Vines won't climb

I bet there is an easy answer to this but I haven't figured it out.
I had the BIG Arbor built and it is cedar and I can't get anything to grow on it. I had this fantasy of wisteria growing over it an making shade - but, so far nothing will attach itself.
I can't believe there is not some fake dead vine sold on the on the internet that is used to wrap around the posts. I've looked and looked. Maybe I should invent it. Any ideas from anyone??

This message was edited Aug 4, 2007 7:31 AM

First of all, not all vines will climb well on their own, some have to be tied to the support because they don't really twine very well. And even the ones that will climb on their own, for the ones that have little tendrils that twine around things to climb, they can't climb big fat things like cedar posts, they need something much thinner like wire or skinny metal bars to wrap around. The only type of vines that will climb a big fat pole without any help are ones like ivy that have little suction cup things and they can attach themselves to pretty much any surface. Your wisteria is one that will twine on its own, but it won't be able to climb a fat cedar pole, so you'll have to either tie it to the pole, or you could rig up a wire trellis around the pole and it'll climb that. Same thing should work for most other vines that you would try.

I agree - I have a confederate jasmine and I have had to provide it with a few thin bamboo stakes that I have placed around the large cedar poles in strategic positions. I figure later I can cut them out or they will disappear. I did find that the cedar (we left the bark on) is sort of hairy and rough.. the small thin tendrils 'tuck' into the bark if you steer them in the right direction..once you get it going the way you want it will grow and you can keep directing it. I haven't figured out what I will do to get the top covered (kinda high) but I may put a wide wire screen as a support that will eventually disappear in the vine.

There are no, new planted vines that will climb without the help of either chicken wire wrapped and pinned to the support, it will soon be covered and out of sight depending on the climber/vine you choose, even climbing roses wont climb unless tied to the poles/support you wish them to grow up, they will for sure grow, but prob along the ground till you tie them up onto the poles you have in place, dont know what size Wisteria you bought or the other vines, but they will also take a couple of years of T.L.C. to get going unless you bought a really large shrub like vine, even then, they need time to adapt to the new site you have chosen for them, all vines that flower, need full sun, with the exception of Clemetis, these need the flowering stems to be in the sun, but the rooted area needs to be given shade either from a stone layed over the root hole once the soil is replaced into the planting hole or something sturdy grown in front around the root area to offer the cool shaded root it requires, it would help you greatly if you could get to the librery/book store to look through some books that are full of info for grwing vines/climbers, soil conditions, temp etc so you do get the right one for the situation you have and hope to cover, if a vine takes a few years to reach anything like the shade you want, you can always grow some Annial ones beside them to give you the idea of thicker growth till the likes of the Wisteria, etc really gets itself settled and into some form of growth, patience is needed to achieve the kind of shade cover you want and it will take years to reach this, but then, some things are really worth waiting for, plants and gardens are never instant, they have to grow along with the owners or families and be continually nurtured, fed. watered and generally cared for, you will only gey out what you put into it all, good luck. Weenel.

Thanks for the reply. I guess there is nothing designed for climbing on the pole. I'll get some kind of wire and wrap it around.
I want something that will grow all the way to the top and come back each year. Any suggestions other than Wisteria?

Here is something I posted in another forum for someone who was trying to grow wisteria from seed and then decided maybe they wanted something different. They were in zone 9 and I don't know what zone you're in, so if you're in a colder zone then you'll want to check the hardiness on the things I suggested.