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Climber plants are the most versatile group of plants that, with their appearance and rich flowering, imaginatively enrich every space, so why not plant them on your balcony? In this article, we are bringing you 7 ideal climber plants for your balcony.
7 climber plants ideal for the balcony are: Clematis Montana, Climbing hydrangea, Virginia creeper, Clematis viticella, Climbing roses, Wisteria Sinensis and Common ivy.
Table of content:
- Generally about climbing plants
- Climber plants growing tips
- Climber plants that do not require pruning
- Climber plants that require pruning
Generally about climbing plants
Climber plants offer many ways to increase the height and diversity of plants while consuming very little space. According to tradition, climbers are ideal for growing on balconies, walls, gates, and fences, or on stand-alone supports and pergolas. Climbers can also grow over other plants. For example, you can let roses grow over other plants. One of the most elegant climbers, the wisteria, is equally represented in the gardens, but also on the balconies and terraces, where in the early summer when it is full of flowers, it spreads an exceptional and pleasant aroma.
Related: 10 Easy Growing Climbing Plants
Woody and herbaceous climbers are one of the most versatile groups of plants that provide numerous opportunities and imaginative space design. Whether they grow along the pillars of the house, along the walls on the balcony, or across the pergolas, they bring a strong vertical component to the garden area. If we let them grow without support, they spread along the ground, forming lavishly colored horizontal surfaces, so some can serve as excellent ground covers.
However, climbers on balconies and terraces, as well as gardens, are most commonly used to cover unsightly elements such as walls, stumps, storage rooms, or other structures. It is important to note that many climbers have a very rich bloom, and those that are most commonly grown have flowers with a strong odor.
Below are tips for the maintenance of climbing plants on the balcony, as well as a list of the best climbing plants that are ideal for growing on a balcony.
Climber plants growing tips
Climber plants maintenance
Climber plants use different adhesion techniques. The ones that are the easiest to grow and great for the surfaces to which you can attach the supports are the ones that attach themselves like ivy. The reason why they attach themselves to the substrate is their grip and tiny roots. There are also climbing tiles that are ideal for a Virginia creeper. You must be careful not to damage the facade or old bricks, and it is safer to attach the eye-bolts to a part of the wall, pull through them the galvanized wire, which will further guide climbers in need of support.
Some climbers, such as wisteria, intertwine and twist over branches, ropes, or sticks, and Sweet peas attach to the carrier with small tendrils. For example, the petiole of the famous Clematis climbing plant is also wrapped around a rope, twig, or string, and plants that have thorns, such as roses, climb by hanging on to the surface.
This method is effective when they fight with other climbing plants, and if you want to guide them along with columns or a wall you have to connect them. Covering a wall or balcony fence from the bottom up has a long tradition, but is also much slower. Freestanding shrubs and climbers such as Honeysuckle, Clematis, and Pyracantha coccinea are just as pleased in large and spacious vessels as they are to when growing from the ground.
Before the plant is placed against the wall, it is necessary to support the plant. It is recommended to select large enough, but also durable, climbing jars and containers to protect the roots of the plants from freezing or high heat and to completely eliminate the need for transplantation in the future.
Climbers transplantation
Transplanting an adult plant that has a firm grip on the wall or supports is not an easy job. The fastest result is achieved by placing climbing plants from the top of the wall downwards, with the help of several hanging baskets in which the creeping plants are planted and which are hung on supports that you have previously attached to the wall.
One neatly planted plant in a pot can always be nice, but it’s a much nicer group of at least three jars, of course, if the space on your balcony can handle it.
The brackets are positioned so that the plant in the upper row has enough room for growth and development, and then arrange the brackets zigzag so that when the plants from the upper row begin to flow downwards, they do not cover the plants located in the lower part of the wall. To get the best impression and avoid the possible messy appearance, it is safest to decide on the choice of similar groups of plants in each pot. Hanging baskets are an ideal way to beautify your balcony or terrace creatively.
Climber plants guiding
In the spring and early summer, it is useful to take some time, because then the climbers grow very fast, and this allows you to guide them as you wish along with their support. For many plants like roses, apex buds give flowers while lateral shoots only give leaves. When pushing a branch into an almost horizontal position, all the shoots that are on the side will start to grow upright and like the aforementioned buds will also give flowers.
