Swiss cheese vine care guide

Pets and children

How often to water Swiss cheese vine

Spring–Summer (Mar–Sep)

Every 5 days

Water well once the topsoil dries, as a guide; the thin leaves droop quickly when dry, so check often in midsummer.

Autumn (Oct–Nov)

Every 7 days

Generally water a day or two after the soil dries, stretching the interval as temperatures fall.

Winter (Dec–Feb)

Every 10 days

Water lightly about three to four days after the soil dries and mist the leaves when heating dries the air.

Light and placement for Swiss cheese vine

Bright, filtered light behind a sheer curtain generally suits it; the thin leaves scorch in direct sun, and in low light the holes shrink and the vine stretches.

Overwintering Swiss cheese vine

Overwintering guide: 10°C (50°F) or above

Tender: overwinter it in a bright room kept above about 10°C, water sparingly, and keep it out of the direct blast of a heater.

Fertilizing and repotting Swiss cheese vine

Fertilizer

From May to September, diluted liquid feed about every two weeks or slow-release fertilizer roughly every two months; none in winter.

When to repot

Spring–Summer (Mar–Sep)

Common problems with Swiss cheese vine

• Drying out makes the leaves droop; repeated, the lower leaves yellow and drop.
• Cold at a winter window blackens and damages the leaves.
• Left trailing without support, the leaves stay small with few holes.

Tips for growing Swiss cheese vine

• Trained up a moss pole, the leaves grow larger and develop more holes.
• It is sometimes sold under names shared with other plants, so check the Latin name on the label.
• Cut a length of vine with a node or two and it roots readily in water.

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