Clematis: Plant care

[ideasguy]

You prune all of yours each year, Malcolm.
Take a few examples in your garden - what do you prune them down to and what height and spread do they make in one growing season?


Malcolm:
Please excuse. Ive split this from another posting of yours so its easier to pick up in the future.
Hopefully, the information will also be very useful to other members.

[Lyn and Malcolm]

George

We prune all 100+ of the Clems every year, ranging from a hard prune to just a light tidy up.

Take Clematis texensis Dutchess of Albany



It looks fairly delicate don't you think.
A group 3 so a hard prune down to about 18 inches above ground end of February time.
It will sit there sulking for a couple of weeks, but it is really just gathering itself for the thrust upwards.
Today it's strongest shoots are at 5 foot tall, and it will continue upwards and outward above the 6 foot fence panel and onto a bean net which is attached to the top of the neighbours 14 foot ish high leylandii hedge (which we cut our side and as far as I can reach over the top every year)
Not content with reaching the top it will then dissapear from sight heading next door.
Lyn does cut out the growing tips, and also complete shoots in an attempt to control it.
It killed a pretty strong shrub I can't remember the name of one year, that it used for a support, and even tries to kill the leylandii, leaving brown patches of foilage.

Just think how much stronger it would be if it's roots were not at the base of the hedge, more water and nourishment would be available to it.
I guess we have had the Dutchess in the garden for about 8 years now, every year it has grown stronger.

The flowering time is quite long, and the flowers are nice.

Malcolm

[Lyn and Malcolm]

Clematis Huldine and Clematis viticella Abundance share a love hate relationship.

Clematis Huldine


Clematis viticella Abundance


They are grown together, both group 3 hard prune (try not to plant a group 1 or 2 together with a group 3) for obvious reasons.
So again they get the chop down to 18 inches, usually one or the other will get away quickest, whichever is first, will rule the roost for the season, when they behave the colour co ordination is a good one. Both will reach about 14 foot, helped by the fact they are planted only about three foot from our bottomless compost bins, when we clear the bins, the roots are there at the bottom.

Malcolm

[Lyn and Malcolm]

Not all our Clematis are huge monsters

Clematis integrifolia Hakuree


After about 4 years it is only just under 3 foot tall, growing on a little obelisk.
Thankfully the Clematis are not all huge, our garden is only small, and the other 900 plants need some room as well. 

Malcolm

[ideasguy]

Thanks for that invaluable information, Malcolm, supported with very fine photos, I have to say.
Next question:
When you prune to 18ins - is there any sign of shoots and leaves on whats left? Perhaps you prune to a node with leaves?
Does the plant respond by sending up more shoots from the base?

Next question
Feeding. Whats your feeding program?

[Lyn and Malcolm]

Yes we will prune down to some sign of life, and it will normally provoke the plant to send up shoots from the base on group 3 plants.
Group 2 the plant is generally a much weaker growing plant, but if you are brave, or foolish, the plant will usually respond to cutting back reasonably hard, otherwise you can end up with a bare bottom.  and weak growth. We have lost some group 2 in the past for no apparent reason.

Feeding, well when we prune, we feed with a handfull of potash per plant, and also liquid feed every 10 days or so with a high potash feed such as Chempack 4. and stop feeding when the first flowers show.

Kakio or Pink Champagne that started flowering today

[ideasguy]

Thanks for the info Malcolm. That is very valuable, particularly in the case of Group 2.
I have a very nice one in bloom at present, for more than a week now.
Clematis 'Pauline' is clambering up and over the top of the arch in my front garden, and a mass of bloom.
Took photos today havent uploaded yet (new edition Bank Genie and all that)

Thats a beauty in the photo youve posted Malcolm  I bet you love spring to see those flowers appearing again.

[Lyn and Malcolm]

I forgot to say that pruning a group 2 in spring, will delay flowering for a month or two, depending how low you prune it. 

It is a nice time to see the clems starting to flower again George, and by the number of buds on most, it's going to be good this year. 

There are some nice clems in the Atragene group, like your Pauline.

Malcolm

[ideasguy]

I uplooaded the photos from the camera and had a look at them at end of day.
Disappointed. Pauline in my pics looks more blue than in reality (I had another check on "reality" as I walked through the garden before going to work.)
I noted this morning that she has flowers from as low as 1 foot to where the mass of flowers at higher level and over the arch.
Well deserving of the AGM in my opinion!
Hadnt researched to find she was part of the Atragene group, so thanks for that info.
Thanks to the support on this forum, I'm getting more interested in Clematis. They do well in my garden, and its worth concentrating on plants that do well with ease rather than trying to battle nature trying to grow those that die out.

Incidentally, on the other side of the arch I have Clematis 'Comtesse De Bouchaud' (als has the AGM). I see its in your plants list. That one flowered very well last year, with a good flush late in the season, much to my surprise.
Last year was very wet. Do they like those conditions?

