Question
hi tom
i want to  start a Madam Galen Trumpet Vine. i tried to  plant the seeds and had no luck even after they were out all winter, another gardner told me the seed are sterile and i  have to dig up a  root
what is the truth?
how can i  get this started in my yard?
thank you


Answer
Hi Mary,
Thanx for your question.  You can take part of the vine and gently scrape away some of the outer skin about a couple of inches long.  Dig a hole about 3 inches deep and carefully lay the scraped vine (still attached to the parent plant) in the hole, cover with soil and then lay a rock on top so the vine doesn't become dislodged from the hole.  In about 8 weeks you should start getting roots and by the end of the summer, you can dig up the plant (called a layer) and cut it from the parent plant and plant it wherever you like (in direct sun).  This is called layering.  I hope this helps.
Tom