Author Topic: Need recommendation - need fast growing vine for carport cover  (Read 3693 times)

Offline gringogigante

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So my wife and I are building a carport that is on the south side of the house.  It will have full North Texas sun with no shade.  It would have to be able to grow 30 feet or so to cover the whole 20-22 foot driveway.  I'd like it to also be fast growing and have beautiful flowers. Thoughts?

Offline Daniel Wood

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Re: Need recommendation - need fast growing vine for carport cover
« Reply #1 on: June 01, 2017, 08:21:20 PM »
Its not fast growing but loves sun and is very pretty foliage.

Southern Home grape. It will take a few years to get 20 feet. But you could manage it and keep it pruned while it gives you shade and cover and fruit.

Offline gringogigante

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Re: Need recommendation - need fast growing vine for carport cover
« Reply #2 on: June 02, 2017, 07:36:30 PM »
Good idea. Thanks!  I like muscadines a lot too.

Offline WickerChair

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Re: Need recommendation - need fast growing vine for carport cover
« Reply #3 on: December 14, 2018, 01:06:31 PM »
Warning about grapes. They get heavy!
Self-seeding annuals or tender perennials might be a better option.
I planted Jicama on a trellis this year. I had eight seeds of which only 4 actually survived the transplant. By late June, they completely shaded the west side of the carport. I had to do a little pruning to keep them under control (they wanted to outgrow the trellis), but the foliage is wonderful.
It is a tropical plant (so tender perennial here that returns from the roots, I hope), so it will have to be mulched.

I have had good luck also with purple hyacinth bean and luffa planted on the west side of the house. I planted the purple hyacinth bean very late (late June) so the purple hyacinth bean did not have time to set seed before frost. The flowers are pretty and the young beans and leaves edible.
I only had one luffa come up, planted it in mid-June, and it covered the 16 foot high trellis with ease and began crawling sideways before first frost. I only got four sponges off of the plant.

i have also had excellent success with cucumbers going up a trellis. Armenian cucumbers (Cucumis melo) and Suyo cucumbers (Cucurbita sativa) do well in full sun on a trellis.

Offline gringogigante

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Re: Need recommendation - need fast growing vine for carport cover
« Reply #4 on: December 16, 2018, 05:50:00 PM »
Warning about grapes. They get heavy!
Self-seeding annuals or tender perennials might be a better option.
I planted Jicama on a trellis this year. I had eight seeds of which only 4 actually survived the transplant. By late June, they completely shaded the west side of the carport. I had to do a little pruning to keep them under control (they wanted to outgrow the trellis), but the foliage is wonderful.
It is a tropical plant (so tender perennial here that returns from the roots, I hope), so it will have to be mulched.

I have had good luck also with purple hyacinth bean and luffa planted on the west side of the house. I planted the purple hyacinth bean very late (late June) so the purple hyacinth bean did not have time to set seed before frost. The flowers are pretty and the young beans and leaves edible.
I only had one luffa come up, planted it in mid-June, and it covered the 16 foot high trellis with ease and began crawling sideways before first frost. I only got four sponges off of the plant.

i have also had excellent success with cucumbers going up a trellis. Armenian cucumbers (Cucumis melo) and Suyo cucumbers (Cucurbita sativa) do well in full sun on a trellis.

Wow!  Great post. Thanks!