Who's afraid of varginia creeper

Hi guys

Looking to plant some Virginia creeper, i know all about it's aggressive nature, but don't know about it's rooting system ie will its roots choke other plants, as im looking to plant it between some laurel bushes and a screen/fence i want it to grow up the fence, the laurel bushes are about two feet in-front of the fence...

Thanks in advance

Davie-S

Virginia creeper is easy to grow but I am having a problem getting it to cling to my

brick wall. I don't think it is particularily invasive though!

Thankyou.

  Be a bit careful as it can send out shoots underground which tend to pop up un noticed and grow elsewhere.

  It can over time damage walls and fences if left to it's own devices. Cut it back when all the leaves have fallen each year to keep it in check.

  Also make sure that it doesn't cover any Central Heating Flue on the side of the Houseas this will lead to problems.

Thanks Hoon and Robbie,

When i read about Virginia creeper it frightened the life out of me Hoon i'd say it was pretty darn invasive put it this way i don't want it anywhere near my house, but think it would make a lovely back-drop over my fence, if kept in check and under control, have you tried giving it a help to establish itself on the wall by putting up some mesh or something similer just to get it started Hoon?..

Thanks for the tips Robbie i will keep a close eye out for shoots popping up, tis more than my life is worth if it ruins Mrs Growers beloved laurel bushes...

Thanks again guys

Davie-S

Hi Percy,

Virginia creeper should grow between the laurels, but I wouldn't worry about its roots taking over from them. In fact, if the laurels are large, then it might be difficult for the creeper to establish without a bit of TLC. Dig in plenty of compost when planting and water regularly until the climber has established, as the soil around mature laurels is usually dry and poor in nutrients.

Ivies and creepers do not cause damage to walls. They take advantage of damage caused by weather etc and grow into it, often making the damage worse. In themselves they do not cause damage.

I've got virginia creeper climbing over one side of my house, and I love it! The new leaves are so beautiful, and the colour in autumn amazing. I think people are afraid of it because it does grow quickly, but being deciduous it's really easy to cut back in winter, as the stems are thin. I've never had any shoots popping up anywhere.

I bought a medium sized Virginia Creeper two years past and after changing my mind about where to grow it, one of the long stems fell off during transplanting. I put the stem in the compost bin and left the moved plant to settle in (this year should see it whizz away since I noticed its roots are very thick when I under planted this spring) but the stem in the compost bin started growing last summer, so I chopped it up into pieces and potted it up. It survived the winter nicely without protection and I just planted baby Virginia Creeper opposite Mummy, so they can wave at each other . Those five or six stems all rooted and are ready to shoot off this year!

The only real problem with Virginia creeper is if you let shoots fall down onto the ground, as they will root where they fall. They are pretty easy to uproot, though.

I've had a virginia creeper in a huge wooden tub for the last four years and it seems quite happy.  I know it will outgrow it one day but for now it is giving me the privacy I want and if I need to move it I'll take a couple of shoots for future.  It doesn't cling to anything though - I put up a bit of metal trellis to create a panel at a right angle to my shed and it covers it beautifully and has a wander over the shed too but I wind it round the trellis for maximum effect.  It is really spectacular in autumn.

I had this once growing up a fence, it was pretty and not scary.

Ivy is scary esp the green type it grew through our flat roof and caused lots of damage.