How to Train Vines on a Trellis
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If you are working out how to trellis vines, start with one question the plant can answer for you: how does it climb? The LSU and Maryland pages both tie the training method to the climbing style, and the Wisconsin page covers how to build and tie the support itself. The steps below follow that order, and they mark where the three pages stop short of a full answer.
Quick answer
- Work out how the vine climbs before you tie anything. The usual groups are twining, clinging, grabbing and sprawling.
- Start guiding the vine while it is young. Maryland Extension says to “Begin to train or guide the vine onto the structure when it is young.”
- On a lattice panel, weave the lower stems sideways, and bend the long top stems back down instead of cutting them.
- Match the support to the vine’s weight. Large vines put a lot of load on the structure, so the structure has to be sturdy.
Find out how the vine climbs
The LSU page starts with the basic split: “Vines climb in two distinct ways: by twining and by clinging.” It adds that “It is important to know how a vine you intend to grow climbs.” Maryland Extension names two more groups. Grabbing vines “use winding tendrils or leaf-like appendages to grab onto their supports”, and sprawling vines, such as roses, “may secure themselves with thorns or stem prickles.”
Twining vines are the ones that wrap. LSU says “Twining vines climb by wrapping their stems, leaves or tendrils around a support.” Maryland gives wisteria and honeysuckle as examples: “These vines climb by wrapping their stems around their supports.” Clinging vines work differently. LSU explains that they “attach themselves to flat surfaces using aerial roots growing from their stems or special structures called holdfasts.”
The Maryland table lists the climbing style for each vine it covers. The examples below are taken from that table.
| Vine (Maryland table) | Climbing style | Note from the same table |
|---|---|---|
| Trumpet creeper | Clinging | Vigorous grower that suckers profusely |
| Climbing hydrangea | Clinging | Slow to establish |
| Boston ivy | Clinging | Attractive fall color |
| Coral honeysuckle | Twining | Blooms on old wood and new wood |
| Carolina jessamine | Twining | Fragrant yellow flowers |
| American wisteria | Twining | Twines counter-clockwise, according to the page text |
Direction matters for twiners. Maryland says “The plants of a particular species invariably twine in one direction, so it is important to start the winding of young vines around their support in the correct direction.” Its example is American wisteria, which “twines in a counter-clockwise direction.” If you buy a wisteria, check its species before you start winding the young stem.
Some vines also need a check beyond the climbing style. Maryland warns that “Several species of vines are invasive in Maryland residential and natural landscapes.” Its concern is growth that is left unmanaged, since such vines can “grow large enough to climb trees and shade the canopy”. Check whether the vine is listed as invasive where you live before you plant it.
Choose a support that matches the vine
Maryland asks the right question first: “Is the vine’s climbing habit appropriate for the type of support you have?” The page warns that vines with holdfasts “can damage wood siding or other surfaces if they are not trained to a separate trellis.” If your wall is wood, plan a separate trellis for the vine instead of letting it climb the siding.
Weight is the second check. The same page says “Large-maturing vines will put a lot of weight onto a support structure,” so the frame has to be built for the mature vine, not the young one. Maryland lists a range of options: “Explore options such as trellises, arches, obelisks, lattices, poles, cages, and arbors.” Pick the one that fits the job the vine has to do.
The Wisconsin page gives construction details for a vertical trellis, written for vegetable vines but useful for any climber. It says “A vertical trellis can be built by setting sturdy support posts about 2 feet into the ground about 12 to 20 feet apart.” It adds that “The tops of the posts should be about 6 feet above the soil surface.” It also suggests stretching “a heavy wire, barbed wire, cable, or wooden two-by-four between the tops of the posts”.
The same page explains why a double top wire helps. It says “A double wire works especially well as a support here because it prevents twine from slipping to the center as the top wire sags with the weight of the plants.” For ties, it recommends polypropylene or nylon cording, noting that “it doesn’t stretch like cotton or hemp products”.
Start at planting and keep the lower stems full
The biggest mistake on a trellis is starting late. The LSU page says “many gardeners do not realize how important it is to direct how the vine grows from the time it is planted and through its life in the garden.” The reason is the plant’s habit: “they want to grow straight up and get as tall as possible as quickly as possible.”
The usual result is described plainly: “Many gardeners training a vine on a trellis are dismayed to find over the years that the vine is all up at the top and there is nothing but ugly, bare stems on the lower part of the plant.” The page adds that trimming the top tends to make things worse, since it “creates a full, bushy, top-heavy vine” with little foliage below.
The LSU page is clear about timing: “Once that has occurred, there is little you can do to effectively correct the situation.” It also says “You must prevent it by training the vine from an early stage.” That is why the training starts at planting, not after the vine has covered the top of the support.
Weave a lattice panel from the bottom up
For a lattice panel, LSU gives a direct method: “Weave the existing vine stems horizontally along the bottom portion of the lattice panel.” As the vine grows, “unwrap the vine and force it to grow sideways by weaving it horizontally through the latticework.” The page says that continuing this over the years produces a vine that is full on the lower part of the panel as well as the upper portion.
The top needs different handling. LSU says that instead of cutting the top back, you should “bend them around and weave them back down the lattice panel.” It explains the benefit: “That will help fill in the top of the lattice panel without creating the thick, bushy top that pruning back would create.” The long stems at the top become part of the cover, not waste.
