CLEMATIS - QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS

[JennyWrenn]

Here is a piccy Plocket of the Montana Rubens that I have had yeeeeeeeeeeeears and never flowered or climbed - looks a lot happier now but still not climbing madly



My Broughton Star is flowering at the top and climbing over my garden seat but I wish it would flower at the "base" this is looking straggly and bare - any hints/tips

[Plocket]

Well hopefully the montana will be inspired to climb soon! I bully mine slightly but then it is within some conifers!

Hum. Broughton Star is Group 1 so they tend to flower on the newer shoots, which obviously come higher up the plant. How long have you had it? I ask because you could prune some of the stems back which will hopefully encourage new growth and therefore new flowers next year. With my Primrose Star, I let some of the new stems grow really long and then tie them lower into the plant so they fill out low down, and the area is then covered in flowers. You could try that too.

[JennyWrenn]

This will be its 2nd or 3rd year - forget - so I prune it quite hard then? I would like the flowers to be lower down on the stems - have to say

[JennyWrenn]

I bought a Montana "Marjorie" at the weekend - mainly cos that is my middle name ;D I thought best to plant it in a large container - all of my clems apart from the one above are in containers cos of my wet cloggy clay soil

Anyone know if I did the right thing - it looks really pretty on the label

How to say tho but at the garden centre (they did this last year) they had put wrong labels on the Russian Vines - they called them Clems

So hope I have got what I hoped for

[Plocket]

NOOOO! Don't prune it hard - especially as you haven't had it that long. Just try and prune back some of the stems. If you look at the stems try and cut just above a nobbly bit which should produce new shoots. If you only have one stem then I wouldn't prune that low - you'll have to work upwards to see where it starts branching out. For example if you have three stems, I'd leave one alone to carry on doing what it's doing, prune one back fairly hard to the joint, and the third one I'd prune back a bit. It's a bit hit and miss but if you just cut the stems then leave them on the plant they will die and you can see which bits to pull out. And this pruning should be done AFTER flowering!

Marjorie is lovely - it's like your Broughton Star but creamy with tiny lines of pink. It should be ok in a pot for a while but eventually it might be better off in the ground. If you really aren't sure - layer one of the stems to make babies, or take cuttings. In my experience Montanas do quite easily from cuttings - then you can plant one in the ground when the time comes to see how it does.

As for the Russian Vines - that's terrible. Did you complain about it?

[Deleted]

Plocket,

What would happen if i cut a grp 2 back to ground level?

Sara

[Plocket]

Hia Sara! Well first of all you don't want to do it until it's fininshed flowering, and it all depends on how happy the plant is. Personally I wouldn't cut one right to the ground, but might risk cutting to just above the lowest leaves on each stem - that way it can still photosynthisise (sp?) and do what plants do. If it's really happy it will probably put out new shoots, but it's quite a risk to take I think. Does that help at all?

Px

[Deleted]

Plocket,

It was not the best plant and the only one left when i went through my Clem frenzy last year and the stems are very woody and split. There are no buds low down to be able to cut back to, that is why I asked if could be cut right back.

I have bought another as a contingency plan.

Said Clem was Duchess of Edinburgh.

Thanks

Sara

[Plocket]

Mmm. Well if it's still a rather unhappy plant I'd be inclined to leave it Sara. You might not have obvious buds low down, but a little nobble could produce shoots if the plant is that way inclined If you've got another, you might think it worth taking a gamble!

Px

[JennyWrenn]

Thanks for advice Plocket I will bookmark your post

I did complain and last year they had labels showing yellow roses on rose bushes that had RED FLOWERS on them - some problem there - and a big surprise if anyone bought some bare roots ;D

[Plocket]

What's the name of the garden centre Jenny? You should make people aware of their failings so that people don't go there!!!

[JennyWrenn]

Oooo I couldnt tell tales really but it is in Macclesfield

I am going back 2moro to buy a large Laurel - no need for a label for those ;D

[MamIDdau]

not parkers is it? No, they're in wilmslow aren't they...

