How to Grow Vines on an Apartment Porch

Passion flowers make dense vines.

Living in an apartment doesn't mean you can't enjoy gardening. Live plants make a big difference in a home, but if you have a deck, balcony, patio or porch, you can expand your growing capabilities by growing vertically. Plants to consider include vining vegetables, ivy, or flowers such as clematis, jasmine, honeysuckle and morning glories. Vines work especially well if your porch has railings or tall wrought iron supports. If not, you can still improvise by purchasing a couple of trellises. Growing the vines directly from pots is best.

Things You'll Need

• Pots
• Soil
• Seed or starter plants
• Small garden hand tools
• Watering hose or can
• Trellis or other support
• Twine

Instructions

1. Fill the pots with soil. Place the pots around the porch where they will get good sunlight for as many hours a day as possible. If you have no posts or supports, place tall stakes, posts or trellises into your pots before planting. This just prevents roots from being harmed as plants mature. Larger pots also will provide support for the stakes or trellises via the soil that adds weight.

2. Add the seeds according to directions on seed packets. If starting only with starter plants, just squeeze the small pots gently to remove the plant and make a hole the same size in the pot's soil. Place the plant into the hole. Tamp the soil down around the plant and any added staking. Water the plant or seed well.

3. Secure your plants as they grow. They will need support and places for the vines to reach upward or along railings. Help direct the vines by wrapping the young shoots gently around rails, beams, posts, stakes or trellises. Guide new tendrils as they appear and when they are long enough to wrap or catch onto the supports.

4. Tie twine somewhat loosely around maturing vines to add further support and offer new holds for new growth. Trim the plants back after a year or so, unless they are getting too heavy and large or spreading beyond where you want them. Water as needed. Potted plants dry out faster than those in the ground, so do it more often in hot weather.

Tips & Warnings

• If you plan to grow vegetables, cucumbers and tomatoes are good choices for summer growing. Starter plants will give you a head start over seeds, whether you plant kiwi vines, passion fruit or any o the many flowering vines.

• Potted vegetable vines will end their season after the food has ripened and the vines begin to die back. You'll need to start new ones the following spring.

• Ivy vines can be beautiful and are evergreen, but if they get very dense or thick and start climbing a building, you could be inviting a problem with rodents. Be mindful and thin the vines as needed.

• Adding decomposed compost helps most plants. Do so if you want extra nutrients but only once or twice year. You don't need to add fertilizers if you do this. Use non-toxic fertilizers and pesticides as needed.

• Hanging pots filled with perennial vines is another way to maximize the space on the porch, but you will need to locate strong support beams to hold them up.

References

• Purdue University Cooperative Extension: Annual and Perennial Vines