Pergola: Climbing plants that will grow on you

Pergola: Climbing plants that will grow on you

Maria Endah Hulupi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Pergola, the bower or covered walk made by putting climbing
plants over a trellis or similar support, can be a strikingly
attractive addition to a home.

With proper planning, a particular theme -- such as a romantic
looking pergola -- can be created. Climbing plants can be trained
to adorn not only specially designed pergola, but also a carport
or canopy that in turn enhances the overall appearance of the
house.

Various kinds of climbing plants, including flowering ones,
can be chosen to adorn pergola. Before making any decision to buy
a climber or plants in general, landscape designer Fiify Eluza of
PT Bougainvillea Cipta said it was important to keep in mind the
types of plants suitable to be grown in the planting area.

"Don't get tempted to plant beautiful looking climbers grown
at high altitude because they won't thrive in low altitude
regions like Jakarta. Even if they do, it is unlikely that they
will flower," she said.

Popular climbing plants adorning gardens in the capital
include Passiflora coccinea, Allamanda cathartica, Thunbergia
grandiflora and Bougainvillea spectabilis.

"These plants are favored because they have beautiful flowers
and colors," Fiify said.

All climbers can be trained on any pergola but certain types
like Thunbergia grandiflora are ideally grown for an open top
pergola or carport to enable the flowers to drape graciously from
over the top.

Unlike the assumption of many, climbing plants do not require
intricate handling and treatment. The best way to start is by
choosing healthy stock with a strong main shoot that is usually
attached to bamboo sticks. These climbers can be bought at plant
vendors or nurseries.

Climbers, Fiify said, can be grown in garden soil, pots or
containers; even though most garden soil is fertile, it is
important to get the soil ready by mixing it with compost and
manure at a ratio of 1:1:1. With periodic fertilizing, the plant
will get all the nutrients it needs for healthy growth.

"To get the best results, ideally the plant should be grown in
the garden but planting it in a big container with prepared soil
and routine fertilizing will do."

Climbers are best grown in areas with full sun exposure or
that receive about six hours of sunlight.

Basic knowledge of the technique in training climbing plants
-- which is not as difficult as most people think -- like pruning
skills and artistry are also essential.

Fiify said training a climber needs to be done after planting,
by loosely tying the plant's main shoots to a trellis or a post
of a pergola, using gardening wire as support. As the plant
grows, keep on training the shoots to grow upwards.

Climbing plants need to be kept orderly by means of pruning,
aiming to keep only several strong main shoots and removing all
unwanted side shoots. This way the plant uses its energy for the
main shoots and will grow higher.

"Regularly prune bound branches. This helps neaten the plant's
shape and makes sure it grows upward. Apart from that, when
combined with fertilizing, pruning encourages more flowers."

Pruning a climber can be done by pinching the tip of a shoot
-- usually to remove unwanted side shoots -- and thinning, or
removing whole stems (usually old and unproductive ones) to
reduce the plant's bushiness and control its size.

According to Fiify, the best time of the year for pruning is
before the rainy season.

Results may show as early as six months to a year later,
depending on the size of the climber when first planted.

Climbers, she added, were quite hardy and disease resistant
plants. The common pest is ants that often plague passiflora
climbers. The problem can be overcome by spraying insecticide.

Watering the plant twice daily and removing dead flowers and
leaves are part of routine maintenance, while fertilizer, compost
and manure can be given every other month.

In order to keep it clean, discard falling flowers and leaves
that are usually trapped on top of the pergola or carport.

"It is easier to get rid of dead flowers and leaves from an
open top pergola or carport. Unlike the one covered with
polycarbonate which usually traps and allows dead leaves to
accumulate, providing an unattractive view from below," she said.

I-BOX:

Why prune?

When we snap a wilted flower, cut off a dead branch, trim a
shrub or mow the land -- whether we realize it or not -- we are
pruning.

Pruning is an important gardening activity. When it is carried
out regularly it can keep plants growing into a desired shape,
bushiness, compactness and height.

Apart from maintaining the plants' appearance, pruning weak
stems, broken branches or disease-infected shoots also benefits
the plants and helps them grow healthily.

By cutting off sick or dead branches, we are not only
neatening the shape of the plant but also avoiding it from
getting damaged by disease from the affected branch.

And like other living creatures, plants do get old and weak.
Pruning helps rejuvenate them since by cutting off old canes and
unproductive, weak branches, the plants can use their energy to
grow young strong shoots.