Picking trellis, flowering, and hanging vines for the exterior of your home can be a stressful and daunting task. Pick the wrong types of vines, and your beautiful vines can cause serious damage to walls and foundations, even pushing their way through into the interior of your home. These are repairs that are expensive, as well as completely avoidable. Here are a few tips on how to pick the best vines for your home.
What kind of vines are safe?
You should try to avoid English Ivy. While beautiful, it has tough clinging roots and is known for being invasive and hard to remove. A few safe options are Boston ivy and Virginia Creeper. If you’re looking for a flowering vine, a climbing variety of a clematis is a great option. Check with your local nursery to find a specific clematis vine that works well in your climate.
Do I need a trellis?
If your home is made of brick and is incredibly sound, then a trellis isn’t necessary. But if there are any cracks, the vines will take advantage of these and make the issue worse. For any other type of material, you’re safest growing your vines with a trellis, so they have something safe to grow around. When installing a trellis, it needs to be placed at least 6 inches away from the exterior wall. Any closer, and the vines are likely to adhere to the surface of your home anyway.
Upkeep
The upkeep is one of the most important parts of having vines growing on the exterior of your home. Regular maintenance is required. Make sure that you trim the vines away from all windows and doors, as well as drains, gutters, shutters, and rooflines. As long as you are careful as you plant the vines, as well as maintain them on a consistent schedule, you shouldn’t have problems or cause damage.
