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Hydrangea and Clematis issues

Jessy_edgar_Jessy_edgar_ Posts: 5
in Problem solving
Hey,

these two two plants were in the garden when we moved into the house over 3 years ago. I have been trying to make them happy, last year they did ok but this year they both seem to be struggling. Have you got any ideas what’s wrong with them and how I can fix it? Thanks 

Posts

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Trapped in a pot with too little root space and depth and thus a lack of water and nutrients.   Clematis like to send their roots deep and need good food and hate drying out.  Hydrangea, as the hydra in the name suggests, need water to do well.   

    I suggest you dig a decent hole, bigger and deeper than that pot and plant the clematis several inches deeper than it was before and then plant the hydrangea at the same depth it was before.  Mix plenty of well-rotted manure and/or compost into the soil for back filling.   Water generously before disturbing and after planting and keep watered until autumn, by which time they should have settled.
    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
  • Jessy_edgar_Jessy_edgar_ Posts: 5
    Ahhh I only have a small paved garden with no beds. Everything is in pots. Is there anything else that can be done. Shall I prune them back further to try and incourage new growth?
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Separate them into their own large pots and give them good compost.  Feed generously with slow release fertiliser every spring and keep them watered from spring thru to autumn.  Rain is not enough for pots.  An occasional liquid feed of tomato food should help too.

    Pruning won't help if they're starving!
    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
  • Jessy_edgar_Jessy_edgar_ Posts: 5
    They are in there own pots also they are well watered. Just checked the soil and it’s still moist. I’ll fertilise them today, I did do this last year too. I just don’t know why they aren’t growing and why the leaves on the hydragea are brown
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    The Hydrangea as Obelixx says likes moisture but they also need some shade. Is yours in full sun? If it's not that, then the leaves might have got scorched by that cold easterly wind. Re the clematis, the top looks dead, so you could carefully cut it off down to just above some green buds to make it look better. Has it still got the label on it, or do you know what variety it is?
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • Jessy_edgar_Jessy_edgar_ Posts: 5
    The base of the hydrangea is in damp full shade, a few of the leaves and the top of it get some sun during the day. I have a sunken walled garden so there isn’t really that much wind, especially in the hydrangea corner. We are in Bristol and haven’t had snow in years apart from this year. Do you think it could have been that? The clematis is in full sun and flowers early (had three and all been eaten by slugs). The flowers are purple. Here’s a pic of one of the flowers from a couple of weeks ago 
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    I agree with Lizzie.  Cut out all dead stems above green leaves or buds.   How big is the pot?   Needs to be quite deep to keep a clematis happy.   Have you got drainage crocks to stop it being water-logged a sthey don't like that either?   What compost did you use?

    Does it have a label?  Might be this one - http://www.clematis.hull.ac.uk/new-clemdetail.cfm?dbkey=13 - in which case, treated well and protected form slugs, it should flower again later on if you can get it to grow.
    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
  • Jessy_edgar_Jessy_edgar_ Posts: 5
    I’ve just untangled it all and cut of all the dead bits. Noticed there’s a new shoot at the base. I’ve taken it of the wall to try and stop the slugs getting to it and reattached it to some bamboo sticks. I’ve put nematodes throughout the garden, organic slug pellets and some slug guard gel stuff on the edge of the pot. Also put some fresh all purpose compost on the top with some slow release fertiser. Hopefully it will grow a bit! The pots quite big, see photo for size. Is it normal that there isn’t many buds towards the bottom of the plant? 

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    edited May 2018
    That looks better but John Innes compost is better for clems as it doesn't clag when too wet or too dry.  Try and use that next time you top dress.

    It is usual for Group 1 (pruning group) clematis to get leggy and bare at the base but if you keep it well fed it should start producing new shoots from the roots and those will have leaves and flowers lower down.  As this happens you can then remove 1 old stem a year, after flowering, cutting it right to the base and thus keep your clematis in bounds and renewed in vigour.  Just got to persuade it to grow first.

    Note that any compost sold for plants only has nutrients to last about 90 days so you really do need to feed.
    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
  • IamweedyIamweedy Posts: 1,364
    I have heard that a gallon of water a week is not too much.
    I have a lovely "Guernsey Cream with lots of blooms just waiting to open. "

    (And one lovely coloured blue one which is being chomped by slugs right now.) Not so good at present but it was only put it last year. 



    'You must have some bread with it me duck!'

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