Hi It gets too hot in my kitchen in the summer time, and I'm trying to create some shade to cool it down. There is a shade cloth just over the patio, directly out the kitchen, and i was thinking of growing something up along the poles and over the rafters. A quick google search suggests something like scarlet runner beans. Anyone grow them? We're only renting (and maybe only through this Austral summer) so I can't change things around too drastically, and need something that grows FAST. Any suggestions? Thanks all
Re: fast growing shade vines? Not sure where you are doodlebug but there is nothing faster than a choko.
Re: fast growing shade vines? Great question! Various ornamental vines come to mind but they do have limited uses. Moon flower (fast)pretty stunning especially at night.(Ipomena noctiflora) (poison and hallucinogenic?)- other Ipomenas too Honeysuckle (fragrance, medicinal used for skin problems) Climbing hydrangea (medicinal) jasmines (fragrance & some like Carolina medicinal) moderatly fast) Sweet pea (fragrant annual up to 15 feet) (fast) More useful Slow (2-3 years) but quite a feature and semi-deciduous is the Manzano Chilli vine. very hot, apple sized chillies Passionfruit (the native Oz one is very prolific and fast) Grape (even the ornamental the lemon flavoured leaves can be used- dolmardies) Deciduous -which lets in winter sun Gourds (luffa? and others) Kiwi fruit Climing Nasturtium (?) (fast if fed Berries- blackberry? Malabar Spinach, green/red (Basella rubra) (cheap seeds here https://www.tradewindsfruitstore.com/ser ... Categories ) lab lab beans (edible flowers, nitrogen fixer? v. fast) (i have a few seeds) Veggies I don't know what beans and peas are fast & best for shading; but i am sure someone here will know. Is an espaliered fruit tree a possibility? purple pear What use are chokos?
Re: fast growing shade vines? Some debate their merits strenuously Michaelangelica but I only know that they make the best apple pies and pickles.
Re: fast growing shade vines? Here is another nutter who agrees with you https://www.smh.com.au/news/recipes/chok ... 26566.html Personally i think they tasteless are well named after the medieval torture device. https://listverse.com/2009/07/20/top-10-gruesome-medieval-torture-devices/ BTW Did you see the HSC comprehension question of a few years ago on chockos? It was an article about the chocko growing on the out-door dunny--all the rage when I was a kid. So few students knew what a Chocko was, the examiners had to abandon the question during marking. Obviously migrants and "boat people" have better taste? Any thoughts on the best/fastest/most-prolific pea/bean to grow?
Re: fast growing shade vines? / For mine it would be the poor man bean aka stirfry bean or 7 year bean.
Re: fast growing shade vines? Arh. . . is that what I call Dolichos Lab lab beans? Someone told me the pods were not edible! https://www.cornucopiaseeds.com.au/produ ... n%27s.html https://www.seedsavers.net/handbook/hyacinth-bean
Re: fast growing shade vines? They are not good raw but cooked they are great and replace snowpeas in the stirfry in summer. Very nice purple flower too.
Re: fast growing shade vines? G'day the passionfruit vine and banana passionfruit grow very fast, don't need alot of nutrition or water, and have of course delicious fruit which isn't cheap in the shops. Good if you want a perennial that isn't a decidous vine. Scarlet runner beans only set beans in cold climates - you don't state your location but you may want to check if they will grow in your area - they do in Victoria and Tassie, probably cold parts of NSW but here in south australia they won't set beans. hope this helps cheers
Re: fast growing shade vines? Be careful: a few of the recommended species are very invasive, check your local invasive plant register. Birds love banana passionfruit and obligingly spread them hither and yon: very strangly in the bush. I vote for beans or climbing cucurbits. There's one for every climate!
Re: fast growing shade vines? There are a couple of varieties of Lab Lab, or at least plants getting around with the same name. One has a purple/pink flower. Didn't like it. Not even cooked. But the white flowering variety is quite tasty. Even sweet. And seemed to stay that way even as the pod matured. I had the purple flowered lab lab growing last year into this. Nearly swallowed my house and three lanes of traffic. Landlord was a little disturbed. I agree, there is nothing faster than a chocko, once it gets its roots established. I tend to ignore the fruit/seed. The new shoots are delicious though. I'll tell you about purple king bean come winter time (recently planted). But I've seen it go pretty fast before. I think.
Re: fast growing shade vines? My favorites are Sweet pea and beans. Both are good. You can try Sweet pea, because the plant does not attracts that much of pests or insects, and at the same time is fast growing, with a soothing color and pattern for decoration, and at the end will give you plenty of pea pods.
Re: fast growing shade vines? Here is a new one ( to me) that looks interesting. (So much interesting stuff from Mexico) Mexican Miniature Watermelon Melothria scabra https://www.amazon.com/Mexican-Miniature ... scabra/dp/ https://www.rareplants.de/shop/product.asp?P_ID=8471
Re: fast growing shade vines? Loofahs grow high fast, look very fresh and green and have pretty flowers. When they're fully grown, you can use the fruit as a bath, sink and body scrubber. They make very welcome presents.
Re: fast growing shade vines? I had a beautiful Banana Passion grow high on a N/w wall/trellis. It was magnificent. In it's third year it must have had over 500 fruit. I never did see a rogue seedling from the plant. The birds didn't seem that interested. Unfortunately i never got the taste for them. Luffa- great idea .Strange things. Worth a small fortune in trendy bath shops. Can they be eaten when young?
