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solanum crispum
Karen Phelan
Posts: 5
in Plants
I planted a solanum crispum, bought as a climber, against a fence. Over the last 4 years it has grown into a very large tall shrub, with long whippy stems. Each autumn the wind brings it down, along with a climbing rose growing through it. Should I cut my losses and try to take it out? Was it mis-described as a climber?
0
Posts
Hi Karen
It's a scrambling type of climber, and needs support such as being tied into a trellis or wires on the fence. It's not like a honeysuckle that twines or an ivy that clings.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Thanks for your reply. Tying it in works when its young but as it has got older the branches are stiff and unbending, and impossible to re-tie it in once the wind has brought it down. It has grown to around 12 feet and the thing is pretty huge. I think it's gotta go!
You can cut it hard back - it'll grow again from the base - and then tie it in as it grows, don't wait until the branches have become stiff and unwieldy
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Thanks, I'll give it a whirl.
Best to cut back hard in the early spring, just as it starts into growth - but you can remove some of the top growth now to stop it waving about in the winter wind
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I've had to remove a lot of top growth already as it had practically fallen into the pond, along with the rose. I'll cut the rest down in the spring, and see what happens. Many thanks for your help.