SAFLAX - Chocolate Vine - 10 seeds - With potting substrate for better cultivation - Akebia quinata
A touch of chocolate and wine!
With germfree and permeable potting substrate based on coconut fiber for suceessful cultivation.
With its long-stalked and mostly five-parted leaves, the Chocolate Vine takes on the appearance of a rather delicate and beautiful climbing plant that is frost-hard and can even stay evergreen in regions with a mild winter. It grows a couple of meters every year and is perfectly suited for a facade greening. From the beginning of March it produces clusters of flowers, with big and brown-purple coloured female blossoms and smaller male blossoms that have a pink colour. The aromatic scent of the flowers reminds one of cacao or chocolate. From September the plant grows rather bizarre and cucumber-like bluey fruits that are indeed sweet and good to eat.
Natural location: The Chocolate Vine originally comes from East Asia, where it grows naturally in mountainous woodlands.
Cultivation: Seed propagation indoors is possible throughout the year. Spread the seeds onto moist potting compost and put a thin layer of compost earth on top. Cover the seed container with clear film to prevent the earth from drying out, but dont forget to make some holes in the clear film and take it every second or third day completely off for about 2 hours. That way you avoid mold formation on your potting compost. Place the seed container somewhere bright and warm with a temperature between 20°C and 25° Celsius and keep the earth moist, but not wet.
Place: The Chocolate Vine prefers a sunny place, but it can also be kept in half-shaded and even shaded spots. However, the environment should be warm and slightly wind-protected.
Care: The Akebia needs a consistent water supply for a strong growth. A proper climbing aid is most important since the climbing plant not only grows upwards, but wide as well. Sprouts on the ground should not be cut off since they help to ensure a compact growth.
During winter: The Chocolate Vine is frost-hard and cast the leaves rather late in the beginning of December. In regions with a mild winter, it sheds the leaves even later or not at all, so the plant stays green.
Bonsai ability: No
Picture credits :
Due to technical restrictions, the links to the image rights cannot be specified here.
23149-akebia-quinata-seed-package-front-german.jpg - © Alpsdake - CC0
12401-Kokostab-500-ml.jpg - Frank Laue - © Saflax
13149-akebia-quinata-cultivation-instruction-german.jpg - Frank Laue - © Saflax
13149-31-Akebia-quinata.jpg - Alpsdake - CC-BY-SA-3.0
13149-32-Akebia-quinata.jpg - Alpsdake - CC-BY-SA-3.0
13149-38-Akebia-quinata.jpg - Alpsdake - CC-BY-SA-3.0
13149-40-Akebia-quinata.jpg - user:bouba - CC-BY-SA-2.5
13149-34-Akebia-quinata.jpg - Alpsdake - CC0
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