Dutchman's Pipe vine wont grow

by Rachel Carley
(Litchfield CT)

I planted Dutchman's pipe vines to grow up my porch trellis, facing east and north. They get some sun, but not a lot. The plants have been in the ground 5-6 weeks and are healthy enough, but have not grown AT ALL. I thought this was a fast-growing vine. Is it the soil quality?


Doug says to take a deep breath. Now take another... It's really important that you learn patience here.

Fast growing means the vine will indeed grow quickly *once* the roots are established.

But it's a perennial vine and you can't expect it to start growing before it has roots. And the plant will put down roots before it develops a top.

So keep watering it several times a week to make sure it has adequate water.

You'll see great growth next spring but don't expect too much this year.

The rule of thumb for most perennial vines is that "they sleep, they creep, they leap". Our job as gardeners is to make sure they have the conditions they need to get those roots developed and the patience to let them creep a bit before they leap. :-)