How to grow silvervine seeds? A detailed guide to planting methods

The branches, leaves and fruit of silvervine are relatives of the kiwifruit, and the branches, leaves and fruit of this plant have a catnip-like “stimulating” effect on cats. So how do you grow silvervine seeds?

Silvervine grows in mountain forests at altitudes of up to 3200m. It is distributed in the Northeast, Northwest and Shaanxi, Shandong, Zhejiang, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Sichuan, Yunnan and other places.

1. Seed treatment: The seeds need to be treated before sowing in spring. 40 to 50 days before sowing, soak the seeds in warm water (47°C), let them cool naturally, and after soaking for a full day and night, take them out and drain them in a cool place. After disinfection, mix them with disinfected fine river sand, with a sand-to-seed volume ratio of 3:1. The sand moisture should be such that it forms a ball when squeezed by hand and crumbles apart when released. Put the seed-sand mixture into a gauze bag and place it in a refrigerator or a low-temperature cellar for cold storage treatment, with the temperature controlled at 0 to 5°C, turning it once every 3 to 5 days, and spraying water appropriately to maintain moisture.

2. Cutting material: Before growth starts in early spring, select healthy plants free of pests and diseases, and collect 1-year-old branches that are vigorous and have plump buds, generally 40 to 60cm long. Seal them with wax, bundle them, and store them in a cold storage facility (at -100°C) for later use.

3. Cutting treatment: Before cuttings are taken, remove the cuttings from cold storage and cut them into 15cm-long cuttings with 3 to 4 lateral buds. The upper cut should be about 1.5cm from the uppermost sprouting bud, and the cut should be neat and level; the lower cut should be slanted, and after soaking in auxin, the cuttings can be planted.