Outdoor Vining Plants, Weeds and Vegetables

Weeds and Vines

• Some of the more common plants that are considered weeds are in vine form. Plants such as bird vetch that climb along a fence are quite pretty but tend to grow fast and crowd out other plants. Like all weeds, they are hard to get rid of; so after disposing of them, mulch the area with 3 to 4 inches of straw, hay or grass or five to six pieces of newspaper.

Vines and Vegetables

• Some vegetables are also considered vines because they prefer to climb. They can be planted next to a fence if they grow vertically or on the ground to run horizontally. Cucumbers and some squash are good examples of vertical vines while sweet potatoes and pumpkins fall into the horizontal vining category. A good rule of thumb, when you deal with vegetables that grow in vine form, is to thin them out so that they are not overcrowded.

Vegetables and Weeds

• Weeds are a particular nuisance to vegetable growth. You must pay special attention to removing any weeds that are growing on and near the ground where your crops will be planted to prevent weeds from smothering their growth. In order for this not to happen, starting when the plants are young, you should hoe the soil once a week.

Other Vines

• Flowering vines such as the hummingbird vine, moon vine and morning glory, are considered annuals. They either have to be planted every year or come back from seed and bloom at different times. Moon vines bloom at night, morning glories in the morning and hummingbird vines throughout the day. There are also vines that produce fruit. Some common examples include grape, muscadine and kiwi vines. Whether as a food source, for aesthetics or to attract birds or insects, most vines do serve a purpose.