Growing Crossvines From Seeds

Fill a nursery flat with a peat-based seed starting mix. To avoid damping off, a fungal disease of seeds and seedlings, do not use a mix that contains soil.

Moisten the mix with water and when it is slightly damp, scatter the crossvine seeds over the surface. Sprinkle a very thin layer of sand or perlite over the top of the seeds. They require light to germinate, so don't cover them too deeply.

Place the flat of crossvines seeds on a heat mat set to 68 degrees Fahrenheit and keep the planting mix moist. The seeds typically germinate within 30 to 90 days.

Transplant the crossvine into the garden when it reaches 6 inches in height. Plant it at the same depth it grew in the flat, in a sunny area. Place the tip of the vine next to a support structure. This can be anything from a tree to an elaborate arbor. Crossvines need no training, they climb with tendrils and catlike claw structures.

Irrigate the crossvine when the soil is dry to 2 inches in depth. Use a soil moisture meter or poke your finger into the soil to determine when it's time to water.

Feed the crossvine in early spring, prior to it producing new growth. Sprinkle a 5-10-5 fertilizer on the soil at the base of the vine. In July, use a 12-6-6 fertilizer, applied in the same manner. Read the label to determine how much fertilizer to use for the size of your crossvine and water to a depth of 6 inches after applying.

Prune the crossvine as hard as required to keep it growing where you want it. Wait until it completes the spring blooming cycle to prune and make all pruning cuts ½ inch above a leaf node.