Image via Jess Beemouse
Arbors are wonderful outdoor structures that can greatly enhance your landscaped yard by adding visual interest and beauty, shelter, shade and privacy. And as long as they are properly trained to do so, flowering vines will find your arbor to be the perfect spot to grow and flourish.
Wisteria vines can grow up to 40 feet. Image via Dvortygirl
Training a vine is an easy outdoor project, just make sure to start it out right by matching up the proper arbor with the type of vine you’d like to grow. Smaller arbors are best for vines that grow up to eight feet, such as sweet peas, clematis and roses. Larger arbors are necessary to accommodate vines that grow more than eight feet, like certain honeysuckle or wisteria.
Most vines should be pruned before they begin to bloom. Image via timpeartrice
After selecting the correct arbor, follow these few simple steps to train your vines like a pro:
Step 1: Time To Prune
It’s important to prune vines that bloom on the current season’s growth in early spring just before they begin to sprout. Vines that bloom on the previous year’s growth should be pruned after they have flowered. And vines that have an extremely aggressive growth cycle, like wisteria, should be pruned in early summer to help slow down its growth.
Healthy roots are the key to maintaining a healthy vine. Image via Ian Mynard
Step 2: Healthy Roots Happy Vine
Make sure that your newly planted vine puts down strong roots before its stems take off by cutting it back by half or more with pruning shears. Cutting back is one of the best ways to encourage your vine to stay healthy and flourish in the future.
Be sure to prune dead or damaged stems. Image via comprock
Step 3: Pruning With Purpose
After your vine has been firmly established, be careful not to over-prune. In fact, pruning should be restricted to cutting out dead, damaged or out-of-bound stems. If you notice any diseased portions of the vine, these should be cut out as well. You can also prune in circumstances where you need to thin out branches that are too thick or to control growth by cutting each stem back to a point close to the arbor.
Check out the Garden Center at homedepot.com You can find a large selection of pre-constructed arbors and trellises, as well as other yard structures such as gazebos, pergolas and canopies. And sign up for our Garden Club for more gardening ideas and tips, plus exclusive member discounts.
I have an arbor made of vinyl. Will a vine be capable of holding onto vinyl or would I have to tie it up?
Janet, some vines, like climbing hydrangea, can grip onto your vinyl and grow on it. Vining plants have differnt ways of attaching to things, so it really depends on what vine you grow. Some, like the climbing hydrangea, use areial rootlets. Passionflowers and coral vines use tendrils, which are basically thin stems. Twining vines, like American Bittersweet, will wrap around supports. Other vines use holdfasts, which are like sticky pads, to grip onto things. Holdfast vines include Virginia creeper and crossvine. Depending on what you grow, you could put a few small nails into the arbor and run weather-resistant garden string or even lightweight wire back and forth, to help get the vines started. Just beware of growing vines on vinyl sided structures. Some vines will grow underneath vinyl shingles on a house, for example, and can cause damage. Hope this helps! Lynn, Home Depot Garden Club
I HAVE A CLEMATIS VINE ABOUT 3 YEARS OLD. I HAVE IT IN A LARGE POT WITH A TRELLIS. IT HAS BLOOMED MAYBE 3 TIMES, ONE FLOWER AT A TIME. I USE MIRACLE GROW. IS THER A FERTILIZER THAT MIGHT BE BETTER. THE VINES ARE VERY THIN AND SMALL.
Hi,Sandy. Clematis are heavy feeders.Next spring, give it a low nitrogen fertilizer like a 5-10-10, when the buds get about 2 inches long. Then alternate fertilizing it every 4 to 6 weeks with a balanced 10-10-10 fertilizer. You can keep alternating until the end of the growing season.Good luck. Lynn, Home Depot Garden Club