How to Train a vine

Vines create the perfect look when grown over a trellis, arbor, or arch.

You Will Need

* A vine plant

* A trellis, arbor, or arch

* A wooden stake

* Floral wire

* Pruning shears

Step 1: Find a strong shoot

Look for the longest and strongest shoot from your vine plant. Pick one that is above the graft, the point where two vine shoots intersect.

Choose slow-growing vines, like sweet pea and roses, for small trellises and arbors, and fast-growing vines, like honeysuckle or wisteria, for tall trellises.

Step 2: Move vines near structure

If your vines are not planted near your trellis, arbor, or arch, dig them up and replant at the foot of the structure, or move your structure near the vines.

Step 3: Secure a wooden stake

Secure a wooden stake in the ground next to the vine shoot, and between the shoot and the trellis. Use a wooden stake that is about three-quarters the length of the vine shoot. When inserted into the ground, the stake should be about half the vine shoot's length.

Step 4: Secure the vine

To secure the vine, starting from the base of your structure, wrap sections of the vine to the wooden stake in an upward climb, using floral wire.

Step 5: Wrap the vine

Take the remaining section of the vine and wrap it with a piece of wire.

Step 6: Secure the wire

Take the wired section of the vine and wrap it around your trellis.

Step 7: Remove the wire

Once the vine starts to attach itself firmly to the structure, remove the floral wire. Typically, the wire will remain with the vine for two to four years. To help shape it around the structure, prune the vine every year in early spring, just before it begins to flower.

Fact: Cucumber plants trained over an arbor or a trellis often produce nicer-looking vegetables.