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  1. bfunk13 Minister of Fire

    joined: Sep 11, 2008
    705 posts
    Wyoming
    Ok green thumbs, looking for a hardy fast growing vine to cover an ugly fence. The fence should just be replaced but has many trees and shrubs growing in and out of it. Would be quite a job to replace. I tried to grow a clematis last year with so so success. No sign of it coming back yet this spring. It grew fairly fast but only a few real long shoots. I live in Wyoming ( zone 4 ). So harsh winters and short growing season are an issue. Thanks for any suggestions!
    #1

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  2. jeff_t Minister of Fire

    joined: Sep 14, 2008
    2,689 posts
    SE MI
    Hops might be worth a try. They are pretty hard to get rid of once established, and you can spread them out by burying part of the vine. They grow from rhyzomes, and are fairly easy to propagate. I'm not sure how they would work for your short growing season, but you're not looking for a flower yield. They like to grow vertically, but they will follow just about anything. When I had a couple of plants, they would grow inches per day. You could almost see it. Some vines would grow 25-30', but I was pruning them so I only had two or three shoots. Some varieties are bushier than others, as well. And they like full sun.
    bfunk13 likes this.
  3. Doing The Dixie Eyed Hustle Minister of Fire

    joined: May 27, 2008
    3,992 posts
    Ridge, LI, NY
    Clematis takes a few years to get "sturdy", if you will.

    Grapes, maybe?
  4. coverdome New Member

    joined: Sep 22, 2011
    48 posts
    North Central Maryland
    Might want to consider Sweet Autumn Clematis. Grows fast, spreads readily, tolerates cold, and gets covered with great smelling white flowers in the early fall. Bees love it. Have it all over my fences and love it. It will crowd out [IMG]honeysuckle vine.
    Eatonpcat likes this.
  5. bfunk13 Minister of Fire

    joined: Sep 11, 2008
    705 posts
    Wyoming
    Very nice dome! I do like clematis, am hoping ours comes back this year.
  6. save$ Minister of Fire

    joined: Sep 22, 2008
    1,683 posts
    Chelsea Maine
    You mentioned the fence was ugly. That means all year round. How about some more shrubs to cover it even during the three seasons that the leaves are off. Roderdendron and azalea are good covers and will hide that ugly fence all year long. When they bloom, you will be the talk of the neighborhood.
    bfunk13 likes this.
  7. bfunk13 Minister of Fire

    joined: Sep 11, 2008
    705 posts
    Wyoming
    I will look into those thanks!
  8. Eatonpcat Minister of Fire

    joined: Jul 24, 2011
    2,037 posts
    Eaton Township, Ohio
    Morning glory grows like a weed around here and looks pretty good!
  9. lukem Minister of Fire

    joined: Jan 12, 2010
    3,135 posts
    Indiana
    Honeysuckle. That stuff is extremely dense and almost impossible to kill, even if you try to kill it.
  10. Dtunes New Member

    joined: Mar 7, 2012
    62 posts
    Outside of Boston MA
    A neighbor has a sweet autum clemantis and it smells amazing. I know of several vines that would work for spring to autum but none that are evergreen.

    Morning glories: easy to grow, grow fast and flower all summer. Will die in the winter but drop seed.and come back in the spring

    Clemantis: beautiful but can be fussy, i havent had much luck

    Wisteria: easy to grow, hard to get to flower in cold climits. Can be hard to get rid of once established in warm areas, wich doesnt apply here. Only flowers once in the spring, right now here in ma

    Grapes: concord varieties are pretty easy to grow, grapes are a plus, not sure how good the coverage will be though. They tend to stretch out rather than fill a large space.
    .
    Trumpet vines: easy to grow have nice orange or yellow flowers, humming birds love them. Flowers most of the warm season, come back yearly.

    Personally id pick morning glories or trumpet vine. Good luck, keep us updated
    bfunk13 likes this.
  11. Dtunes New Member

    joined: Mar 7, 2012
    62 posts
    Outside of Boston MA
    Also honey suckles are nice and hardy, but can be invasive and hard to remove once established. Growing up there was one growing on a chainlink fence in my yard, couldnt see the fence at all.
  12. SmokeyTheBear Minister of Fire

    joined: Nov 10, 2008
    11,439 posts
    Standish, ME
    A heavy dose of lime worked into the soil where you plant them.
  13. Eatonpcat Minister of Fire

    joined: Jul 24, 2011
    2,037 posts
    Eaton Township, Ohio

    Works for Margaritas too!;)
    Dtunes likes this.
  14. eclecticcottage Minister of Fire

    joined: Dec 7, 2011
    1,204 posts
    WNY
    Trumpet vine can be invasive also.

    Wisteria is lovely, and STRONG-it will break up morter between bricks and twist metal fencing however it wants. Consider it carefully if you ponder going in that direction. We had one here at the Cottage in an akward location that we removed, it had twisted the metal arbor it was trained on into a pretzel (not really, but it was a mess).

    Blaze roses are relatively fast growing and are an older cultivar so are much less fussy than many newer ones.

    English ivy is evergreen, but needs to be kept in check (pretty much anything that grows fast will to some extent).
  15. Crane Stoves Member

    joined: Apr 22, 2012
    204 posts
    Duxbury, MA.
    this stuff is like the devil ^^^ , you might as well plant poison ivy their, because in a couple years you will surly be pulling your hair out trying to remove it, but i guess
    If the area is never used and has an extremely large buffer you wish to never again see or step foot on (im talking 20' or more around this stuff, then honey suckle may be perfect ?

    I would take a better look at shrubs like azalea or some arborvitae if you still wish to use the area and want next to zero maintenance (those nice estate garden walls and old fences covered with vines have landscape crews that come with them to make them appear so awesome looking).
    Eatonpcat likes this.
  16. lukem Minister of Fire

    joined: Jan 12, 2010
    3,135 posts
    Indiana
    Don't disagree, but they will turn a rickety old fence into a wall of green pretty dang quick, which is what the OP is looking for.
    Eatonpcat likes this.
  17. SmokeyTheBear Minister of Fire

    joined: Nov 10, 2008
    11,439 posts
    Standish, ME
    You might want to look into something like the Evergreen Bittersweet (Euonymus Vegetus) it is hardy in zones 4 through 10.

    Note this is not a true bittersweet.
    Eatonpcat likes this.
  18. BobUrban Minister of Fire

    joined: Jul 24, 2010
    942 posts
    Central Michigan
    Another Morning Glory vote. Find someone who has some and do a little seed gathering in the winter when the pods are dry. Just hand cast the seeds around yor fence - step back and watch them grow. The first year I was real carful to collect seeds and toss them back inot the mix in the spring - GEESH - I now ry to get as many seeds and dry vines intothe firepit each spring because I know what survives will be jungling out my fence with bug grean leaves and tons of flowers in no time. I use it for fence cover and the second year with the extra seeds it was reaching over and cuttingoff the steps to my deck. Went on vacation for a week and hat to cut my way in.
    Eatonpcat likes this.

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