do you think this type of trellis will be good to use with clematis? will it be good to use with morning glories? thanks for your help.
Spiral trellises
I've seen those on the MG forum, but I think they are pretty much used with the Japanese MGs. The pictures I've seen usually shows a fairly small vine. I wouldn't think so, but that's just a guess. They look like they would be pretty easy to make.
Why don't you ask over there. Those are the people that would know.
How tall is the spiral trellis? Some of the 4-6' tall Clematis may work well.
I think the ones I saw weren't much more that about 4 feet, if that. They sit in a pot (or I suppose it could be ground) and have a post of some sort that goes up the middle and then wire that spirals between the bottom and top of post. I just don't think they could handle the weight of a regular vine. I suppose you could have a more heavy duty one made.
The shorter Clematises that can be grown in containers should be able to grow on a 4 ft spiral trellis. Planting only one non-agressive Clematis should be fine.
beaker is describing the kind that I have. The clematises I have should grow more than 6' so I'm thinking the spiral is not a good way to display. I guess I will use a conventional trellis form.
thanks all for your help.
I have one that I am using with a black-eyed susan vine in a pot and it is working out quite well. I think it would work with most climbing plants...except maybe a very heavy vine. Mine is about 4 feet tall. For a plant in the gound what will get very big you might want something taller.
wow, won't your BES vine get huge? Two years ago I grew it and it covered my dog's house it its entirety! No way I could have used the spiral, at least not the one I have.
I am trying to grow some more one of the pink varieties of BES vine, still too tiny a seedling. but this one I will just transplant to one of my patio pots and let it take over.
I'm planting Sunrise Surprise and Alta Mix in baskets this year. Someone recently posted that BES has a tendency to still grow up even in hanging baskets. We'll have to see what happens.
Voss, was it more than just one vine you planted by your dog house?
nope. just one. the dog house was rather big. big enough for an 80-90 lb dog.
My Black-Eyed Susan vine doesn't seem to be growing that fast. I have another in the ground outside that is also growing slowly, although it is flowering. Last year was my first year with it though and I planted it just as it was getting really hot. The one in the pot with the spiral trellis is inside,so it may stay small. If it starts to get too big I'll have to do something else. Although it is growing slowly for me, I have found that it roots easily in water from cuttings.
Works with my tomatoes vossner. I haven't tried them with any other plants yet--they were a Christmas gift. But I was seriously considering growing the one seed of native pitcheri up one of the two spare ones I have. Tomatoes and garlic in the shot.
Debbie
This message was edited Apr 3, 2006 5:33 PM
wow tomatoes look great. I will have to post a pix of the spirals I bought, not exactly the same, but general concept is similar.
Debbie: Where you thinking of using them to grow Clematis on? I think it would work if you took three of your tomato plant spirals and placed them in the ground in a tepee fashion. You would need to secure the top of the tepee with twine. It would definitely work for your shorter growing Clematis vines that weren't overly aggressive.
Wrong sprial. There's a special one that is basically a loop of wire around a central post. They are used mostly with the Japenese Morning Glories.
beaker, those are the kind I have
Shirley--the clematis pitcherii (from what I hear) is not very vigorous anyway so I thought I'd give it a try.
Spring tomato season will be over before you know it down here so I was thinking of other uses for them.