Trellises, climbing aids and espaliers for climbing plants

Real climbing plants entwine themselves around their climbing aids as flexible young shoots and then later become lignified. This is why these climbing plants need a stable basic structure along which the shoots are guided on the outside. This basic structure can be coupled with an additional cable system that automatically guides the new shoots. A resilient cable system or a lattice-like structure made of slats or rods is suitable as the basic framework itself, depending on the plant more or less heavy or solid and depending on the wall with more or less distance to it.

Climbing aids and trellis for petiole climbers

Petiole climbers use their leaf stalks to climb upwards. As a rule, they do not form a strong framework with woody trunks that can or should be fixed to a climbing aid. This is why these plants can move along slender climbing aids, e.g. B. on climbing ropes. These trellises are attached as a lattice-like climbing aid, often trellises with a small diameter, simple, light rope systems, and for certain plants medium-heavy rope systems or lattice constructions made of slats are sufficient.

Espaliers and climbing aids for creepers

Creepers twine the foremost ends of their shoots around the support to spiral upwards. This works very well with all ropes and (round) rods around which the drive winds spirally like a screw. The material should therefore have a rough surface. If the creeper only grows as an annual or only develops weak loops (like the honeysuckle, for example), that’s no problem, you don’t have to give these climbing plants anything more than a simple, light rope system on the way up. Perennial snares need at least medium-heavy rope systems, even better massive ones.

Here, too, the future main shoots should be unwound and attached to the trellis from the outside. If you don’t intend to do this, you will need an even more stable trellis for creepers, which should be at least 15 cm away from the wall.

Climbing aids and trellis for self-climbers

Self-climbers develop adhesive disks on their shoots, if the subsoil here is stable (rough) enough, they would not need any climbing aids. Since this is rarely the case, at least not with a facade, they are provided with a climbing aid, which can, however, be very reserved. A horizontally stretched wire system with a wire every 60 cm to one meter is usually sufficient.

However, these self-climbers develop their adhesive feet (some types of Virginia creeper) or suction roots (almost all types of ivy) during growth, which is why they often need a pressing aid in the first growth phase, e.g. B. a rope system behind which the young shoots are pulled.

With most adhesive disc anchors, these adhesive organs do not remain on the wall forever, but are only formed by the young shoot. When this shoot grows thicker, the adhesive organs tear off, so these plants only ever cling to the wall with the youngest shoots. No problem if the climbing plant could develop naturally, namely spreading like a fan. However, if the plant gradually conquers the entire wall, there is a risk of a really big fall if you do not provide the plant with a fall protection. Usually, a few cross ropes at the right distance are sufficient as security, depending on the plant in light or medium-heavy construction.

Climbing aids and trellis for spreader climbers

Spreading climbers spread out and get caught in the trellis with spikes or thorns; they have to be supported by tying them up. Only climbing aids that can withstand lateral pressure and growth tension are suitable here, these are strong climbing aids that must be firmly attached. You usually need medium-heavy or really stable rope systems or slatted grids here, simple, light climbing systems are only sufficient in individual special cases.

Further requirements for the climbing aids

Wenn die Art von Rankhilfe bzw. Spalier feststeht, geht es um die Details: Für jede Pflanze gibt es einen idealen Durchmesser, den Seil, Latten oder Stäben als Kletterstab haben sollten, für jede Pflanze gibt es auch einen optimalen Abstand, den das Gitter oder die horizontalen Lagen der Rankhilfe aufweisen sollte. Bei den Blattstielrankern definieren die Blattabstände die Werte, nach denen sich die Gitterweite der Rankhilfe richtet. All diese Werte sind Informationssammlungen über Kletterpflanzen zu entnehmen und sollten Ihnen schließlich beim Kauf einer Kletterpflanze vom Verkäufer übermittelt werden.

Weiter sollten Sie bei der Auswahl von Rankhilfe und Spalier bedenken, dass diese bei vielen Kletterpflanzen das Fassadenbild im Winter bestimmen, sie sollten deshalb vom Material zum Gesamtbild passen. Jede Rankhilfe und jedes Spalier müssen dann noch in der richtigen Art an der Wand befestigt werden.

Übersicht der verschiedenen Kletterpflanzen

Pflanzen, die in die Höhe klettern, haben diese spezielle Wuchsform entwickelt, um in ihrer Umwelt besser bestehen zu können. Diese Umwelt war zur Zeit der Entwicklung der Kletterpflanzen eine Umgebung in der Natur, und die Kletterpflanzen haben sich schließlich aus verschiedensten Gründen zum Klettern entschlossen: Manche haben sich auf Felsen zum Kletterer entwickelt, manche haben sich entschlossen, über raue Baumrinden ans Licht zu klettern. Diese unterschiedliche Wachstumsform der Kletterpflanzen hat entscheidende Bedeutung bei der Auswahl der richtigen Rankhilfen und Spaliere. Je nach Wachstumsverhalten braucht die eine Kletterpflanze ein Seilsystems, die andere infolgedessen ein Spalier in einer festen und schweren Bauweise. Dies sind die Gruppen von Kletterpflanzen nach Wuchsverhalten, für die gerade die Rankhilfen und Spaliere vorgestellt wurden:

„Real“ Rankpflanzen

One of the most beautiful impressions that we take away from picturesque vacation spots are historic half-timbered houses with thick vines climbing up them. Technically speaking, this wine also tends to climb, but in many different nuances. No wonder, since the grapevine family includes around 700 different types of plants, some of which like to climb. Three genera in particular provide us with many climbing plants: the true grape vines (Vitis), the virgin vines (Parthenocissus) better known as wild vines or fence vines and the false vines (Ampelopsis), not all of which are counted among the climbing plants in the narrower sense (also called scion tendrils). .

