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Planting Clematis onto Garden Arch

mshreynoldsmshreynolds Posts: 2
in Plants
Hi all,

I am very new to the whole gardening thing as only just brought a house with a garden!

I currently have an arch with clematis on in my garden of the house I recently brought but the clematis is dead and the arch is broken so I am looking to either fix the arch or buy a new one.

My mum has just brought me a new clematis in a tuber and the current one in the arch is in big pots either side. What's the best thing to do?

I want to start from fresh with the clematis but looking to buy new pots.

Posts

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Are you sure the clematis is dead?  Does it a have a label?  There's a whole group of them that dies down over the autumn and winter and then sends up new shoots from below ground come spring.

    Get the arch replaces or repaired wuickly and then, if you can't plant in the ground, get the biggest pots you can - minimum 60cms deep but deeper is better and 60cms wide.  Clematis are hungry feeders and thirsty plants so they need good quality John Innes 3 type compost and regular watering.  Clematis need to be thoroughly watered before you plant them and also need to be buried 4 to 6 inches deeper than they were in their pots as this protects them from clematis wilt and also encourages extra stems to form.

    They will also need liquid feeds after just 90 days as composts have limited supplies and you have to top dress the pots with a generous handful of slow release fertiliser for clematis or roses every spring.  As the shoots grow, wind them gently round your arch as horizontally as possible to encourage flower buds to form.

    Correct pruning is important too.   You can find out about pruning regimes on this site - http://www.clematis.hull.ac.uk/new-clemalphasearch.cfm 
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • mshreynoldsmshreynolds Posts: 2
    Not too sure but ideally I would like to restart from fresh. What is the best way to plant them? 
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Read my post!
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
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