Sweet potato vine will die in cold, but regrow in spring | Home/Garden

I grew Margarita ornamental sweet potato vines this year for the first time. I know that these plants will freeze over the winter. I don’t know whether to pull it all out or cut it off leaving roots. I did bring some cuttings inside to root in water over the winter, so I am assured of new plants to plant next spring. — Flo

Although ornamental sweet potatoes are grown for their attractive foliage, they are the same species as the sweet potato we eat — Ipomoea batatas — and they also produce tuberous roots (although they are generally not suitable for consumption). So, there are tuberous roots down in the soil produced by the original Margarita ornamental sweet potato vines.

If you just remove the vines when freezes brown them, the roots will sprout next spring and grow again. By early summer, the area should be covered by the ornamental sweet potato vines. This generally applies to all types of ornamental sweet potatoes.

If you remove the vine and dig up the area to plant cool-season bedding plants, you will likely find the tuberous roots. Store them in a cool location indoors over the winter. Plant them out in the bed in April and they will grow again.

I was told that there are male and female mirlitons and you must plant one of each to get production. I don’t know if it’s true, but how can you tell which is which if it is? I have planted mirlitons several times. I get nice vines but no mirlitons. Thanks. — Gayle

You were told wrong. There are no male and female mirlitons. A mirliton fruit is neither male nor female any more than an apple or tomato is male or female.

Mirliton vines do produce separate male and female flowers, but they are produced on the same vine. Remember, there is no production during the long summer growing season. Vines do not begin to bloom and produce fruit until fall (most mirlitons are harvested in November).

If you have vines now, they should be in bloom and producing fruit. The male flowers are clustered on short stems. The female flowers are produced singly and possess an ovary that looks like a little mirliton. They are the flowers that produce the mirlitons we eat.

I see many mature Natchez crape myrtles around my neighborhood that are showing beautiful copper exfoliated bark. In contrast, last year, I bought a few 4-foot-tall crape myrtles that were labeled Natchez. My crape myrtles did make white flowers, but the bark is not peeling to show the copper-colored inner bark. They are planted in full sun on the west side of my house. Is it because of young age? Or what do you think is the chance that these crape myrtles are not Natchez? — Jared

The lack of peeling bark is due to the age of the trees. Small, young crape myrtles do not shed their bark. This is something trees do once they reach a more mature age. So, no need to worry or be concerned about that. When the trees are old enough (a number of years from now), the bark will begin to peel. Bark does not peel every year. This was a significant year for Natchez crape myrtles to shed bark revealing the attractive cinnamon-colored inner bark. Time will take care of this issue on your trees.

Garden tips

OH CHRISTMAS TREE: Make sure the Christmas tree you choose is fresh. Needles should be bright green and should not fall excessively if the tree is shaken, and the needles and branches should be pliable. For the freshest tree, take the family out to one of the Louisiana Christmas tree farms and cut your own. To locate a Christmas tree farm in your area, go to www.southernchristmastrees.org. 

STAYING MUMS: Cut back mums you planted in garden beds to remove the old flowers after the blooms fade. Left in place and given good care, they will bloom again next fall.

PEST CHECK: Check regularly for insects on bedding plants and vegetables. Control aphids with insecticidal soap, Year Round Spray Oil or permethrin. Control caterpillars with spinosad or B.T., and control snails and slugs with commercial iron phosphate slug and snail baits.

SEED QUICKLY: If you intend to direct seed cool-season flowers, such as poppies, larkspur, sweet pea, calendula, alyssum, bachelor’s button and Virginia stock, you need to get this done now.

COME ON IN: Gardeners often place their tropical plants in containers outside for the summer and bring them indoors during winter. The chilly weather we are experiencing now means you will need to bring them inside soon. Move any plants you intend to winter indoors to very shady areas outside for a couple of weeks before you bring them inside. This will allow them to adjust to lower light intensities before you bring them inside where light is more limited. Make sure you place plants in front of bright windows when you bring them indoors.