How to grow Chinese trumpet creeper in pots? Planting methods and points to note

  Chinese trumpet creeper (Campsis grandiflora) is one of the famous garden flowers. Its flowers are funnel-shaped, bright red or golden yellow, and vividly colored. When in bloom, the branch tips continue to spread and grow, and the new shoots bloom in succession, so the flowering period is relatively long. Chinese trumpet creeper is a vine, fond of climbing, and an excellent plant for greening courtyards; with thin bamboo supports it can be trained into various patterns, very practical and beautiful. It can also be shaped into a trailing bonsai, or used to decorate windowsills, drying balconies and so on. At the same time, the flowers, stems, leaves and roots of Chinese trumpet creeper can all be used as medicine.

  Chinese trumpet creeper originated in central China and has a cultivation history of more than 2000 years; it is the outstanding one among vine flowers. In spring its stems and vines grow very fast, and the aerial roots can tightly grasp the support and shoot straight up; it blooms from June to September, with a funnel-shaped bell corolla, orange-red outside and bright red inside. Clusters of red gorgeous flowers, holding themselves proudly in the air, set off by the green leaves, are bright and eye-catching, with a graceful posture.

  [About potted Chinese trumpet creeper]

  1. If Chinese trumpet creeper is planted directly in a pot as a seedling, it grows rather slowly; it is best to plant it in the ground first for three or four years, and after its stems and vines have grown thick, cut it back hard in early spring leaving 40 cm, then move it into a pot with the soil, or buy a relatively sturdy potted plant at the flower market. There are three methods: one is to set up a frame on the pot and guide it to grow around the pot frame; the advantage is that it is easy to repot and change the soil, and easy to move and prune; the disadvantage is that ventilation and light transmission are slightly poorer, and the inner leaves tend to turn yellow.

  2. The second is to place it on an open balcony and use ropes to pull and guide it to climb upward; part of the stems and vines can also be allowed to hang down naturally, connecting top and bottom into one, elegant and unrestrained. The disadvantage is that repotting and changing the soil are rather difficult and require two people working together, and pruning is also rather difficult, so attention must be paid to safety.

  3. The third is, after potting, to make it into a tree-stump-style or cliff-style bonsai, placed on a balcony or a high shelf.

  [Choice of potting soil]

  For potted Chinese trumpet creeper, it is best to choose a clay pottery pot or wooden bucket with good permeability, relatively deep and large; it likes fertile, loose, well-drained neutral or slightly acidic sandy loam, and a mix of leaf mold and garden topsoil in equal amounts can be used as the growing medium.

  Potting or repotting and changing the soil every other year should preferably be done in early spring, and a layer of crushed charcoal blocks or hard plastic foam blocks should be placed at the bottom of the pot to facilitate ventilation and drainage and prevent root rot. The roots must not be bare; about 1/3 of the original soil should be retained, the roots must not directly touch the base fertilizer, and a layer of plain soil must be placed in between.

  [Water and fertilizer management]

  Chinese trumpet creeper likes moisture and is slightly drought-tolerant, but fears waterlogging. Therefore, during the growing period it should be watered frequently, and it is best to keep the potting soil always on the moist side without becoming waterlogged; from the beginning of leaf drop in late autumn to the dormancy period before sprouting the next spring, the potting soil is best kept on the dry side and slightly moist.

  Chinese trumpet creeper likes fertilizer. Besides adding 50 g to 100 g of bone meal or nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium compound fertilizer as base fertilizer to the growing medium when potting or repotting and changing the soil, after sprouting apply a nitrogen-based fertilizer once every 10 to 15 days to promote the growth of branches and leaves; from May onward switch to a phosphorus- and potassium-based fertilizer to promote flower bud differentiation and budding; from June onward spray the leaves once every 7 to 10 days with a 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution to promote larger and more vividly colored flowers. After flowering, apply phosphorus and potassium fertilizer once or twice more to help it overwinter. Do not fertilize in winter.

  [Pruning and propagation]

  In early spring, the dead branches, thin and weak branches, overly dense branches and branches in poor growing positions should be cut off, and overly long branches should be shortened to promote the sprouting of robust side branches and lay the foundation for flowering. After flowering, the overly long stems and vines should also be cut short.

  Chinese trumpet creeper has strong root suckering ability, and every year it sprouts daughter plants from the roots; if division propagation is not needed, they should be cut off at any time so that nutrients are concentrated in the main stem; if division propagation is desired, in early spring of the following year the rooted daughter plants can be cut from the roots and planted separately. It can also be combined with early spring pruning, selecting the robust stems and vines cut off as cuttings for propagation. It can also be propagated in the plum rain season by cutting 15 cm to 20 cm stems and vines that have already grown aerial roots.

  [Placement environment]

  Chinese trumpet creeper likes a sunny environment and also tolerates partial shade, but plants in partial shade grow poorly, with fewer and paler flowers; place it as far as possible in a sunny courtyard, a south-facing or west-facing balcony, and pay attention to good ventilation; do not place it in an enclosed balcony or an open north-facing balcony.

  Points to note:

  Light and temperature: it likes sufficient light and does not tolerate shade; the suitable growing temperature is 20 to 25 degrees.

  Growing medium: it has no strict requirements for soil; sandy or clay loam are both acceptable.

  Watering: during the flowering period a certain temperature must be maintained; watering should follow the principle of alternating dry and wet, and the potting soil should not be too dry or too wet.

  Fertilizing: it likes fertilizer; after sprouting in spring, generally liquid fertilizer needs to be applied 1 to 2 times each month.

  Pruning: before the plant sprouts, the branches should be pruned, cutting off thin and weak branches, overly dense branches, crossing and overlapping branches, and dry and withered branches, so that the branches are evenly distributed, with good ventilation and light transmission, and abundant flowers and leaves. During the growing period, Chinese trumpet creeper needs a branch frame set up for planting, so that the branches can climb and grow on it.

  Pest and disease control: Chinese trumpet creeper has relatively few pests and diseases. During periods of high temperature and high humidity, the branch tips are prone to aphid damage, and a 40% dimethoate solution can be sprayed immediately for control.

  Buying tips: Chinese trumpet creeper is a woody plant; to make care and management easier, it is best to buy it after the plant drops its leaves in autumn and before the plant sprouts in spring.