“Real” climbing plants develop their own “climbing shoots”, also called spring stalks or climbing shoots, which appear where inflorescences or side shoots would otherwise come off. The following grapevine plants are typical “real” climbing plants:

• Ampelopsis aconitifolia, aconite-leaved umbellifer or monkey-vine
• Ampelopsis brevipedunculata, Ussuri-Scheinrebe
• Parthenocissus inserta, common virgin vine or climbing wall wine
• Parthenocissus quinquefolia, self-climbing virginia or Virginia creeper: Climbs with sprouts and with adhesive disks
• P. tricuspidata, three-pointed virgin vine, also called wild wine: also tends with sprouts and adhesive disks
• Vine amurensis, Amur-Rebe
• Vitis coignetiae, Rostrote Weinrebe
• V. riparia, Ufer-Rebe
• V. vinifera, Noble Grapevine, also in the species Vitis vinifera var. apiifolia and Vitis vinifera ‘Blauer Portugieser’

petiole anchor

The petiole tendrils climb upwards by winding their petioles around the trellis and anchoring themselves in this way. The petiole tendrils include many of the clematis or clematis (klematis) that we sell as climbing plants:

• Alpen-Waldrebe, Clematis alpina
• Burning Clematis or Almond Clematis, Clematis flammula
• Group of hybrids, Clematis x jackmanii
• Großblütige Alpen-Waldrebe, Clematis macropetala
• Sweet Autumn Clematis, Clematis maximowicziana
• Bergwaldrebe, Clematis montana
• Waldrebe orientalis, Clematis orientalis
• Goldwaldrebe, Clematis tangutica
• Gewöhnliche Waldrebe, Clematis vitalba
• Italian clematis, Clematis viticella
• Various known clematis hybrids, the so-called Florida hybrids, Lanuginosa hybrids, Patens hybrids and Viticella hybrids

creepers

The creepers simply wind their shoots forward and spirally upwards without any special attachment organs, often right around their trellis. Of our well-known climbing plants, the following belong to the “twiners”:

• Akebie, blue cucumber vine
• Celastrus, Baumwürger
• Fallopia, knotweed
• wisteria or wisteria, wisteria
• Lonicera, honeysuckle, honeysuckle, jelängerjelieber
• Periploca, tree sling

Self climbers, adhesive disc anchors, root climbers

The adhesive disc anchors are the most skilful climbers, because when in doubt they don’t need any climbing aids at all. They form adhesive organs, usually once during the growth of the young shoot. When the shoots get thicker, the shoots tear off, the plant is only attached to the wall with the young shoots. A climbing aid is therefore recommended as additional security for most self-climbers.

These types of adhesive disk anchors are known and popular:

• Campsis radicans, American trumpet climber: Climbing aid recommended
• Campsis x tagliabuana, Greater trumpet vine or hybrid trumpet vine, evolved from American trumpet vine and Chinese trumpet vine: Needs a climbing aid
• Cobaea scandens, annual bell vine, clawed morning glory: trellis recommended
• Euonymus fortunei, climbing spindle, creeping spindle, climbing spindle shrub: The simple creeping spindle and the “Minimus” variety do not need a climbing aid, for the “Carrierei”, “Coloratus” and “Variegatus” varieties additional security is recommended
• Euonymus fortunei var. radicans, Evergreen Creeper: Does not normally need a climbing aid
• E. fortunei var. vegetus, Climbing creeper: trellis recommended
• Ficus pumila, climbing ficus, climbing fig: Not hardy, climbing plant for indoor greenery
• Hedera colchica, Caucasus ivy, in different varieties: Climbing aid recommended
• Hedera helix, common ivy, also in different varieties: Normally does not need a climbing aid
• Hydrangea anomala or Hydrangea petiolaris, climbing hydrangea: Does not normally need a climbing aid
• Parthenocissus quinquefolia, self-climbing virgin vine or Virginia creeper: In addition to sprouts, it also forms adhesive disks, which, however, do not adhere very well in most species, climbing aids are necessary
• Parthenocissus quinquefolia var. engelmannii, Engelmann’s Wein, a variant that forms strong adhesive discs, climbing aid recommended
• Schlzophragma hydrangeoides, split hydrangea: Climbing aid recommended

spreader

Spreading climbers actually “just grow straight ahead”, but with the help of their long, sparse shoots they can climb up other plants, trellises or walls. As the name suggests, when you climb up, you hold yourself up by spreading the shoots as far as possible on the substrate and then hooking them into the climbing aids with their strong spines or thorns, so they can continue to grow upwards. Our best-known spreaders:

• Jasminum nudiflorum or sieboldianum Blume), or winter jasmine, nude-flowered jasmine, yellow winter jasmine and true winter jasmine
• Bedstraw (Galium aparine, Bedstraw
• Pink, climbing roses
• Rubus section Rubus, Brombeeren