The author of the text is dr inż. Szczepan Marczyński
If we want to create a green bush as quickly as possible, protect ourselves from the sun or our neighbors, let's plant very fast-growing plants, e.g. scented grapevines, five-leaf virginia creeper, scrub vine, venomous vine, round-leaved choke, clematis 'Paul Farges'. In western Poland, where the climate is milder, we also plant Aubert's knotweed, three-leaf creeper or five-leaf akebia in the containers.
If we do not need so much green mass, and we are ready to wait longer for the end result, choose evergreen 'Woerner' ivy or climbing hydrangea.Both plants do not like strong sunlight and they feel best on the north side.
If you want to have a balcony in flowers for a few weeks, you can choose one of the Clematis varieties, belonging to the Viticella group, e.g. 'Polish Spirit', 'Mme Julia Correvon', 'Betty Corning', 'Emilia Plater', 'Solina', 'Etoile Violette', 'Krakowiak' or 'Walenburg' or one of the strongly growing large-flowered varieties, e.g. 'Jackmanii', 'Comtesse de Bouchoud', 'Blue Angel', 'Cardinal Wyszyński', 'Warsaw Nike' or 'Mrs Cholmondeley'.
If you want not too tall, compact plants, covered with flowers in late spring and early summer, which can be satisfied with a small support (120-150 centimeters high).It is best to choose low-growing varieties clematis, e.g. 'Piilu', 'Blue Light', 'The President', 'Multi Blue', 'Hania', 'Julka', 'Jerzy Popiełuszko', 'Solidarność' or 'Mikołaj Kopernik'.
Flower arrangements with vines
Different climbers can be planted together in large containers, creating colorful compositions that look good during most of the growing season. In addition to the previously mentioned, Integrifolia clematis are perfect for this purpose, e.g. 'Arabella' or 'Sizaja Ptitsa', most of the large-flowered clematis varieties and Fortune's varieties.
Vines intended for such cultivation are best planted in large containers in April. The recommended diameter is greater than 30 cm and the height is 40 cm. There must be a large hole in their bottom to allow excess water to drain.At the bottom of the containers, pour a 2-3 cm layer of gravel, expanded clay or broken ceramic pots, and put a dense mesh on top of it separating the drainage from the ground.
We fill the containers in ¾ with a good peat substrate, preferably with a coarse structure (you can see, for example, 2-3 cm pieces of peat) and high porosity and flexibility (squeezing and loosening the substrate in your hand, you feel that it is elastic).
Selection and planting of vines
Let's only choose strong, he althy plants from reliable sources.Before planting, they should be immersed in water for 10-20 minutes, and then "tapped out" from the containers in which they have grown so far.Large-flowered clematis and Viticella group are planted 5 centimeters deeper than they were growing so far. while other clematis and other climbers - 0.5-1 centimeters deeper. After planting, water abundantly.
Clematis, for example, do not like strongly heating ground, so if they are standing in a sunny place, it is good to shade them with something. Climbers grown in containers require regular, abundant watering with solid portions of water (even 3-5 liters).
They need the most abundant irrigation, especially on hot, windy days.In such conditions, vigorously developed climbers may even require a daily supply of water. You can do this manually or install automatic watering.
