Re: bouganvillea on wall
- Subject: Re: bouganvillea on wall
- From: T* a* M* R*
- Date: Mon, 25 Feb 2002 09:09:37 +1300
"LEE,ANGELA IUE-CHIH" wrote:
>
> Hi,
>
> Does anyone have experience growing a large bouganvillea on the side of a
> house? Does the vine need to be attached to something, like guide wires
> or some type of structure? and what happens if the house needs to be
> painted? Does the plant ruin paint or stucco? Do pigeons or rats nest in
> the vine? Those homes with vines dangling off balconies and draped around
> windows look terribly picturesque in books but how does it work in real
> life?
>
> We are going to add a second story with the result that one side of the
> house will be tall and bare. I would like to add a low maintenance and
> colorful vine that reaches up to the second story as a budget way to perk
> up our very plain house.
>
> Thanks for any advice,
Angela
I see lots of folk have given advice and suggestions, but no-one has yet
come up with an idea which I used once in a similar situation in a
garden where I worked which proved very successful, and that was to
hang a frame on the wall on strong hooks which could be detached and
laid down on the ground plant and all for painting or other maintenance.
The frame was simply large gauge chickenwire attached at the top to a
strong wooden beam which was then hooked on to the wall. I cannot now
remember (this is more than 20 years ago) whether the sides were
stiffened by light batterns, but the bottom, I am pretty sure, was
simply held down by the plant.
I see several people have complained of the very strong growth of their
Bougainvilleas. I think this may partly relate ot the variety, but also
to how rich and moist a soil the vine is given. For the best
floriferousness and for controllable growth they really do best in a
pretty lean dryish soil. The most vigorous flowering I have ever seen
was at a hotel close to the sea in tropical Africa where the plants must
have been living in nearly pure beach sand. They were quite limited in
size, but you could not see the wood for the flowers.
In fact the Bougainvillea on the frame I was talking about earlier was
planted not in the ground (there wasn't any at the base of the wall -
only a paved area), but in a large half barrel. It also tended to get
pretty dry from time to time, but Bougainvileas don't seem to mind this
much. It often stimulates better flowering and helps to curb the
exuberance of their growth.
As to pruning. it certainly helps flowering not to let them grow all the
new wood they want, but the main thing is to remember flowers form at
the end of side shoots from the main stems. Once the flowers are over,
if these stems are then deadheaded new shoots and more flowers will
form. (Very similar to climbing roses, now I come to think of it!)
Moira
--
Tony & Moira Ryan
Wainuiomata NZ,
where it's Summer in January and Winter in July.
