Climbing Vines : A Rundown
Posted: Monday, July 16, 2007
by Joe Knapp
1800 Top Soil
There are many different kinds of vines out there that you can put in your garden. Some could be better than others for your particular garden depending on many different details such as how much sun light it will get, what kind of dirt they will be in, how much water they will get, and what else is planted in the garden to name a few. When speaking in terms of versatility in your garden, vines are really hard to beat. They serve all kinds of different purposes and come in many shapes, sizes, and color. There are vines that are annual, evergreens, and perennial. But it gets even more interesting than that. There are two different types of perennials. There are deciduous perennials which only lose their leaves each fall leaving over a wooden skeleton; and there are also herbaceous perennials which die completely and fall to the ground each fall leaving over nothing. Both kinds of perennials grow back each spring good as new.
Vines tend to climb differently, depending on what kind of vine it is. This is a very important fact to keep in mind when choosing vines, assuming you want the vines to serve a specific purpose. It is also important to know upon which surface the vines will be climbing, since different vines attach to the surfaces on which they climb in any of a number of ways. For example, some vines grow roots along the surface on which they are climbing, and these roots actually grow into that surface. Other vines grow many small tendrils which stick to the surface on which they grow. There are also vines that wrap themselves around whatever it is that the vine is climbing on. There are even a number of vines that grow thorns and, rather than climb, they cling onto the surface on which they appear to climb.
One of the most disheartening yet crucial chores when caring for your climbing vines is pruning them. It is possible to get a climbing vine that does not require pruning, since not all climbing vines entail pruning when caring for them. Generally speaking, when climbing vines are young and/or weak, they will not require pruning. However, if you have a climbing vine in an area in which it is confined, and it is has also had the proper time to become properly established, you will probably need to prune it quite often. The pruning serves as two main tools. It helps to contain it, and prevent it from growing too big; and pruning also helps to keep it healthy just like many plants require pruning to keep them healthy. The vine's blooming period is a vital detail to keep in mind when you consider pruning. It is extremely important to prune the climbing vines after they have already bloomed. This can be tricky, however. Usually, if it blooms in the spring on the growth that it had produced during the previous year, , then it should be pruned after it blooms in the spring. If the climbing vine blooms in the middle of the summer, it is probably growing on growth from the current year, and should not be pruned until it has bloomed in the late fall. Ideally, it should really be pruned in the winter or in the early spring. Vines that grow from their own foliage can really be pruned any time at all, but there are ideal times to prune each type of vine. The deciduous vines should ideally be pruned in the fall. Evergreen vines should ideally be pruned in the spring. Two types of vines that almost never need to be pruned are the annual and herbaceous vines. Pruning at the wrong time can be detrimental to the well-being of the plant, and therefore, a local expert should preferably be consulted based upon where the vines are growing. Climate, water, soil type, and many other details are all important factors to know to properly determine when the best time is to prune your vines.
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