How to Grow Maypop From Seeds
Maypop is a perennial vine that bears flowers that look like stars from a sci-fi movie. Also known as the passionflower vine (Passiflora incarnata), maypop flowers last for just a day but the vine produces enough of them that it is always covered with the fragrant novelties. Maypop's fruit is egg-shaped and pops when stepped on, thus the nickname. Although you will get a maypop from seeds, it may take awhile. According to horticulturists with the University of Texas, the seeds can take up to a year to germinate. Maypop is hardy to U.S. Department of Agriculture zones 6b through 10b. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Small bowl
- Planting pot or flat
- Seed starting soil mix
- Heat mat
- Plastic wrap
- Small planting pots
- Compost
- Peat moss
Instructions
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Place the maypop seeds in a bowl of lukewarm water and place the bowl in a sunny window. Allow the seeds to remain for two days. Discard any seeds that float to the surface of the water.
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2
Prepare the planting container by filling it with seed-starting soil mix. Water the medium until it is saturated and then set the container aside to drain completely. The soil should be moist, not soaked, when you plant the maypop seeds.
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3
Push the maypop seeds 1/2 inch into the soil.
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Set the heat mat's thermostat to 75 degrees Fahrenheit and place it in an area that remains out of direct sun. Cover the top of the planting container with plastic wrap and set it on top of the heat mat. The plastic wrap should hold the moisture in the soil. If you need to water the seeds, place the entire container in a tub of water, halfway up its side and remove it when the top of the soil is moist. Cover it again with the plastic wrap.
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5
Transplant the maypop seedlings when they have two sets of leaves into small pots filled with equal parts of compost and peat moss, moistened.
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Place the pots in an area that receives indirect sunlight, keep the soil slightly moist and allow them to remain in the pots until they reach 6 inches in height. At that time, move them outdoors into increasing amounts of sunshine over the course of a week before planting in the garden.
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References
Resources
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