How to secure climbers to wood paling fence?

aleve

I've just cut away dead wood and rotting broken lattice from back fence. Main plants on fence (all well established and severely cut back!) are passionfruit, star jasmine and standard jasmine. I'd like to keep each plant controlled and managed without having to spend too much, and something I can do myself with basic tools. TIA!😊 Appreciate any other advice about proper pruning and shaping too! 😉

JacobZ

Hi @aleve,

Thank you for your question about your climbing plants.

Climbers need some kind of frame or support that they can wrap around and cling to. A flat paling fence doesn't provide this, so you'll need to add something like this Grip And Grow Wall Frame Plant Trainer, which will give the plants something to grab onto. It also helps to keep growth off the fence boards, which helps with airflow and reduces rot over time. 

You can fix them to the fence rails using mesh panel clips and galvanised timber screws. If you are attaching the panel to the paling side, where you can't see the rails, you should use screws that are long enough to go through the paling into the rail,. as it will offer better support for the weight of the plants You should also ensure you create a gap behind the mesh so the plant can wrap around behind it. This can be done by using standoff clips like these Jack Mesh Accessory Panel Clip, or by packing out standard clips so there is a gap behind the mesh.

Once the mesh is in place, you can use soft plant ties to loosely tie the main members of the plants to the mesh to support them while they re-establish. As new shoots grow, they can be gently trained along the wires rather than letting them tangle or grow vertically, where they are harder to manage.

For pruning and shaping, the general rule is to remove dead, weak, or crossing growth first, then select a few strong main leaders to train along the support. 

Passionfruit benefits from being trained along horizontal wires, with side shoots producing fruit, while star jasmine and common jasmine respond well to regular light trimming to keep them dense and controlled. Avoid heavy pruning all at once outside the appropriate season, and aim to guide growth gradually so the plants stay manageable and evenly spread across the fence.

Check out How To Grow And Care For Passion Fruit and How To Grow, Prune And Propagate Jasmine for some further guidance on caring for your climbing plants.

Let me know what you think and if you have further questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Jacob