I have a 2 yr old Oxen's Red Eye vine grown from seed (aprox. 20ft long) in a south facing atrium. In the past it has done well, if a little on the thin side, but last summer I was invaded by whitefly which were virtualy impossible to get off the hairy, sticky branches of the plant and it has never quite recovered. The plant grows through a norfolk pine, up the curtain rod, through my blinds and over the window! It receives direct sun most of the day and there is a good humidity level thanks to a small indoor water feature. temperature is usualy around mid twenties C but can get into highs of low thirties and lows down to around fifteen on cold winter nights. Curently there are only a half dozen leaf clusters along it's length (didn't like our gloomy winter either). It seems to like having slightly dry roots and receives a monthly dose of 8-7-6. It has not been repotted yet this year and is a little on the pot bound side. If it is a question of light I do have access to a lighting unit that houses 16 foot of all spectrum tubes but I'm worried that this may constitute 'too much' light (Hell, these days I'm worried somebody in the apartments opposite may think I'm running a grow op and phone the cops!lol). Other plants include stryletzia, hibiscus,bananas and other exotics tropicals grown from seed along with five finches and two quail; all doing very well!). Should I just cut it back? Was it just going dormant? Should I leave it potbound and am I using the best fertilizer? Any advice anybody has would be appreciated, it was a challenge to get Oxe Eye to sprout and it used to grow like a rocket, just I don't want to lose it.
mucuna is genus name, family is fabacaeae/papilionaceae.Have heard of albertusii, axilaris sp. as well as benettii and a half dozen other species.
reply cont. (sorry ed. ) part of a broad range of fast growing South/Central American flowering vines
