Clematis

[madonplants]

bogmyrtle said:

plocket said:

Oh yes!!! She'll be out of that this year probably!!! ;D

Plocket, can I have some clematis advice please?

I have two in a large pot (Freckles and another, sorry cannot remember the name at the moment). They were growing up an obelisk, which, thanks to the pigeons using it as a perch before they land on the bird table, has broken. I've had a quick look this morning and I don't think it is repairable.

With Freckles, I will have to spend some time trying to remove it from the obelisk carefully. For the other one, early summer flowering, I was wondering if it would shock it too much if I pruned it, perhaps just lightly and moved it out of the pot at the same time?

Many thanks.

I know Plocket would be better with this one, but surely all that will happen is you might lose flowers for next year. Except for the odd exception, pruning won't kill a plant.

Keith

[bogmyrtle]

Thanks Keith, if they have broken near the soil level, I think I will put them in the corner to see if they recover. It's worth a try anyway.

[plocket]

Hia Bogmyrtle!

Mmm! Well I wouldn't touch the Freckles at all at the moment because it should be coming into flower very soon. Depending on how big it is you could prune it in the spring but really they don't like being pruned much unless they are well established. And it's not the best time of year to be planting either - you'd be better off planting it in the spring when the soil starts to warm up.

I suggest that you move the pot to a sheltered area which would still get winter sun (if that's possible!) and leave the obelisk be for the moment. Then in the spring you can then cut away the obelisk and re-plant. I would also suggest that you plant the early flowering clematis further away from Freckles because it will probably be a Group 2 clematis which will require a bit of pruning after flowering.

How does that sound?

[bogmyrtle]

plocket said:

Hia Bogmyrtle!

Mmm! Well I wouldn't touch the Freckles at all at the moment because it should be coming into flower very soon. Depending on how big it is you could prune it in the spring but really they don't like being pruned much unless they are well established. And it's not the best time of year to be planting either - you'd be better off planting it in the spring when the soil starts to warm up.

I suggest that you move the pot to a sheltered area which would still get winter sun (if that's possible!) and leave the obelisk be for the moment. Then in the spring you can then cut away the obelisk and re-plant. I would also suggest that you plant the early flowering clematis further away from Freckles because it will probably be a Group 2 clematis which will require a bit of pruning after flowering.

How does that sound?

Thank you so much, I can find a spot for it so hubby and I will move pot and obelisk tomorrow! They are only young plants. I will check to see that the plants haven't snapped.

[plocket]

Oh I hope they aren't snapped! Nurture them a little over the winter then plant them out when the frosts aren't so bad.

[dutchy]

Plocket,
I have to transplant several large and late flowering clems.
Can I cut them back ( new growth is already visible ) and do it, replanting, any warmish day from now?

[owdboggy]

Yes, in fact you can cut late flowering Clematis back to ground level. Christopher Lloyd recommended doing it as a matter of course, rather than the 30 cms. often suggested. I presume the plants are in the ground? Try to get as much of the root ball out as you can and keep as much soil on it as possible. You can do this at any time that the soil is not frozen or waterlogged. There is no need to plant the 2 inches or more bewlo the original soil level unless you feel the need, but better lower than high!
Have fun, the root systems of some Clematis are very extensive!

[maggyd]

Ow Ow Ow I wouldnt cut too far down the old wood no more than 12" anyway!! I might be wrong in fact I probably am ! but I wouldnt risk it unless you have to.

[dutchy]

Afraid I must so I'll stick to OB's advise and will take the axe with me to get at those roots ;D
Great another bit of hard work

The thought just hit me that I will be bored stiff when I finally get everything in place......
Nah will probably find new things to do whether I like it or not.

[owdboggy]

Well, check first that there are shoots coming from below ground if you are worried. If they were deeply planyed in the first place then there should be lots of them.

I cut ours down to a couple of inches every year, the Vitcella and texensis types, purely and simply because it restricts their size a little and saves me having to spend hours tying in the new growth to the cross members of the Pergola. Saying that reminds me that if it ever stops raining, I must go and get started. It takes a long time to do the 100 or so Clematis we have and worst of all, the old growth does not rot down easily and will not go through a shredder.

Had another thought. If you do not prune these types of Clem, you end up with big long bare stems with all the flowers at the top. You could plant two together and leave one unpruned to give earlier higher flowers and prune the other to grow and hide the bare stem and flower later, lower down.

[dutchy]

Do you know the funny thing is they are completely grown in on themselfs. One big ball of woody stems. The new growth is on the stems but at the base. I guess up to about 1 1/2 feet.
Give or take some puzzeling
So not literally from the base.
It could be that things were nice and warm in there

I have not done anything yet.