Training a Virginia creeper

Having sweated blood in removing a common ivy that was growing up the gable of our house, I'd now like to train a Virginia creeper up there instead.

There's been a VC growing by the gable end for some time but it's never been able to get a good enough grip on the painted pebbledash to gain any height. What's the best thing to train it up? Trellis, plastic mesh, vine eyes & wire or something else?

Reply to
Tim Downie
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We have a VC on our (brick) gable end, it has been there for approx 12 years. I don't actually 'train it' but I get my ladders out 2 or 3 times a year and cut off all the new growth to leave a neat square about 15 feet wide and 20 foot high. This action also encourages the VC to fill in all the gaps in the square, so at present I have a very full covering and in the autumn it is absolutely beautiful when it changes colour. It is a right PITA picking up all the leaves when they drop off!!! The amount of grab that the 'attachers' on ours have I am surprised yours cannot get a grip on the pebbledash.

I am in no way a gardener so this advice is worth the amount of money you paid for it, but I pass a VC every day that the owners do not 'train' and it is now covering the roof!

HTH

John

Reply to
John

In message , John writes

There a plant called the false Virginia creeper which looks very like a Virginia creeper, but which needs something more than a surface to climb (it's a tendril climber).

Reply to
Stewart Robert Hinsley

Our house is engulfed inside several virginia creepers. We didn't so much buy a house as a plant ;-). It self clings to the stone walls and doesn't need any support or training. Like you I used to get the ladder out and trim it off high because it fouls the guttering. However, my policy now is just to use a pair of steps and cut it off every spring just above the ground floor windows. By the end of the year it is up to the guttering again! I don't know how old the plants are but they have trunks at the base two or three inches diameter. Looks lovely in Autumn as the leaves all turns red.

Reply to
David in Normandy

For climbers generally, vine eyes are traditional. A wire hanging from the loft soffits also works and is less work to fit, but best attach to the loft joists rather than the soffit.

Rampant climbers can be kept withn the bounds of sanity by just cutting through the main stems where wanted, and not pulling anything off.

NT

Reply to
NT

I have a self adhesive one with little suckers! Vetchi something or other????

Judith

Reply to
Judith in France

Mine has little suckers too where the tendrils attach to the wall. I don't know the variety though.

Reply to
David in Normandy

and not pulling anything off.

Ooh Err Missus

John

Reply to
John

If you have true Virginia creeper (parthenocissus quinquefolia) then it will require some help to stay up there as it becomes woody and heavy and will rip off the wall, a few wires and vine eyes should be enough. If however you have what is often called wrongly virginia creeper in the UK but is what the americans call Bostan Ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata) then it should stay up on its own. They are easy to tell apart and the clue is in the latin names quinquefolia = 5 leafleted leaves, tricuspidata 3 lobed leaves. other than that they do similar autumn colour

Reply to
Charlie Pridham

Hmm.. I think mine must be the quinquefolia. The wall has been newly cleaned & painted and I suppose there's no harm in waiting to see if it will get a grip on the new surface but if mine is the true VC then from what you've said, I will need wires.

Thanks for the info.

Tim

Reply to
Tim Downie

In message , Charlie Pridham writes

From the failure to climb I suspect that he has Parthenocissus vitacea, which differs from Parthenocissus quinquefolia in lacking the adhesive disks.

Reply to
Stewart Robert Hinsley

I have just been to look at my plant, it does indeed have three pointed leaves. As I said in my original reply I am not a gardener. Somebody told me years ago that it was a VC. The same person also told me it will not do any harm to my brickwork, is this also incorrect? I can only describe the 'attachers' as like very tiny hands with fat ended fingers.

Cheers

John

Reply to
John

Does that have a synonym Stewart? its not a name I have every come across, although Parthenocissus quinquefolia falling off smooth walls I hear about all the time!

Reply to
Charlie Pridham

You have by the sound of it Parthenocissus tricuspidata AKA Bostan Ivy, the tendrills have adesive pads on the ends, they only work once though so only new growth will attach, secure all the old growth so its weight in the wind will not dislodge the new stuff as it starts to attach, it wont take it long and it forms a good cover. It will not harm brick work, and so long as you prevent it getting under the roof is well behaved

Reply to
Charlie Pridham

In message , Charlie Pridham writes

Parthenocissus vitacea syn inserta

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we now know that he has P. tricuspidata.

Reply to
Stewart Robert Hinsley

No, it has the adhesive disks, they just didn't seem to either stick well or be able to bear the weight of the foliage.

Tim

Reply to
Tim Downie

True, but the other plant is more interesting cos I have never seen one!!!

Reply to
Charlie Pridham

In message , Charlie Pridham writes

There appear to be more records of false Virginia creeper from the wild in the UK than of Virginia creeper. There may be one half a mile away from me - but I haven't got an undoubted Virginia creeper to compare it with.

Reply to
Stewart Robert Hinsley

Gripfill.

Reply to
The Medway Handyman

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