It's a group 2 (for pruning) and gets to about 2M high and wide so choose the better one for that.
If you plant it well - soak first, good, deep hole with plenty of well-rotted compost or manure mixed in and set 3 or 4" deeper than it was in the pot it should do well. Water again and release from its ties and spread it on the chosen support.
Next spring, give it a good dollop of slow release clematis, rose or tomato feed and then make sure it doesn't get thirsty in any hot or dry periods. Give it an occasional drink with liquid tomato feed and train in new growth. It should then flower in May/June, after which you tidy up any broken or damaged stems and dead-head. Give it another feed and you should get a second flush of flowers in late summer.
However, if it suffers a lot of winter damage you can also prune it back hard in March, like a group 3, and do all the feeding and you'll get flowers a bit later but all summer. I had to do this with all my group 2s in my last garden which had hard winters.
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)."
OK, help and advice needed in the case of a 10 yr old clematis montana. It's planted in heavy clay soil on a north facing garage wall about a metre away from a fence so it gets no direct light. In spite of this, at two years old it reached the garage roof and went bonzo. Every year since we have had flowers completely covering the garage roof. This is a terrible picture, but it's tipping it down right now.
The problem - the garage is coming down. We have already pruned about 2m x 2m away (left side) and I'm really unsure about hacking any more large chunks off it.
Can we save it? Or is it a case of thanks for the memories. With this much top growth I'm assuming digging it up is a non starter as the root system will be too big.
Can I be vicious, cut it back to 6-8 ft, and protect where the stems emerge from the ground, or are the builders walking all over and around the plant going to mortally wound it anyway?
Do clematis grow from cuttings? Can I take some now?
@seacrows We inherited a Montana that was at the top if a 15ft plus conifer. Chopped it down to around 6ft to remove the tree and it grew back really fast. It's stems were big so had a big root system so all the energy went into top growth.
You may as well try. Just cut it back as much as you need and cross your fingers. I wouln't bother taking cuttings unless it's some rare variety of C. montana that you could never find again.
"What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour".
@seacrows We inherited a Montana that was at the top if a 15ft plus conifer. Chopped it down to around 6ft to remove the tree and it grew back really fast. It's stems were big so had a big root system so all the energy went into top growth.
Montana’s are beautiful and very robust, they can stand up to a lot, I used to have a real beauty at my last house, it always had a beautiful show of flowers every year I loved it.
I followed your advice Obélixx and the clematis is doing well in its new home. Thanks! Another general question... what is the best time of year to buy a type 3 clematis? I have my eye on something like a rouge cardinal to go up the other side of an arch, and it would need to go in a large pot. Should I try to get it going now, or wait till spring to buy one?
This clematis has been here for over 20 years. It flowered well until August and I cut it back quite severely afterwards. I was very surprised it grew again vigorously and has been flowering for a couple of weeks now. Do the clematis experts think it might be Etoile Violette? Not that it matters, I just wanted to share.
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If you plant it well - soak first, good, deep hole with plenty of well-rotted compost or manure mixed in and set 3 or 4" deeper than it was in the pot it should do well. Water again and release from its ties and spread it on the chosen support.
Next spring, give it a good dollop of slow release clematis, rose or tomato feed and then make sure it doesn't get thirsty in any hot or dry periods. Give it an occasional drink with liquid tomato feed and train in new growth. It should then flower in May/June, after which you tidy up any broken or damaged stems and dead-head. Give it another feed and you should get a second flush of flowers in late summer.
However, if it suffers a lot of winter damage you can also prune it back hard in March, like a group 3, and do all the feeding and you'll get flowers a bit later but all summer. I had to do this with all my group 2s in my last garden which had hard winters.
This is a terrible picture, but it's tipping it down right now.
The problem - the garage is coming down. We have already pruned about 2m x 2m away (left side) and I'm really unsure about hacking any more large chunks off it.
Can we save it? Or is it a case of thanks for the memories. With this much top growth I'm assuming digging it up is a non starter as the root system will be too big.
Can I be vicious, cut it back to 6-8 ft, and protect where the stems emerge from the ground, or are the builders walking all over and around the plant going to mortally wound it anyway?
Do clematis grow from cuttings? Can I take some now?