I bought Clematis Crystal Fountain (='Fairy Blue')   two years ago. Its growing nicely so looking forward to it blooming again.
Laurie has that one as well, and he has posted pictures elsewhere on the forum.

I fancy Clematis florida 'Sieboldii' . I had a look at your plants list, but dont see it (correct me if I'm wrong!)
Ever tried it?

[Lyn and Malcolm]

Plenty of room in your garden for Clematis George, although Lyn reckons they are a lot of work.
That is because we don't have shrubs for them to climb into, but we do have lots of fences, which they dont like climbing up. So Lyn is constantly tying the growing shoots onto supports.

A word of warning about Clematis climbing into shrubs, don't do it if the Clematis is a vigorous one. It will kill the shrub.

Comtesse de Bouchard has never been strong for us. And we have found Crystal Fountain to be short lived.

C. florida sieboldii or var. sieboldiana as listed in RHS, we have had here for quite a long time, but not the same plant.
We give it some shelter in winter, and grow it in a pot.

The reason for it not appearing on our WPG was another oversight, I hadn't placed it in the review. This has now been rectified, using the picture below.

Malcolm

[Palustris]

That will not survive outside here sadly.
If you want a real monster growing from nothing (cut to the ground in November) up to 12 feet and flowering from August onwards, then try Clematis x jouineana praecox.

[ideasguy]

Ive a number of perfect (if rather ugly) supports for Clematis.
I cut all the branches of a line of Conifers.
As you know, once you cut into dead wood (in my case right to the trunk) they dont regenerate.
I left the trunks about 7ft tall. Should carry a few nice plants!
How many would you guys grow up each tree trunk?

RE:

Comtesse de Bouchard has never been strong for us.

Ive never pruned mine
Well, not deliberately at any rate.
During high winds this past winter I had to go out prune it. The evergreen foliage was acting like a sail and the arch was damaged. I had to prop up the arch!

RE:

And we have found Crystal Fountain to be short lived

Awww 
Hope thats not a general thing!
Hows your one doing Laurie?

RE:

If you want a real monster growing from nothing (cut to the ground in November) up to 12 feet and flowering from August onwards, then try Clematis x jouineana praecox.

I'll walk past that one, Eric!
Ive a few montanas and know how they behave. One is allowed to invade an old apple tree, the other a Lilac bush.

Just remembered!
Have a look at the banner on:
http://www.ideasforgardens.net/
Thats my montana on the roof of an old shed before it reaches the apple tree! In the other direction, it climbs a disused electric post and along the wires.
The whole thing looks spectacular when at its peak.

[whis4ey]

Beautiful pics Malcolm
Clematis are a stunning plant

[NightHawk]

I have my Crystal Fountain in a large pot with an obeliisk in it. This will be the 3rd year and its covered in buds. I will watch to see how long the flowers actually are blooming. Last year it flowered twice.

I had meant to move it out of the pot and against a wall but never got around to it.

The pot actually spends most of the time in mainly shade with maybe a few hours of late afternoon sun.

Kathy

[ideasguy]

Glad to hear its going strong Kathy. Mine only flowered once last year but perhaps it will do better this year since its been planted a full year now.

[ideasguy]

RE: C. sieboldii
Yes, Malcolm. Ive clicked the RHS button for my entry in the Master Database for that name and sure enough it returns Clematis florida var. sieboldiana
But! I also have Clematis florida var. sieboldiana in the Master Database!
Note: Theres a Synonym checkbox in the Plant Profile screen GA100S36.
Check that for the synonym if you have two entries in your database for the same plant.
I hope to expand on that feature at some stage.

RE:

The reason for it not appearing on our WPG was another oversight, I hadn't placed it in the review

I'm glad I mentioned it. That is a beautiful photo. Is it as good as it looks?

[Palustris]

Whats is face Lloyd used to grow two C. viticella, same variety, in the same place. One he pruned back to near the ground every year as recommended, the other he left to grow on a stem, that way he claimed that he got a long flowering season from floor to ceiling. Never tried it myself though.

[ideasguy]

That sounds like a very good idea to me Eric. I presume the (single?) stem was to avoid having to sort out the tangle at pruning time?
Has any other members tried this?

[Lyn and Malcolm]

WHATS HIS FACE 

Do you mean Christopher Lloyd ? He was one of our heros.
Why should you have colour theming in a garden? Does nature have just blocks of white flowers growing together, with not a sight of another colour.
As Christopher Lloyd did, we don't care what colour plants sit next to each other, the brighter the better. 
It was very sad when he passed away.

I wonder about the planting of two clematis together, cutting one down, and not the other, how are they going to flower at the same time to give flower from bottom to top?

Malcolm

[ideasguy]

I assumed the one that was pruned back would not grow to the height of the unpruned one, thus providing flowers at a lower level.
It would have to be pruned at the correct time of course, so that it would actually flower!
Over to Eric for enlightenment