Evan!
Well-Known Member
Last year, I planted 5 rhizomes under a trellis on the north end of our property---but once the dogwood above it leafed up, it got no sun. The vines did fine, but maybe 3 cones total (part of that was that it was first season, I know). So this year, I decided to make a trellis on the south side of our house where our veg garden is. It gets full exposure and the house is painted white, so it reflects even more sunlight back onto the plants. So I installed 2 eye-hooks on the gable end ("rake"), which is 2 stories above the ground at that point. I then strung 3 twine lines from each hook and attached them to the ground with landscape spikes 4' from the wall, so they are at an angle:
I then set about trying to dig up the 4 vines that made it from last year. Wow, is all I can say. They really rooted! It was like surgery, because I wanted to take as much root stock with me as possible---and I did it all with my fingers. The roots had gone maybe 2 feet in all directions...it reminded my wife of the mandrake root from Harry Potter. Anyway, after some really long, laborious digging, I got them all transplanted. They've all got little sprouts...I'm very optimistic about this year! Here's one of the cascade sprouts:
4 more rhizomes get here tomorrow from Midwest!
I then set about trying to dig up the 4 vines that made it from last year. Wow, is all I can say. They really rooted! It was like surgery, because I wanted to take as much root stock with me as possible---and I did it all with my fingers. The roots had gone maybe 2 feet in all directions...it reminded my wife of the mandrake root from Harry Potter. Anyway, after some really long, laborious digging, I got them all transplanted. They've all got little sprouts...I'm very optimistic about this year! Here's one of the cascade sprouts:
4 more rhizomes get here tomorrow from Midwest!
