Caring for Flowering Vines
Vines are not overly complicated to grow and maintain, their benefits outweighing the efforts required to establish such a useful and attractive plant.
Planting Flowering Vines
To plant, dig a hole twice as wide and only as deep as the rootball of the vine. Once inserted, refill the hole with a blended mixture of 1/3 Peat moss and 2/3 of your garden soil. The use of a root stimulator at the time of planting will greatly reduce 'transplant shock' and support your vine as it attempts to resume normal growing habits.
Training and Pruning Flowering Vines
In terms of training, vines fall into four general climbing categories. Twining vines twist into other nearby plants, Tendrils attach themselves to the nearest object, Clinging vines attach via sucker discs, and, for the remainders, a tie system must be put in place.
Most vines are pruned simply to keep them within bounds. However, you can 'revamp' your old vines every so often, by thinning out dead or winter-damaged growth. You then remove sparse, woody growth to encourage fresh new vines.
Watering your flowering vines
With regard to watering, It is difficult to determine a schedule that would be right for everyone all of the time. Factors such as the soil type, how big the plant is, how fast the plant is growing, air temperature, humidity, wind and light intensity all affect how often a particular plant needs watering. The basic rule is to water deeply, but infrequently. It is vital to give the soil a chance to dry slightly in-between waterings. Do not just look at the soil's surface, dig down to around 6" to see how dry the soil is. It should be showing some significant drying at that depth, one convenient trick is to gather a handful of soil from that depth and squeeze it into a ball. If the ball maintains its shape when you let go, the soil is still wet. If the ball falls apart, it is time to water.
In the spring that follows the planting of your vine, fertilize with a recommended plant food. Scatter it evenly beneath the plant, at the beginning of the season and then a month later. This will provide the vine with a gradual, even feeding throughout the increasingly warm weather.
Caring for your vines: Potential vine problems
There are several factors of which you will need to be careful when establishing and maintaining vines. For instance, the very feature that makes them such a good problem-solver in the garden - their spreading and fast growth - can also quickly turn them into disobedient pests. Furthermore, some vine types are susceptible to scale and white-fly, some provide meagre, sparse foliage, and it is important to realize that some kinds (although they return in Spring) do die in the winter.
Problems with vines also arise when factors such as the appropriate soil conditions, moisture level, and exposure are not considered by the gardener. Decisions related to vine selection should be based not only on the plants that appear attractive, but also on the plants that are appropriate and that will flourish under the existing conditions.
Finally, it is common for people to kill or unnecessarily stress their vines through over-enthusiastic watering. The roots of a plant require oxygen to function. Thus if the soil is constantly saturated, there will be a lack of oxygen and the roots will suffocate and die.
Different vine types
Like flowering shrubs, not all vines are alike. It is necessary to consider your purpose for purchasing a vine before selecting the first pot that you come across. Would you like the vine to act as a ground cover or to climb a trellis? Would you rather have something that stays evergreen in the winter or that will lose its leaves? Will the vine be growing in the sun or shade? Take these factors into consideration before choosing a vine. Make sure that the vine selected is appropriate for your location.
For more information about featured flowering vines, click on a selection from the menu on the right.
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