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Care and Feeding of an Aristolochia grandiflora

bookwyrme
16 years ago

About 2 years ago, I got an Aristolochia grandiflora in as an "extra" in a garden order. It survived in a smallish pot for about a year before being transplanted into a big pot at the side of a house where it made me very happy by taking off.

Two difficulties, though: In the year it grew there, I only got one flower. I would really, really like to have more.

The second is that something, either the really, really dry Santa-Ana weather + ash & gunk in the air, or a cold snap, turned all the leaves black. I ended up cutting it back severely, which may not have been the best move though it now has several promising-looking leaf buds.

So, now I'm wondering 1) How can I get more flowers? and 2) *Was* cutting it back the right move? Or, should this happen again, should I let the leaves all fall off & the vine skeleton remain? 3) Is it possible to keep the leaves from all blackening? 4) Anything else I should know? It is a really neat plant & I'd like to take the best care possible of it, and there's not a lot online or in books.

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