Cobaea scandens in suburban south-east

[gray1720]

My Cobaea (cup & saucer plant, cathedral bells) is finally getting its manure together and starting to flower.

Does anyone else grow this in the suburban south east? I'm in Oxfordshire, and was wondering whether or not the roots are likely to survive over winter, or whether I should just re-sow in spring?

Thanks,

Adrian

[gray1720]

[Obelixx]

It's tender so won't cope at all much below 5C, let alone with being frozen.   Easy to grow from seed so I'd start it off early somewhere warm and keep it safe from cold till late May before planting out.

Even if you can dig up and pot the root balls you'd have to keep it frost free till late May and that would depend, for me, on much space was available for more valuable plants such as citrus and fuchsias and so on that don't grow and perform in just one growing season.

[gray1720]

Cheers, Obelixx, and apologies for not returning earlier, it's been that sort of month... In which case I'll take your advice. I suspect that Mum's, which grew up the shed for years, probably self-sowed and climbed up the previous years stems,

Adrian

[Deb P]

I grew several plants last year and they flowered a lot earlier I suppose because of the heat, they lasted until the following April then were wiped out by frost just when I was getting hopeful they might survive and carry on. I think I'll be lucky to get many flowers before the cold stops them this year.....

[saddad]

Did we pass you those plants Deb? Yours were more successful than ours... stunning on that framework on the allotment. I've bought myself a campsis radicans having seen that one on Uttoxeter Old Road, it is growing strongly now and I just have to decide where to put it.

[gray1720]

Well, it turns out that Mum just shoved some new seed in every year in the same spot!

Adrian