Why won't my bittersweet vine get orange berries? It has little greenish white flowers in spring and hard green round berry-looking things but they never turn to the familiar orange berries.
There are several reasons why your bittersweet may not be maturing to orange. The plants may not be old enough, the temperatures where you live may not provide the proper warming and cooling, or your plants may not be getting enough light.
I have 2 bittersweet plants, a male and a female. The vines are huge and growing very well. They are about 6 years old and this year and last year the vines produced no berries. I've had berries in the past. What's happening?
Sunlight. Bittersweet sets the most fruit when it gets full sun all day. Over time, these plants become shaded as they and nearby trees and shrubs grow taller and broader. So what was once a fruiting plant becomes less so with each passing year. Therefore, annual pruning may be necessary, taking off up to a third of its growth as well as that from surrounding trees or shrubs.
Are the fruits edible?
Some forms of bittersweet are toxic. Because of this, it is best to avoid eating them unless you are 100% certain of the type of bittersweet you have.
I have had a bittersweet vine for 2 years, never flowered. I do not know if it is a male or female plant. The nursery I bought it from did not know either, or that 1 each was needed.
Some vines don't show much growth until the third year, so that's a consideration. Also, male flowers are so insignificant you may not know they're there. So it's probable that you have a male vine. If you want to get a female bush, I think I'd go to a different nursery. Here's an article on bittersweet: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/vines/bittersweet/growing-bittersweet-vines.htm
How to determine male from female and best time of year to transplant?
Here is an article with basic growing information: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/vines/bittersweet/growing-bittersweet-vines.htm
To add a little bit, the female flower has a rounded knob in the center of the flower, with no pollen; the male has several short stamens with yellow pollen on the ends. Some flowers of both sex can sometimes be seen on one plant, but the majority of flowers will be one sex or the other.
Replanting is a bit tricky because or the very large and deep roots developed on plants that have been growing a long time; however, the best time to transplant is during dormancy, probably in late winter before growth starts, but the ground has thawed enough to dig. This article might help you: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/vines/bittersweet/growing-bittersweet-vines.htm
What is the best time to plant 7 along with general care - watering, soil, etc.?
If you're planting seeds, you can sow them in fall or spring; spring seeds need to be scarified. If you're planting bittersweet from the nursery, I would recommend early spring. Be sure to go to the extra trouble to find American bittersweet; the Chinese bittersweet is extremely invasive in some areas. You can google "where to buy American bittersweet" to find sources near you. Here is another article you might find interesting: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/vines/bittersweet/growing-bittersweet-vines.htm
I cut bittersweet too soon and really want it to pop. Will it pop after it's been cut? It is all orange right now and a few have started to pop yellow and red or bright orange.