I am trying to grow 4 trumpet vine plants (bignonia cherere) up an aluminum pergola in Zone 9b. The pergola is entirely made of aluminum, 4 legs and top layers and while the vines' branches seem to be growing the tendrils don't seem to attach to the aluminum structure. Is aluminum a no go for vine growing?
Also, the pergola sits on a concrete patio so there is no way to plant the vines directly into soil and each plant is in a 15 gallon planter with a water reservoir. Will the vines be able to grow in such planters forever or will there be a point in which I need to cut into the patio's concrete to replant the vine directly into the soil?
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Your vine must have something to grab on to. You could try loosely coiling a heavy wire around and up the pole (like a barber shop pole) and fastening at the top with retaining rings, or wrap the pole with chicken wire.
The plant is considered invasive, so it actually is best to leave it in large containers (with good drainage) and prune it aggressively in late winter. Flowers appear only on new growth. Here is a great guide: www.wikihow.com/
Trumpet Vine (and other climbers) need something rough they can cling to. Wrapping the aluminum legs with chicken wire, as Iceskater said, would work fine.....IF the legs are not in direct sun all day to get overly hot. That could scorch the delicate tendrils. If that is going to be a problem, then attaching thin wood strips on all sides of the aluminum legs would prevent both problems: something for the vines to grip (probably will need to make some saw marks across the wood pieces to roughen them), AND no hot metal to harm the vines.
As far as growing Trumpet Vine in 15 gallon containers, that should work very well. Just make sure they have drainage holes, are watered well, and add a bit of compost or fertilizer occasionally.
Good luck and happy growing. Also enjoy the Hummingbirds that will surely visit your flowering vines.
Great insights, everyone. Thanks! These photos show the pergola with vines in the pots. The sun does beat on the pergolas all day and the smooth aluminum material is not a rough surface so there is work for me to do here.
Seeing that the "legs" are roundish, using wood strips won't work. So another idea is to put a trellis anchored in the pots and attached at the top of each corner column.
If this was mine, I would purchase a wood trellis to let them climb on it and not let them near the pergola (not using any kind of mesh etc.)
This way you have more control over the plant, which as someone else mentioned, can be invasive.
Any time a plant is attached to any structure it can allow water and bugs to set on the surfaces which can cause damage over time. Also, aluminum gets very hot and can end up killing the vines.
Just my 2 cents worth!
15 gallons is quite large. It will last in there for at least a few years.
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