People like to climb trumpet vine (Campsis radicans), which has beautiful orange, yellow, or red trumpet-shaped flowers. But if you don’t cut back trumpet vine, it can spread and take over gardens, homes, break windows, and do other damage. To keep trumpet vine under control and encourage healthy growth, it’s important to prune it correctly. How about now? When is the best time to trim brass vine?
Understanding Trumpet Vine Growth
The trumpet vine is a woody plant that can grow up to 40 feet tall and loses its leaves every year. It climbs by using aerial rootlets that stick to surfaces.
Some key facts about trumpet vine growth
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Blooms on new wood from spring to fall. Flowers develop on current season’s growth.
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Vigorous sucker habit Can send up new shoots from roots away from main plant,
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Takes 3-5 years to reach full maturity and flowering potential.
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Grows rampantly without pruning. Can expand up to 20 feet per year.
Understanding these growth habits will inform the best pruning practices.
Why Prune Trumpet Vine
Pruning trumpet vine serves several purposes:
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Contain growth and prevent invasiveness
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Remove dead wood and stimulate new growth
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Shape vine and establish strong framework
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Promote fuller blooms by removing spent flowers
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Allow light and air circulation to reach inner portions
Without pruning, trumpet vine grows wild with reduced flowering. Trimming it back encourages branching, flower production, and maintains a manageable size.
When to Prune Trumpet Vine
Trumpet vine can be pruned anytime but the most effective times are:
Spring
Prune in early spring before new growth emerges. This allows you to assess branches and establish shape. Cut back to just above healthy buds on framework branches. Remove all other growth.
Summer
Pruning a summer flowering plant after it blooms gets rid of spent flowers and keeps the plant neat. This stimulates new flower buds as well. Avoid heavy pruning in summer.
Fall/Winter
The optimal time to cut trumpet vine back substantially is in late fall after leaf drop or winter while dormant. This is ideal for rejuvenating overgrown vines. Cut all growth back to 12-24 inches above ground.
How to Prune Trumpet Vine
Here are some tips for cutting trumpet vine in the best way:
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Use sharp, clean bypass pruners to make tidy cuts
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Always cut just above healthy buds or branches
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Remove all dead or damaged wood
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Cut suckers and unwanted new shoots emerging from ground
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Retain established framework branches for shape
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Remove at least 20-30% of top growth in fall for rejuvenation
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Prune second year vines back by at least half for strong structure
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Create horizontal tiers or train vine vertically along support for coverage
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Wear gloves and long sleeves to avoid irritation from sap
Pruning Newly Planted Vines
For the first 3 years, prune trumpet vine aggressively to establish a strong framework:
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At planting, prune vine back leaving just 3-4 buds
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In spring, select 2-3 strongest shoots and remove all others
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In fall, prune shoots back by at least 50% to force branching
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Repeat for 2 more years to build mature vine structure
Harsh pruning sounds counterintuitive but sets the course for years of lush blooms and controlled growth.
Controlling Invasive Trumpet Vines
It takes persistence to control trumpet vine from taking over a landscape. Here are some tips:
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Prune multiple times per year to keep it under control
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Remove suckers repeatedly as they emerge
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Monitor for new sprouts and remove quickly
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Cut vine back to 6 inches above ground in winter annually
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Completely remove vine if undesired by digging up roots
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Use an herbicide on cut stems to kill trumpet vine fully
Proper pruning, control of suckers, and monitoring for new growth are critical for managing invasive trumpet vines.
To get the most flowers and keep the plant from spreading too far, you need to know when and how to cut back trumpet vine. It can be pruned at any time, but late fall and early spring are the best times to do a lot of work. Remove at least 20-30% of top growth annually. In the first three years, prune the vines hard to give them shape. To stop suckers from growing, dig out the cut stems or use an herbicide on them. If you know how to prune it right, trumpet vine can be a great addition to your garden.
How to Prune a Trumpet Vine
It takes two or three years for a trumpet vine to develop a strong framework of branches. To accomplish this, you’ll want to start pruning trumpet vines the year after you plant them.
Since trumpet vine blooms in midsummer on current year’s growth, severe fall pruning won’t limit the vine’s flowers the next summer. In fact, pruning trumpet vines properly encourages the plants to produce more flowers every summer. The plant is prolific and sends up multiple basal shoots.
It’s a gardener’s job to reduce that number to begin building a long-term framework for the flowering shoots. This process requires cutting trumpet vine plants back in the fall. The following spring, it’s time to select the best and the strongest vine shoots and prune back the rest.
This method of pruning can be used on both newly planted trumpet vines and older vines that need to be fixed up.
When to Prune Trumpet Vines
Your first job is to harden your heart to cutting trumpet vine plants in autumn. When you are cutting trumpet vine plants back, you can prune them off at ground level or leave up to 8 inches (20. 5 cm. ) of vine. This type of trumpet vine pruning encourages vigorous basal shoot development in spring.
When new growth begins, you select several of the strongest shoots and train them to the supporting trellis. The rest must be cut to the ground. Once a framework of several strong shoots extends over the trellis or allotted space – a process that may take several growing seasons – trumpet vine pruning becomes an annual affair. It’s best to cut off all lateral shoots three buds below the framework vines in the spring, after there is no longer any chance of frost.
Pruning A Red Trumpet Vine
FAQ
How far back can you cut a trumpet vine?
When you are cutting trumpet vine plants back, you can prune them off at ground level or leave up to 8 inches (20. 5 cm. ) of vine. Apr 4, 2021.
Does trumpet vine bloom on old or new wood?
Trumpet vines bloom on new growth, so deadheading after the flowers will encourage a second showing. Trumpet-shaped yellow, orange, and red flowers bloom from June to September in the summer.
How do you winterize a trumpet vine?
You do not have to provide much trumpet vine care in winter to protect the plant. During the winter, all you have to do to take care of trumpet vine is put some organic mulch over its roots.
How do I get more blooms on my trumpet vine?
Make sure the plant receives plenty of sunlight. Move plants to a full sun location if needed. Avoid high nitrogen fertilizers near the plant. These encourage leaf and stem growth and discourage flowers.