Things Needed
Desert gardeners incur plenteousness of cat ’s claw vines ( Macfadyena unguis - cati ) while shopping at local nurseries and gardening kernel . It ’s one of the most pop florescence vines in desert cities such as Las Vegas and Phoenix . cat ’s claw vine take its nickname from the sticky , claw - alike structures along its stems . They cling to just about any material . Although the vine typically does n’t damage stucco as some vines do , it takes a farsighted time to remove once it covers the side of a stucco home . cat ’s claw vine grow to 25 feet or more in length and , although it is aboriginal to tropical Central and South America , it thrives in desert gardens .
Step 1
Water the cat ’s claw vine once a calendar month , tardily and deep , to a depth of 10 inches . The plant is list as drought - tolerant , but it bloom better with consistent irrigation . If grown in full sun in particularly spicy areas of the desert , the leaves will burn if the vine is n’t hydrated .
Step 2
Control cat ’s claw vine while it ’s young . Once established and clinging to a structure , it is time - squander to remove . Cut it back as much as require to keep it to the structure you ’ve offer , or to the shape you want . hit it like a shot from any structures on which you do n’t want it to mount .
Step 3
Fertilize the cat-o'-nine-tails ’s hook with a 10 - 10 - 10 formula in the centre of February . expend the rate name on the package and water to a depth of 6 inches after applying . Wash off any granules that decrease on the vine ’s leaf .
Step 4
Cut the cat ’s claw vine back to the soil in former winter , if it ’s become overgrown .
Step 5
Tie the vine to the support structure if you live in an region of the desert with gamy winds . Use soft fabric or commercial plant tie beam and tie the vine generally to quash cut into it .
Tip
Cat ’s nipper vine may lose foliage in desert part that take in wintertime rime , such as part of the Mojave in Southern Nevada . It should come back in spring . To transfer cat ’s hook vine from a structure , bear on on it instead of rive it . This causes the " claws " to release , according to author and desert gardening expert Linn Mills .
