I'm new to this message board - what a great resource!

Last year I planted a passion vine - it 'was' so pretty - love the flowers. Mid summer it was covered with reddish color caterpillars that devoured all the leaves and flowers, leaving only a leggy vine. First question, any ideas on how I can avoid this happening next year? It is now sprouting new leaves so I am hopeful it will come back next year. I don't know what to do to save it next year from these caterpillars which will probably return.

Next question - do I cut it back at all for the winter or leave as is?

Pat in Red Oak

This should help you with your caterpillars

http://www.dirtdoctor.com/forum/viewtop ... ht=passion

Great - thank you!

I hope you decide to enjoy it in the spring, then let the catepillars have it later. The butterflies they become are so pretty..and they need the food!

On the passon vine topic, a friend and I purchashed two vines at the same time. She uses miracle grow and superbloom - no organics and she has been rewarded with over 10 flowers in the same time period that I have not had one using the organic methods. I am not about to change, but it is disappointing. Any ideas?[/quote]

There's a lot that can effect blooming such as the amount of sunlight and water one gives a plant. Artificial fertilizers can surely force a plant to bloom more but gives the plant no nutrition to be able to sustain itself and gives nothing back to the dirt. My best friend, who I mentioned earlier, has always been totally organic and his passion vine was absolutely covered in blooms, then covered in catepillars.

Sandhi:

As far as sunlight, where should a passon vine be placed? I never could get a definitive answer from the nursery. I believe that hers is getting afternoon sun and mine gets morning sun, but I might be incorrect in that. The funny thing is that she has been raising catepillars in the same area with fennel and dill, but she has no catepillars on the passion vine. I have no catepillars or blooms. I may try to overwinter this vine in the garage as I planted in a big pot instead of in the ground since I knew we were moving. But, it has become a love hate relationship without the blooms. lol.

Thanks for the information.

My friend's vine get late afternoon and evening sun which can be intense duering the spring and summer. Mine gets more shade and I only had a few blooms. There may be a correlation between the sunlight and the butterflies laying eggs on it, but I'm not sure. The catepillars (orange spikey ones) that love the passion vines are not the same ones that love dill.