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Post by lavandulagirl on May 17, 2010 8:15:15 GMT -5
How much space do you give this vine? I started a few, but am at the transplant point, and haven't grown it before. If I was to put a plant in a 5 gal bucket, how tall a trellis system would it need? Conversely, if I put it in the ground, how far along the fence will it grow?
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Post by bluelacedredhead on May 17, 2010 9:34:35 GMT -5
Lav, I grew it up an old TV tower and when it reached the top of that, it began to grow across the roof of the garage...
It grows slowly in cool weather, but once the temps hit 80F + away it goes...
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Post by lavandulagirl on May 17, 2010 11:25:12 GMT -5
How much damage can it withstain? I could let it grow on the chicken coop, but the hens will pick at it, for sure. If it grows on our roof, Andre will freak.
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Post by bluelacedredhead on May 17, 2010 15:09:12 GMT -5
Pretty thick stems and leaves. They might not bother with it? I don't recall mine doing damage to it, but then mine were freeranging and had lots to choose from in the barnyard and the fields. What's the worst that could happen? That you don't have Malabar Spinach is all. Better that Andre is content with your plantings and poultry.  |
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Post by wildseed57 on May 17, 2010 22:39:20 GMT -5
I guess I better watch mine as i just stuck it in the corner of one of my raised beds next to the six foot high fence I have around it. This will be the first time I have grown it and I just went out and bought the best looking plant I could find at the spring festival this year. If it gets as big as sujested I'm glad I didn't get more of them as my beans wouldn't have a place left to grow. I hope it taste as good as some say it does.
George W.
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Post by lavandulagirl on May 17, 2010 23:51:08 GMT -5
My hens are also free-ranging, unless the weather is really bad. I leave them in their run then, because otherwise they congregate on my front steps and poop everywhere. The issue is, once the summer is in full swing, it gets pretty brown here. Grass does NOT grow from mid June to Mid October. So if I grow greens near or on the coop, they will get picked at. Ah well, let's just hope they don't completely decimate it. Of course, I could grow it in the buckets, and then just train it over the run. If I put a little chicken wire at the bottom, they probably won't be able to reach it. Worth a try!
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Post by bluelacedredhead on May 18, 2010 6:24:07 GMT -5
The other thing about this plant is, the leaves are fleshy and what's the word? Mucilaginous, that's it. Almost like a flatter version of the leaves of a jade plant. I've never bothered to eat them cooked, but I quite enjoy them fresh. They might be too difficult for a hen to eat? You can always hope. |
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Post by ottawagardener on Jun 27, 2010 8:03:25 GMT -5
I really want to grow this plant but for some reason, I haven't had the seeds germinate for me the two times that I've tried it and it was during top speed transplanting season so I didn't bother spend a lot of time investigating.
Next year!
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Post by bluelacedredhead on Jun 27, 2010 13:57:31 GMT -5
Telsing, it needs hot weather to germinate and to grow with any speed at all.
Mine was slow to germinate this year and is growing e-v-e-r-s-o-s-l-o-w-l-y. We need a good week of sunshine and 30C to get it to spurt!
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Post by grunt on Jun 27, 2010 18:29:19 GMT -5
Telsing: Start them with bottom heat like you would tomatoes or peppers.
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Post by garnetmoth on Jul 19, 2010 7:30:26 GMT -5
Lavandula girl- You could just eat it when it gets too tall!
We have cooked it in spaghetti sauce and added to quiche- better in quiche IMHO. We have the red (rubra) version. Here it doesnt grow as fast as beans so you can keep ahead of it.
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Post by lavandulagirl on Jul 19, 2010 17:59:38 GMT -5
Thanks! Mine has, frankly, done nothing. No bigger or smaller than when I put it out there a couple months ago. Weird.
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Post by bluelacedredhead on Jul 19, 2010 19:14:12 GMT -5
Lav, mine hasn't either this year? I don't think it's getting enough sunlight at this house.
Is yours getting full sun?
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Post by lavandulagirl on Jul 20, 2010 11:09:27 GMT -5
No, not full sun... a lot of sun, though. Everything here gets a lot of sun. I dunno. The plants are just kinda sitting there. I watered them with some chicken poop water the last couple of days. Maybe it'll push them a little.
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Post by bluelacedredhead on Jul 20, 2010 11:57:30 GMT -5
Seed must be past it's prime then. If it's the seed I sent you in 2007, then that might explain why both of us are experiencing slow growth? I sowed the last of what I had this year. Probably a good thing then.
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