If you’re looking for the best plants for a trellis, you’ve come to the right place. Here, we’ll look at Clematis, Bougainvillea, Mandevilla, and climbing hydrangea. All are fantastic choices for your trellis, and you can plant all four at the same time. And don’t forget to fertilize and water immediately after pruning!
Bougainvillea
These colorful vines can grow up to 20 feet high. While they’re only hardy in zones nine to eleven, they still make stunning hanging baskets and container plants. While their foliage will die back after a hard freeze, their branches will recover quickly. You can even plant them in the ground, but they must be brought indoors during the winter. You can find cultivars that are smaller than a foot tall, like ‘Jamaica White,’ which has white flowers with green veins. The blooms will begin to open in spring, so they’ll look beautiful even before the plant begins to fade.
If you want to add color to your trellis, you can plant bougainvillea. This tropical plant is hardy in temperate climates, but can be grown as an annual outside of USDA Plant Hardiness Zones nine to 11. If you don’t want to spend the money on the annual plant, consider buying a container-grown bougainvillea.
Although bougainvillea grows well from cuttings, it can be quite difficult to grow from seed. Take cuttings about eight centimetres long and dip them in hormone rooting powder. Place them in a moist cuttings compost, or use a heated propagator. While most garden centres carry bougainvillea, specialist nurseries should be able to provide a wider selection.
Bougainvilleas do best in full sunlight, though they can cope with some shade in the winter. But they need a minimum of six hours of full sun each day to look their best. The only exception to this is if they are growing in a pot. In the summer, bougainvilleas need regular watering to maintain their vivid bracts. Watering should take place about twice a week, and ideally twice during the summer, or fewer.
Clematis
This is one of the easiest vines to grow on a trellis, but it requires some special care to keep it from damaging your trellis. Clematis has spindly stems and tendrils that may wrap around other plants or the wrong support. Care is required when planting this plant because it may be difficult to remove the stems, which are delicate and easily damaged.
For the best blooms, choose a sunny area. Although some cultivars can survive in partial shade, they will grow less flowering if not exposed to direct sunlight. A well-drained, moist soil is ideal, and you should fertilize once or twice a year with organic fertilizer. Pruning your clematis is important to discourage stem wilt and stop the spread of powdery mildew.
Pruning Clematis is relatively easy. Newly planted vines should be pruned at about one foot from the ground to promote lower branching. Pinching the tips of the growth will force more branching and remove the first year’s flowers. As new clematis grow, prune them at appropriate times when the foliage has started to leaf out. The new growth will usually die from this disease, so you should prune it only when it has finished leafing out.
Another good choice for trellis plants is clematis. This vine is easy to grow, and it has a variety of bloom colors. It is also drought-tolerant and will not grow too large. Sweet Autumn Clematis, for example, self-seeds easily. Ensure you keep your trellis in full sunlight and add mulch around the base to keep the roots cool.
Mandevilla
If you’re looking for a plant to train to a trellis, consider mandevilla. Its trumpet-shaped flowers can add color and height to flower beds in a matter of weeks. For best flowering, the plant should receive full sunlight and well-draining soil. Plant it in a hole about twice as large as its root ball, and place it at about the same level as its container. Make sure to mulch the base with three to four inches of bark chips or leaf debris.
When planting mandevilla on a trellis, make sure to choose a location that gets full sun. This plant can handle a low temperature, but you should keep it indoors in winter. If you do plant a mandevilla on a trellis in your home, check it regularly for pests and damage. Look for signs of disease and look for insect eggs. If you notice pests, spray the plants with water or use insecticidal soaps. You may need to prune the plants a bit to compensate for this change in climate.
The mandevilla vine grows extremely fast and can quickly take over your garden. Prune it once a year. Prune it once in a year to keep it tidy and prolific. If it is allowed to grow freely, it can reach 20 feet. Despite its size, the vine grows well in pots, and can grow along a fence as well. Slatted fence posts and chain links can make excellent supports for mandevilla vine.
The Mandevilla vine is susceptible to several common pests. If you’re worried that you might have to deal with aphids, you can prevent them before they infest your plants by regularly inspecting them. Aphids live on the underside of the leaves and feed on the nutrients of the plants. Aphids attack weaker plants and yellow leaves may appear. Your Mandevilla vine might even die off!
Climbing hydrangea
For a stunning, long-lasting trellis, plant a climber hydrangea. This plant needs support from a trellis, so it’s an ideal choice for this purpose. Once established, it can grow up to eight feet tall. To propagate climbing hydrangeas, start by planting a few seeds on a sunny window sill. During the cold winter months, apply compost or manure to the soil around the plant, which will provide nutrients come spring. Once the weather warms up in the spring, cover the climbing hydrangea with an organic mulch to keep the roots warm. You can use a decorative mulch, or substitute fallen leaves.
For an attractive, long-lasting trellis, choose a species with a low, sturdy base. Metal and wood trellises are ideal for climbing hydrangeas, as they are sturdy and won’t rust. If you’re planting hydrangeas on a fence, avoid planting them on flat surfaces. A ladder-type trellis works best.
If you’re looking for a climbing hydrangea that will climb your trellis, look no further than the best plant for the job. It’s a great choice for both trellis installations and potted arrangements. While this plant thrives in low-light conditions, it’s not suited to full sun, so make sure you have adequate light for it to grow properly.
A climbing hydrangea has dark bark, and tiny branchlets that grow out of the structure. Its flowers are small and fragrant, and they last for several weeks before the flowers fall. It’s hardy to grow it in the UK, but if you’re planning a trellis planting in the UK, this is the plant for you.
Scarlet runner beans
You can grow scarlet runner beans on a trellis or other structure. They are vigorous and grow over 10 feet. Their seeds are enormous. Sunset Runner Beans produce peach to shell-pink blooms and grow up to six feet tall, with pods tightly packed together. These plants are also a good choice for growing in a container, as they don’t require soil.
Runner beans are known by their Latin name, Phaseolus coccineus. While the most popular cultivar is the Scarlet Runner, it’s important to note that not all runners are red-orange. Some varieties are white, such as Painted Lady. You can also find white runner beans, including Desiree and White Dutch. These varieties have plump white seeds and produce a variety of colors and textures.
The scarlet runner bean grows best in full sun and average moisture levels. Plant them 4 to 6 weeks before the last spring frost to avoid the risk of freezing. In addition to being hardy, they’re very cold-tolerant, so they’re great to grow near other plants. This plant’s trellis roots will be covered in pods by late summer. Despite their high-level flower production, scarlet runner beans are not particularly suitable for trellis installation.
Because scarlet runner beans are legumes, they need nitrogen from the air to grow. However, before planting, you need to ensure that your seeds have been inoculated with bacteria to help them grow. These inoculants can be purchased from any commercial seed supplier. These inoculants are best stored in a dark, cool place. Then, apply the inoculant to the seedlings right before planting. The flowers will bloom in two to three weeks and the bean plants will be ready for harvesting.
