There are two best methods to learn if you want to know how to propagate Dutchman’s pipe vine. These plants grow easily from seeds or cuttings, but you might find it more advantageous starting in the greenhouse. After all, stable conditions are necessary to encourage either germination or root establishment.
Dutchman’s pipe plants typically are not prone to pests and diseases. However, you still need to ensure that the practices and conditions during propagation are not challenging for these plants. This way, you can grow vigorous plants for transplanting later on.
How To Start Dutchman’s Pipe Vine For Beginners
Seeds
Step #1. Seed collection and preparation
One of the easiest ways to propagate Dutchman’s pipe vines is from seeds. Compared to other plants, the flowers of Dutchman’s pipe can cross-pollinate easily by themselves. You can wait for the seed pods to turn brown before collecting them to indicate maturity.
Remember that these pods start green and the best time to harvest them is when they have turned brown and dried on the vine. The pods should be ready for harvest when they are fully ripe and have split open. It should be easy to collect the brown seeds by hand, but you have to prepare them for sowing.
Step #2. Sowing
To make germination easier, you want to soak the seeds in hot water for two days. Those that sink are the viable seeds that will surely sprout. You are also more likely to grow these vines from seeds if you start in the greenhouse.
This way, you can easily maintain the stable conditions suitable for the sprouting of Dutchman’s pipe seeds. Gardeners use pots filled with a mix of potting soil and perlite. Sow two seeds per container but allocate half an inch of space between them.
Step #3. Maintenance
Cover the pot with plastic to help maintain a moist environment and place the seeds somewhere bright but out of direct sunlight. Warmth around 75 to 85°F is also supportive of germination. However, remember to monitor the medium and keep it moist to encourage root development.
The germination of Dutchman’s pipe seeds can take a month or more. Once they sprout, remove them from heat and brightness and then thin the seedlings. Keep the more vigorous seedling in the pot, and your plants should be ready for transplanting in fall or when the soil is around 60°F warm.
Cuttings
If you find starting Dutchman’s pipe from seeds too meticulous, perhaps you’ll be more comfortable in using stem cuttings. The best time to do so is in spring when your plants are actively growing, and you can even root them in water.
Step #1. Rooting
Choose a healthy parent plant to ensure that it won’t get stressed when you take the cuttings. Take sections with new terminal growth and place them in water so that three nodes are soaked. A useful tip is to use distilled water but always replace it daily to prevent bacteria’s build-up.
You can also use rooting hormone to encourage the development of roots faster on your sections before dipping them in water. And similar to propagating Dutchman’s pipe seeds, you can benefit from starting the cuttings in the greenhouse. Remember that this plant thrives best in zones 5 to 7, so if your region doesn’t provide those conditions, rooting will be easier indoors.
Step #2. Maintenance
Once your cuttings develop enough root clumps, transplant them in a fertile, neutral, and well-draining soil. The plants will thrive best in partial shade and consistent soil moisture. Watering once a week is ideal as they are growing, and you can also fertilize every third watering with a balanced feed.
Caring For Dutchman’s Pipe Vine
To maintain Dutchman’s pipe vine and keep the area tidy, you must understand how it grows. You can support and train the vine to climb in a sturdy trellis or even a chain-link fence. Then, prune early in spring or late in the winter to prevent the vine from overcrowding the space.
Trim the plant according to your preference but don’t go more than a third of its growth. Simply cut off the unhealthy branches and prune those that overgrow from the shape of the plant. Remember that Dutchman’s pipe vine can reach up to 30 feet long, so annual pruning of damaged or excessively long stems at the base will keep them in the right shape and size.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a unique vining plant, the Dutchman’s pipe vine is undoubtedly eye-catching. You can master how to propagate Dutchman’s pipe vine by starting it from seeds or cuttings. Both methods are relatively straightforward, and the establishment would be more comfortable in the greenhouse because of the consistent ideal conditions.
If you propagate Dutchman’s pipe from seeds, you want to soak them for two days first to ensure sprouting. It would also be best to sow in the greenhouse and then transplant the seedlings in the fall. On the other hand, you can collect cuttings in spring on your healthy mature Dutchman’s pipe plants.
Root them in distilled water and monitor its cleanliness until they develop enough roots. Transplant the cuttings somewhere with partial shade in a fertile, well-draining, and neutral soil. During the growing period, water once a week and fertilize every third of watering.
Thank you so much!
One thing I’d like to add from experience is the cuttings work best from the shoots out the bottom of the vine. The pieces from the vine that linger on the bottom mulch-y, damp floor as they mature grow root nodes that will change the vine cutting so much. It will be brown instead of green, and this is what works in water, or in vitamin B/soil. Since sheer water upon green stems never got me anywhere, I find that they may grow better in moist soil, watered once a day instead of just water, like a tomato cutting. The timing may be key, but we will see. Spring? Or late fall? Both will have separate results. Hopefully the difference is only speed, in opposed to whether the plant lives or not. 🙂