Posts: 43
    Plantminded said:
    As a first time grower of Thunbergia last year, I would echo all @Rubytoo’s replies above although I got excellent cover on a six foot obelisk with just one plant and it wanted to grow higher! Interestingly, it twines to the left so remember that if you are trying to give it some help!
    Ah that’s a great tip about it twining to the left, I’ll remember that! Thank you  :)
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    I wasn't suggesting this seed is trickier than others, only that, if you are starting out as a grower, raising from seed might be tricker than buying plugs. Raising from seed is fun and rewarding.
  • RM98RM98 Posts: 43
    Fire said:
    I wasn't suggesting this seed is trickier than others, only that, if you are starting out as a grower, raising from seed might be tricker than buying plugs. Raising from seed is fun and rewarding.
    Understood. Yes, I am really interesting in learning how to grow from seed and have been buying packets of various things ready to have a go once I’ve got my head around the different elements of it - which will be a while yet based on my progress so far  :D
  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    I am sure you know this, but they are not hardy, so they will need replacing each year.
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
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