[JennyWrenn]

No not Parkers - they are in Prestbury, nr Wilmslow and about 10 mins from my home

I bought two small Amelanchiers from there last year which are thriving and a large water feature which when they delivered and put in situ for me I didnt like it - so they came back and took it away gave me my money back and I bought another one which they delivered and is still here

Highly recommended ;D

[JennyWrenn]

Has anyone grown a Blue Angel; I tried one year it died on me My GF has two cats one called Blue and the other called Angel thought would be nice pressy but not sure if a difficult clem to grow - she IS NOT a gardener

She bought an orchid from the GC and planted it outside

[Plocket]

Yep I've got Blue Angel - no problems with it so far. It's a Group 3 and I think is an easy one to grow. If you suggest that she puts it in a semi-shady spot it might be better because then the soil won't dry out quite so quickly as if it were in a sunny spot, and it will still be quite happy.

[snowowl]

Hi P did you watch gardeners world 2 episodes ago were monty was planting uo some clems.
One was Westerplatte a red one i bought from shelia chapman and lovely it is to.
But my question is he said it was a group 3 clem and on the website it says group 2 any idea im confused now as to pruning.
It is growing at the side of albatros a lovely white one which is a group 2.

[Plocket]

Hia Snowy! It's generally termed as a Group 2 clematis but can be treated as a Group 3, but if it is pruned in early spring you lose the early flowers. I didn't see that episode of GW and personally I think Monty should have been more clear about Westerplatte as it is one of the few that can be treated either as Group 2 or Group 3. Stop worrying though - your's will look glorious with Albatross!

Px

[jean]

plocket said:

I still think it could be Miss Bateman, James Mason or Fair Rosamund. It's fairly normal for the first few flowers to get green streaks because they've been cold over winter and the flowers haven't developed properly. However we haven't had a particularly cold winter, or spring for that matter. Does the plant get much sun, and are the later flowers pure white?

You were right Plocket its another Miss Bateman the later flowers still have the green stripe but it isn't so pronounced. My Dr Rupple isn't doing too well b****y snails

[Deleted]

How do you pronounce clematis is it
cleMAtis OR clemATIS.

[Deleted]

1tracy said:

How do you pronounce clematis is it
cleMAtis OR clemATIS.

Clem-A-tis ("A" being hard, or as a 3 year old would pronounce aaa, buh, cuh, duh, rather than Aay, Bee, Cee, Dee).

[Deleted]

thank you.
cpc

[Plocket]

Well to put the cat among the pigeons, I say "clem-ay-tis" - it can actually be pronounced either way according to the Oxford dictionary: CLEMATIS

[Deleted]

plocket said:

Well to put the cat among the pigeons, I say "clem-ay-tis" - it can actually be pronounced either way according to the Oxford dictionary: CLEMATIS

Thanks plocket well i usually say it both ways when i am in the garden center,that way no one is confused.
robin.

[snowowl]

This is a pic of my clem Albertross and you can just see Westerplatte a red flower.I have grownthem side by side to hopefully get them to mix together.

[Chuckles]

Will soon have some pics of my unknown Clems to be ID'd, there are lots of fat buds just waiting to open. Can't wait to see them, guess it will be next week sometime with all this warm weather were having

[Plocket]

I'll try and help

[Chuckles]

1st things first ;D

I've been very very naughty today and bought another Clematis Red Robin. Can't find any pics or info about it on the internet so have taken photo of label. Was drawn to it for it's flower, it can be grown in a container and tolerates exposed cold conditions.





Now for a spot of Clem ID'ing, this is one of mine that I have no label for. The flowers have been open a few days now.

[MamIDdau]

oooooooooooooh very purty!

[greenfingers]

I have Red Robin too. It's small and dainty and is planted with a wisteria, either side of a trellis and arch. It didn't do much last year but this year it's put on some good growth.

To identify the other, try the search facility on the clematis Hull academic website. I forget the address but it's invaluable for clem info such as pruning groups and so on. Google should find it for you.