First, you must understand that we are vigorous, woody vines at heart. Our natural instinct is to scramble and climb towards the sun using our strong, whip-like thorn-covered stems. These thorns are our primary tool for anchoring ourselves to supporting structures in the wild. We are not self-clinging vines like ivy; we cannot attach ourselves to a flat wall without your help. We require a support system to weave through or tie onto. Our other non-negotiable need is abundant sunlight. We will not put energy into vigorous growth or display our vibrant bracts if planted in deep shade. Please ensure our roots are in well-draining soil, as we despise having constantly wet feet, which leads to root rot.
Before you even plant us, install the trellis, wire system, or fence. This prevents damage to our young and delicate root system later on. For a wall, a trellis should be mounted slightly away from the surface (using spacers) to allow for air circulation behind us, which helps keep our foliage dry and healthy. The structure must be sturdy; we can become quite heavy, especially after a rain. A flimsy trellis will collapse under our weight. For a fence, you can often train us directly onto the existing framework, using it as a natural anchor point for our guiding ties.
Plant us close to the base of the support structure, but not right against it. This encourages our main stems to grow towards the support rather than away from it. As our young, flexible stems begin to grow, gently guide them towards the trellis or fence. Do not force them. Our stems are delicate at this stage. You may use soft, flexible plant ties, cloth strips, or even garden twine to make loose loops that attach us to the support. Never use wire or anything that can cut into our bark as we thicken and grow.
This is the most hands-on part of your task. As we grow, you must actively train us. Continue to gently weave our new, pliable shoots through the openings in the trellis or along the wires of your support system. For horizontal growth, which encourages more flowering, gently bend and tie side branches laterally along the structure. Make a point to check our progress every week or two during the growing season. Secure new growth before it becomes too long and woody to manipulate without snapping. Always tie the stems loosely to allow for natural thickening.
Pruning is how you shape us and encourage a dense, lush covering rather than a few long, leggy vines. The best time for major pruning is in late winter or early spring, just before our most vigorous growth period. At this time, you can cut back any undesired, wayward stems or reduce our size. After a flush of flowers, you can also lightly tip-prune the ends of branches. This encourages back-budding, resulting in a bushier plant with more flowering wood. Remember, we flower on new growth, so pruning stimulates the very growth that will produce our next colorful display.