Clinging vines: pinch to fill
Clinging vines need a different approach. LSU notes that a clinging vine cannot be steered the same way, since you cannot pull it off the surface to redirect it “the way we do twining vines”. The job is to get the vine to branch low, rather than racing up the wall.
The method is short. “Once the vine has attached to the surface, let it grow for 6 to 12 inches, and then pinch the tip.” The page notes that “That will encourage the vine to branch out at that point.” Pinch the new shoots again once they have grown a few inches, so the coverage starts low and fills out.
The payoff is slower but real. “By pinching the growing tips regularly, you delay the vine getting to the top, but you will get a much better coverage in the long run.” The same page says that good training in the first few years “really pays off in the appearance of the vine over time.”
Tie and weave the stems
Twining and sprawling vines both need some help from ties or weaving. Maryland says “To remain tidy, sprawlers need to be tied up or interwoven into their supports.” For grabbing vines, the page says “Twine or wire strung between larger support posts or mounted in front of a wall can be used for these vines to give them additional support.”
Thickness of the support matters for some climbers. Maryland explains that clematis uses its leaf stalk to wrap around a support, and that “the support needs to be fairly slender so it can wrap all the way around.” A wide post may not suit that habit.
The Wisconsin page uses ties and clips for vegetable vines on mesh, saying “use ties or clips to train the vines to the mesh as they grow.” Its other method is to “Tie the vertical support to the base of each plant or to a bottom wire, if one is used.”
Timing: when to plant and when to start
Maryland describes the planting window: “fall and spring are the best times” to plant a container-grown vine. The reason for fall is root growth, since “A fall-planted vine will have more time to begin establishing its root system” before the heat of summer arrives.
Planting time and training time are different questions. LSU says to start training as soon as the vine is planted, and Maryland says to begin when the vine is young. LSU adds that good training in the first few years after planting pays off over time.
Fall cleanup for vegetable vines
The Wisconsin cleanup advice applies to vegetable vines on supports. It says “After your vines are through producing for the season, let them dry and become brittle on their supports, even over-wintering them, so they can be broken apart for easier removal.” For vegetables that climb or sprawl in a raised bed, see our guide to vegetables to grow in raised beds. For planning the bed around a trellis, see companion planting and layout for raised beds.
Mistakes to avoid
- Waiting until the vine has covered the top. LSU says late training leaves little that can be done about bare lower stems.
- Letting a holdfast vine climb wood siding. Maryland says these vines can damage wood siding if they are not trained to a separate trellis.
- Wrapping a twining vine around a tree trunk. Maryland advises against having twining vines wrap around a tree trunk.
- Winding a twining vine the wrong way. Maryland says each species of twiner winds one way, so start young vines in the correct direction.
- Planting a vine without checking whether it is invasive. Maryland notes that several vine species are invasive in the state.
How we chose
We limited this guide to three extension pages that we opened with curl on 2026-10-22: an LSU AgCenter article on training vines, a University of Maryland Extension page on vines for Maryland gardens, and a University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension article on trellising, staking and caging. Each one returned HTTP 200. A University of Minnesota trellis page returned HTTP 403 and was not used. We kept only the guidance that at least one of these pages states in its own words, and each quoted sentence was checked against the text we pulled. We did not recommend any product.
What we could not verify
The three pages describe vines in general terms. Maryland’s table covers the climbing style of a set of vines, but it does not cover every vine a gardener might grow. The Wisconsin construction details were written for vegetable vines, so they may not match the load or height of a woody ornamental. Check the mature size of the vine you plan to grow, and do not assume the vegetable measurements apply.
What the sources do not say
- None of the three pages gives tie spacing or how tight a tie should be for an ornamental vine.
- No page gives a trellis height or post depth for a specific woody climber. The Wisconsin post dimensions are for vegetable vines.
- None of the pages gives a schedule for training each season. LSU refers only to the first few years after planting.
- The Wisconsin cleanup advice is for vegetable vines. None of the three pages gives a cleanup method for perennial vines.
- No page names a tie or clip product, and this guide does not recommend one.
Frequently asked questions
Do all vines need a trellis?
Not all of them. Maryland describes holdfast vines that cling to a surface by themselves, but it warns they can damage wood siding unless they are trained to a separate trellis. Vines that wrap or grab need a support placed where they can reach it.
Which way should a vine wind around its support?
That depends on the species. Maryland says each species of twiner tends to wind one way, so you should check the species first. Its example is American wisteria, which winds counter-clockwise.
What if the lower stems are already bare?
The LSU page is blunt that bare lower stems are hard to fix later. Its advice is to weave the stems sideways from planting, so the lower part fills in as the vine grows, rather than waiting until the bare stems show.
Should the top of a vine be cut back once it reaches the top of the support?
The LSU page suggests a different approach. Take the long stems at the top, bend them round, and weave them back down the panel, which fills the top without forming a thick, bushy crown.
Can a vine grow up a tree?
Avoid it. Maryland advises against having twining vines wrap a tree trunk, and it notes that unmanaged vines can grow large enough to climb trees and shade the canopy. A support frame or a post is the better choice for a twining vine.
Sources
- https://www.lsuagcenter.com/profiles/rbogren/articles/page1500041205109 (opened 2026-10-22)
- https://extension.umd.edu/resource/vines-maryland-gardens (opened 2026-10-22)
- https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/trellising-staking-and-caging-vertical-gardening-techniques-vine-type-vegetables/ (opened 2026-10-22)
