I have two small SLV that were just planted this spring. They each have two vines that have grown up an 8 ft trellis and then continued to grow out, swinging in the air. I topped them at the top of the trellis, hoping it would encourage more growth at the base of the plant or new shoots along their slender vines.

Might they put out more growth or is this pretty much it for a small SLV's first season?

Should I cut back these vines in the spring or do more side shoots develope along last years old growth?

Mary

My thanks for taking the time to reply. I guess I expected more side growth, since it has a rep for fast growth. I'll try to be patient and perhaps next year it will cover the trellis. I have fed them and think I'll begin giving them a weak solution of liquid plant food and see if that doesn't help.

Did you cut yours back in the fall or just leave it? Did your slv lose it's leaves over the winter?

We just had a terrible storm, with heavy, BIG hail and many plants look like a bomb has gone off. There are even small craters in the bedding soil where the monster ice rocks hit the ground. For a while, it looked like it had snowed. Anyway, leaves on the vines are pretty tattered. Morning glories are pretty much done for, I think. Their vines are more delicate and where the hail struck them against the trellis, it just split open the vines, as if I'd hit them with a hammer. I feel so sorry for the farmers who also experencied this freak storm.

Mary

I don't prune mine since it's all over a trellis-type fence now. It'd take days trying to get all the vines' wrapping tendrils out of it!

Best of luck, Alexander.