Hello, new from Yorkshire

Hello all. It's my first time in a forum - please be gentle! I'm hoping to learn lots from you, considering a career change. I'm an extremely amateur amateur gardener, I have my own little garden which doesn't seem to do what I want, and 9 years ago I planted a solenum (potato vine) which is now so big, it blocks out all the sun from my patio!
Well, thank you for allowing me into your forum.

 

Hi Lotvdaisy, welcome to GC, everyone is very friendly here :D

 

Hi lotvdaisy and welcome to GC.

We used to have a solanum in our Wintergarten but it got so big that we dug it up and put it outside. Unfortunately it didn't survive, mores the pity. Yours sounds great though and I'm sure it could be cut back to let some sun on to your patio. Ours was a cutting from my sister, Lady of Leisure, from when she used to live in Bucks. She'll be able to tell you exactly what to do to get and keep the upperhand on yours.

 

I'm sure you'll enjoy it here, Lotvdaisy! We're all very friendly! :D

 

Hi and welcome

Like you Im also considering a career change (redundancy looming in June :( and am an amateur extrordinaire! But Im ridiculously keen and enthusiastic and delighted i found something so interesting literally in my own back yard.

Unfortunately, I think you've missed the pruning time.after a quick google most seem to agree that march is the best time, it doesnt seem to tolerate hard pruning either. Im sure others will tell you more.

Take care

 

Welcome to G C Lotvdaisy we are all gentle on here.

 

hi lotvdaisy and a warm welcome from south wales
albeit raining and cold at the moment
david

 

Welcome, lotvdaisy, and a warm welcome from a warm country! :rolleyes:

Like you my Solanum took over and blocked out much needed light. And here I have to disagree with peapod (sorry!) but they indeed do take hard pruning as I had to massacre mine every year.

I have several varieties of Solanum here but I am assuming you have S crispum 'Glasnevin' which is the one most commonly grown there, which I had there and also here.

Typically it is in April that you cut out any unwanted or dead growth but I see no reason why you cannot do this now. I cut all lower branches off mine in Bucks and turned it into a tree, as I have done here with another variety I have. You can then either keep the top shaped or let it do it's own thing.

I say go for it and let some sunshine in!

 

Thank you all for your welcome and the advice. I really do need to chop off at least a couple of branches quite soon, but the flowers are so pretty I cant bring myself to do it. I probably will when I have 10 minutes spare to sit on the patio and I realise I'm in the shade!

 

Another warm welcome lotvdaisy, this one`s from chorley in lovely Lancashire.

 

hi lotvdaisy welcome to gc

 

Hi Lotvdaisy and welcome from me too

 

Welcome Lotvdaisy and welcome to the forum

 

Welcome to G.C. lovely helpful people on here.

 

Welcome from me too!