Digging In: Vine control

Our house is built up off the ground with the first floor at about 10 feet up. Two sides of the house have porches that are underpinned with wooden lattice, an ideal surface for growing a number of perennial vines. By planting an assortment of evergreen and deciduous vines that flower at different times, we (and the birds, bees and butterflies) are able to enjoy foliage and flowers almost year-round.

Here is a list of the vines: Cross vine (Bignonia capreolata), Carolina jessamine, Confederate jasmine, autumn clematis, three native honeysuckles, an akebia and Lady Banks rose (not a vine but a runner).

Of all the vines, two of the honeysuckles are the least vigorous in our situation, most likely because they are located on the shadier side of the house. The cross vine and the Confederate jasmine have been the most vigorous and have to be periodically cut back quite severely. Two years ago, the cross vine had its heavy pruning. This year it was the jasmines turn.

This winter was rough on the jasmine. There were a lot of dead leaves and vines with only a few of the main vines showing signs of life. Working from the porch at the top and then from the ground level, I cut and pulled and raked until all that was left were three or four main vines with a couple of sprouts on them. A 20-year-old vine can put on a lot of growth, and I had just removed a pickup truckload of debris off this one.

Stepping back to take a look, I saw that the section of trellis where the jasmine was cut back looked naked, but a few feet over was a cascade of foliage and flowers where the cross vine thrived. I knew it would not be long before the jasmine grew back out, healthier than ever, just as the cross vine had.

Cutting back an old, overgrown vine can be even more daunting than doing a heavy pruning on a shrub or tree. It can be hard to distinguish the live wood from the dead or damaged vines. Removing what you cut out is like getting the knots out of a wad of string it takes patience and sometimes a few extra snips.

Dont be afraid to take the clippers to a vine that has gotten so overgrown that it no longer thrives. A woody vine that has outgrown its support structure is not only unattractive but is likely to end up in a heap, taking the lattice work or trellis with it.

Most woody, perennial vines are best cut back in late winter. I really was running a bit late for doing a heavy cut-back on the jasmine, but now it is done. I dont expect much bloom out of it this year. But by next year, the foliage should be lush once again and come late spring, the sweet fragrance of a multitude of blooms should waif up and into our home.

To learn more about some great vines for our area, see Clemson Extension's publication at http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/plants/ landscape/groundcovers/hgic1101.html.

Excerpt from:
Digging In: Vine control