'Potato Vine' Solanum fasminoides

Planting your Solanum jasminoides:

• Outside, choose a sheltered position, ideally in dappled or partial shade.
• Prefers well-drained, fertile and slightly acidic soil or can be grown in a large container of ericaceous (acid) compost.
• Before planting, water your potted plant well.
• Dig a hole a little deeper and 3 x wider than the nursery pot.
• Add a soil conditioner such as well-rotted manure to the earth removed from the hole along with some ericaceous compost if necessary.
• Remove the plant from its pot and tease out a few of the roots.
• Place your plant in the hole at the same level at the pot.
• Refill the hole with the earth removed (backfilling).
• Firm in the soil with your heel, avoiding the root ball.
• Water well and mulch around the base of the plant with a collar, compost, gravel, bark etc.

Aftercare Advice for your Solanum jasminoides:

• Feed well throughout the growing season (spring and summer) with a nitrogen-rich fertiliser in summer to avoid yellowing of the leaves.
• Water regularly until your plant is fully established - use rainwater where possible and keep the soil moist (but not saturated).
• Over winter, although perfectly hardy, plants will benefit from some protection if it gets very cold. You can move container grown plants into a frost-free area or cover with good horticultural fleece.
• Continue to feed plants with a balanced fertiliser over winter but reduce to once every 5-6 weeks. Reduce watering too, but do not allow the soil to fully dry out.

Pruning Advice for Solanum jasminoides:

• Remove faded flowers to improve the appearance of your plant.
• If necessary, trim lightly in early spring after flowering to help maintain a neat shape.