How to Grow Aristolochia elegans From Seed

Soak the Aristolochia elegans seeds in a bowl of water for 48 hours.

Prepare a growing pot for each Aristolochia elegans vine you want to grow. Fill 3-inch peat pots with a mixture of 2 parts loam, 2 parts compost and 1 part peat moss.

Sow one Aristolochia elegans seed in each pot. Press the seed onto the surface of the soil mixture so the bottom half of the seed is buried, and the top half is exposed to light.

Place the peat pots on a sturdy nursery tray to make them easier to move around. Mist each peat pot with distilled water until the top inch of soil is moderately wet.

Place the nursery tray in a warm spot where the pots won't be disturbed. Position a large fluorescent lamp above the peat pots to provide the seeds with very bright light for six hours each day.

Maintain moderate moisture in the top inch of soil at all times. Always water with a spray bottle rather than pouring water into the pots, since spraying provides lighter, more even moisture.

Watch for sprouting in 15 to 30 days. Move the Aristolochia elegans seedlings into a greenhouse with bright, diffuse light as soon as they reach 2 inches in height.

Plant the Aristolochia elegans in a permanent pot or bed in spring once soil temperatures reach 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Space the vines 3 feet apart, and provide them with adequate support.