September 8, 1997
Most perennial vines are woody or semiwoody climbing or trailing plants. Like shrubs, trees, and ground covers, vines can be important to any garden landscape. Each species and variety of vine possesses distinctive characteristics which make it well adapted to certain locations in the landscape plan.
Different Vines for Different Roles
Some vines such as wisteria and grapes are valued for the shade they provide when trained over an arbor as well as the beautiful flowers or tasty fruit. Others, such as English ivy and Boston ivy, do well trained against the wall of a building or used to frame a doorway. Still others, like the Sweet Autumn Clematis, dramatically change a plain fence. Vines can be useful to form a cascade of bloom on rough, steep banks while holding the soil in place.
Vines are generally separated into three general groups depending on how they climb. Some, like Boston ivy, climb by attaching small rootlike holdfasts to the wall as a means of support. Sometimes these are modified tendrils with small circular discs at the tips; others like English ivy, have small rootlets along the stem to firmly attach the vine to either brick or wood. These can be damaging to wooden structures so care should be used in where they are allowed to grow.
Each Needs Appropriate Support To Twine
The second group of vines, including clematis and grape, climb by attaching and winding tendrils or leaflike appendages, which act as tendrils, around the object on which they are growing.
The third group, which includes the wisteria, climb by twining. It is interesting to note that all vines do not twine in the same direction. There is nothing haphazard about the method of twining. The plants of each species invariably twine in one direction, start the winding of young vines around their support in the right direction. By knowing in advance how each vine climbs, the proper means of support can be provided for those selected.
Most vines will quickly revert to a tangled mass of foliage over the ground if they are not given the proper means of support or a reasonable amount of care and maintenance. The best type of support for vines is the one that gives the required structural strength and stability, and at the same time is neat in appearance.
Vines Need Pruning To Be Their Best
Pruning is necessary for the removal of old wood which helps keep the plant within bounds and produce better bloom. As with ornamental shrubs, flowering vines are pruned according to flower production; those that flower on new wood are pruned before new growth begins, those that flower on last season's growth are pruned immediately after flowering. Since vines that are grown for foliage are pruned to control growth and direction, timing is less critical than for flowering vines. If vines are allowed to over grow, they may require several cuts to each stem so they can be untangled
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