This way of tying the branches to the grid and placing them horizontally instead of upright, a much stronger flowering is achieved, and thus many flowers are at eye level.
Do not use plastic or metal ties as these will surely cut into the tree as the branches grow thicker and grow larger. This interrupts the flow of the juices and will cause thinning and weak spots on the climbing plant. Eventually, the natural fibers will rot and crack and release the branch when it thickens.
By then, the plant is usually already attached somewhere higher where it will stay in place, and it is further advised to regularly inspect the plant, tether new shoots, and release too many firm bindings. The younger the shoot, the more pliable and easier it is to form. If you’re letting a climber climb quite high, then make sure you choose the type that doesn’t need a lot of pruning to succeed.
Climber plants that do not require pruning
Clematis Montana (Anemone clematis)
It is one of the strongest clematises to bloom in the spring. It has dark green foliage that pairs well with her pink flowers that appear at the end of spring. Although it does not like pruning, its strong body occasionally still requires shortening to be done after flowering. If kept in a jar on a terrace or balcony, it must be protected from frost in winter with the help of thermophilic, and the ground must be covered with dry leaves.
Climbing hydrangea (Hydrangea petiolaris)
It will successfully climb the north-facing wall, making it ideal for covering ugly walls and unsightly buildings. It takes a few years to harden and its fluffy and rusty-brown stem will enchant you as soon as it creates fresh green leaves in the spring, after which white flower heads that have a delicate scent are formed very quickly.
Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus Haryana)
This is a deciduous climber that attaches itself to the substrate, it has beautiful foliage in beautiful autumn tones and colors. Its strength makes it ideal for covering facades or climbing high pines, where its autumn foliage has a very attractive contrast.
Climber plants that require pruning
Purple clematis (Clematis viticella)
This climbing plant is a clematis that has many hybrids and cultivars, blooms in summer and can tolerate heavy pruning very well and can be shortened to just 12 inches (30 cm). This type of pruning causes a strong growth of new shoots, which with careful guidance give flowers that can be at eye level.
Climbing roses
They should be pruned once a year, removing stems with old flowers and thinning older plants to encourage new growth at the base. The flower stems should be cut immediately adjacent to the main stalk, leaving about 2 buds, and when new shoots emerge, they should be pinned again, if possible in a horizontal position. The types of roses that are climbers and creepers are “Alberic Barbier”, “Climbing Cecile Brunner”, “Felicite Perpetue”, “Maigold”, “Paul’s Himalayan Musk”, “Sander’s White Rambler”.
Wisteria Sinensis
It is trimmed in two steps. In the summer when the main growing season is over, new shoots are cut in half. In winter these shoots shorten again but now to two buds. This may seem like an over-shortening, but next spring it will give you a lot of pleasure when heavily scented blooms appear, which are delicate purple.
Common ivy
A dark green plant that is ideal for lighter backgrounds, but if it comes in lighter shades, it can blend well with any interior. It grows almost everywhere, but it should be kept under control by regular pruning since it can grow around the entire house up to 100 feet (30 meters).
For the climbers to show their full splendor and achieve their most beautiful appearance, many of them will look for a sunny place with roots in the shade, but there are some that prefer a cooler location. Many others are not so picky, so although they prefer a sunny location, they will also tolerate shady conditions like vines.
In colder climates, more vulnerable climbers need to be protected and raised against south-facing walls. However, some sufficiently resilient climbers will excel without any protection.
To select the right mounts for a climbing plant, you need to know the different climbing “tools.” Hydrangea, Ivy, and Parthenocissus have aerial roots and these plants can self-adhere to the wall and do not need support. Parthenocissus also has curly shoots. Plants with tendrils are wrapped around bars and mercury, including Clematis flammula and vines.
Climbers such as Honeysuckle, Wisteria, Hops, and ornamental hops are wrapped around a supporting structure, some with spiral shoots as an additional aid. Shrubbery climbers provide long shoots that look for support but must be tethered or led through bars. This group includes jasmine and blackberry climbers.
