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Talkback: Growing Russian vine

I am led to believe, by my botanist father, that Polygonum baldshuanica was one of the first Latin names I ever mastered, at the age of 5. It used to smother the side of our South Norwood house.
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  • I can well believe this, Richard, as the first word all my children learned to read was "elephant". Children seem to revel in big words. The only time I was ever left behind in class was when we visited the Edinburgh Botanic Garden in primary school. I could not resist trying to pronounce the names of the plants from labels. Does Russian vine smother bindweed, James?
  • A monster of a climber it seems - I'm looking for something to grow up the back of my house but have very limited soil around the edges due to paths etc, it's north facing and rather dull - would this do the trick Richard? Does anyone have any suggestions? Self clinging would be ideal really but I can put supports up if it comes to it.....any suggestions would be most welcome.....
  • I to had a Russian vine growing a large pot at the side of my house,When I built my extension I moved it down the garden and lent against the shed but left it sitting on the ground where it took root, That's why my shed is falling to bits it grew all over it,And in side cutting it all out made the shed very unstable.
  • I had a Russian Vine and I grew it in a large pot. It did survive quite happily for several years and it still grew as quickly as if it was planted in the ground. After several years though it seemed to give up a bit and just didn't grow as well, but I was new to gardening then so I don't think I gave it the love and attention it deserved. After reading about yours James I'm tempted to grow it again and I know the bees would be pleased.
  • I have spent the last year living at my partners house and battling with a Russian Vine, I've had to trim it about 1ft every two weeks just to keep it where we wanted! You could almost hear it growing a couple of cm per day!! Fortunately now that its got colder its stopped its phenominal growing patterns. I would not recommend this plant unlesss you need to cover a huge expanse of wall and are prepared to put in the work to keep it from straying!! This doesnt need much soil, it will grow on North facing walls......however Monster is an understatement image

  • I have moved into a house which, instead of a wall, has blue metal roofing panels for a fence. It is about 15 feet high and 25 feet long and very metal and very blue.. in fact it looks like a shipping container has landed in my garden... However, it makes our small garden very private (we are overlooked but you would never know it) and very dogproof (we have a newfoundland who shold be named hoodini). I was wondering if this russian vine would grow up the smooth metal surface or if it would need some sort of wires or something to cling to. It would be tricky to fix anything to it as it is only about 3 mm thick. It REALLY needs covering up!!!

  • Alina WAlina W Posts: 1,445

    Russian vine is not ideal for growing anywhere as it rapidly becomes a monster, spreading everywhere, strangling everything and invading your neighbours' gardens as well.

    Virginia creeper is a much more docile plant and has the advantage of beautiful red leaves in autumn. It grows rapidly and will self-cling to a rough surface if given something to cling to initially.

  • BUBBA2BUBBA2 Posts: 1

    i wish i had read these post before as 3 weeks ago i decided to plant 6 of these things in my garden thinking it would look nice but i think by the sounds of it ive been a ploker cause the only thing i no about gardening and trimming is chop it of at the bottom and the top falls down to and i havent got that big a garden so think they  will be in  the wheely bin soon !!!!!!! money well spent !!! I can here the wife now TOLD YOU SO!!! THAT WAS A WASTE OF MONEY!!!

  • figratfigrat Posts: 1,619
    6....OMG! I would strongly advise that you reconsider your planting decision while you can still get out of the house without wielding a machete.
  • RobotRobot Posts: 137

    I used to have 7 cherry trees in a row until I foolishly planted a russian vine close to them.  I now have only one as the others were smothered in just a few years and it took nearly a month to cut it all down.  I still see the odd shoot.  'orrible stuff.

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