How to Grow and Develop Argyreia Nervosa Plant Seeds on a Vine As a Potted Plant

Argyreia nervosa is a native of India and has been introduced to Australia, New Zealand and Hawaii. It is commonly called the elephant ear vine and may be found in the mainland United States in Florida. This warm season vine can grow up to 30 feet long and is a popular ornamental plant for tropical climates. In Hawaii it is called Hawaiian Baby Woodrose and is commercially cultivated on a small scale for the floral industry. The flowers resemble morning glory and grow quickly in a sunny location with plenty of moisture. The fruit is the product sold to florists and is a woody rosette only 1/2 inch in diameter. Cultivation is fairly easy with required heat and sun conditions.

Argyreia nervosa seed pods
Dish
Paper towel
Plastic bag
Peat moss
Potting soil
4-inch pots
Heat mat
Plant mister
Bamboo sticks
Plant ties
Shovel
Compost
Trellis or Stake
Fertilizer (10-10-10)
Glass jar with lid

Instructions

- 1
  Crush the seed pods with your fist and pick out the four to six hard brown roundish seeds. Soak the seeds in a bowl of water overnight.
- 2
  Wrap the soaked seeds in a wet paper towel and place them in a plastic bag. Put the bag in a warm location such as on top of the refrigerator. Watch them for the next day or two until fine white roots begin to emerge.
- 3
  Remove the seeds from the bag and plant them in pots with a half and half mix of peat and potting soil. Orient the root downward and cover with 1/4 to 1/2 inch of medium. Mist the pots well until evenly moistened and then put them on a heat mat. Keep them just moist but not soggy until the baby plants emerge.
- 4
  Place a bamboo stick in next to the new seedling so it has something to crawl up. Move the pots to bright indirect light and continue misting them when the top 2 to 3 inches of soil are dry. Transplant them outdoors when soil temperatures are at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 5
  Harden off the seedlings for planting outdoors by gradually introducing them to longer periods outside over the course of a week. Prepare a bed in full sun by digging in 5 inches of compost. Transplant the young Argyreia into the soil at the same level they were growing in the pots.
- 6
  Insert a trellis or stake for the plants to grow onto. Provide the equivalent of an inch of water per week. Fertilize them two weeks after transplant with a balanced fertilizer such as a 10-10-10. Provide 1/2 cup of fertilizer per plant and work it into the top 3 inches of soil followed by a complete drench of the area.
- 7
  Allow flower to form and do not pinch them off after bloom. The pollinated flowers will begin to swell at the ovary and produce the fruit. The fruit will become dry and woody as it ripens. When the rosettes are dry enough to easily snap off, harvest them and place them in a plastic bag. Leave the bag open for a week to ensure that the rosettes have fully dried out and then seal it tightly for storage.
- 8
  Remove the seeds when you are ready to use them by crushing the rosettes and picking out the seeds. Store the seed in a sealed glass jar.

The Time for Clover Seed Germination

How to Remove Ivy Spores

Groundcovers & Vines