The trumpet vine is one of the slowest plants to bud, and its first leaves only appeared by mid-May. This is therefore a climbing plant that requires above all patience to achieve the desired result. The same applies to training it into a standard or tree form, which takes time and perseverance.

The process itself, however, is not complicated. By installing sturdy supports to guide it from planting and carrying out appropriate pruning, this plant can easily be trained into a tree form.

Equipment, timing, staking, pruning... Learn how to train a trumpet vine into a tree with our simple advice.

Equipment needed to train a trumpet vine into a tree

Equipment for training a trumpet vine into a tree

The best time to prune a trumpet vine

The best time to prune a trumpet vine is around late March or early April, before new growth begins. Avoid pruning your trumpet vine during winter due to frost risks. The plant may start developing young shoots that would quickly be damaged by the cold.

Also note that pruning a trumpet vine should only begin from the second year after planting. The first year is dedicated to the plant establishing itself in the soil and growing. Only once the plant is well established should you begin pruning. Moreover, trumpet vines experience explosive growth during their second year, stretching all their branches evenly as they seek support.

Installing the stake

Your trumpet vine will likely already have a stake when purchased from a garden centre. Keep this stake for the plant's first two years, until it can reach its permanent support (a wall, another tree's trunk, a trellis, etc.). The support can also be the stake itself, which is actually recommended when training into a tree form. In this case, choose an especially sturdy model, driven 50 cm into the ground to last several years.

Trumpet vine trained as a tree

© zamojojo - Flickr

For training a trumpet vine into a tree, an umbrella stake can be particularly useful. Its parasol-like frame is very practical for developing the vine's canopy.

Use flexible ties to attach your climber to its stake to avoid damaging the plant. You can use soft plastic training ties or raffia (more aesthetic). Alternatively, old nylon stockings can be fashioned into soft ties. In any case, avoid tightening the ties too much to prevent restricting the vine's growth.

Training a trumpet vine into a standard or tree form

Training a trumpet vine into a standard involves several simple but essential steps.

Pruning a trumpet vine into a tree

1. In the second year after planting, prune your trumpet vine to keep only two or three main stems growing towards the support or the top of the stake. Cut back all secondary branches to the base using clean secateurs. Remove all suckers as well.

2. In subsequent years, always in March, cut back lateral shoots growing along the main stem and remove any suckers appearing at the base of the trunk.

3. Once your trumpet vine reaches the desired height, cut the top to encourage secondary branching (creating a proper framework).

4. This crown needs regular pruning to prevent it becoming too heavy for the still slender trunk.

5. Each spring, lightly prune the canopy, shaping the branching to prevent tangling and an impenetrable thicket.

6. Once the trunk has thickened sufficiently, you can allow the crown to grow more densely, while carrying out annual shaping to maintain an elegant form.