Paul M. Cook wrote:
I am installing a 8 foot by 6 foot iron trellis for privacy. What is
a good plant that would cover the trellis relatively quickly and not
require a lot of attention other than watering and some occasional
trimming?

Your specification is contradictory. You want it to grow quickly until it
covers the trellis and then to grow slowly, how can that be?

David

On Thu, 19 Aug 2010 09:45:26 +1000, "David Hare-Scott"
wrote:

Paul M. Cook wrote:
I am installing a 8 foot by 6 foot iron trellis for privacy. What is
a good plant that would cover the trellis relatively quickly and not
require a lot of attention other than watering and some occasional
trimming?

Your specification is contradictory. You want it to grow quickly until it
covers the trellis and then to grow slowly, how can that be?

He don't say it should begin to grow slowly, he says not a lot of
attention and *occasional trimming*. That description fits a lot of
trellis plantings... even grapes require only two prunings per year.
And the growth habit of most plants slow down as they mature.

"David Hare-Scott" wrote in message
...
Paul M. Cook wrote:
I am installing a 8 foot by 6 foot iron trellis for privacy. What is
a good plant that would cover the trellis relatively quickly and not
require a lot of attention other than watering and some occasional
trimming?

Your specification is contradictory. You want it to grow quickly until it
covers the trellis and then to grow slowly, how can that be?


Well if I knew better I'd not be asking now would I?

Paul

Paul M. Cook wrote:
"David Hare-Scott" wrote in message
...
Paul M. Cook wrote:
I am installing a 8 foot by 6 foot iron trellis for privacy. What
is a good plant that would cover the trellis relatively quickly and
not require a lot of attention other than watering and some
occasional trimming?

Your specification is contradictory. You want it to grow quickly
until it covers the trellis and then to grow slowly, how can that be?


Well if I knew better I'd not be asking now would I?

Paul

The growth rate is determined by the nature of the plant (genetics) and the
conditions. The rate will usually slow down with age because it will start
to run into resource limits but that may or may not be the size you want.
My point is that it will not magically start fast and then slow down at just
the right size. Given enough expertise and effort you can manipulate plants
to do amazing things but you were asking for something that will do what you
want 'out of the box' so to speak. All I am saying is you will have to
accept some compromise either by waiting for a slow grower to get to the
size you want or by doing more work pruning a fast one, or somewhere in
between the two.

David