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Pruning group 1. can I prune again.
Lockdowngardner
Posts: 19
HI
i have a clematis Montana growing happily in a pot. I pruned it after flowering ( first time this year) it has grown well since but fell it needs a prune again as it’s outgrown it’s support. I need to buy a tall obelisk but they are very expensive. I would like to keep the plant, if possible, contained in the space available. Can I prune it again without disturbing the plant?
Thanks
i have a clematis Montana growing happily in a pot. I pruned it after flowering ( first time this year) it has grown well since but fell it needs a prune again as it’s outgrown it’s support. I need to buy a tall obelisk but they are very expensive. I would like to keep the plant, if possible, contained in the space available. Can I prune it again without disturbing the plant?
Thanks
AmateurLiz
0
Posts
I would advise you to plant it out in the garden where it can spread along a fence or garage or side of the house. A system of tensioned wires held in place with vine eyes will help guide it and be very cheap.
Then, if you still wanta clematis, go for one that doesn't get more than 2m or so high and wide. This website will help you choose by size, colour, flowering period - http://clematisontheweb.org/new-clemlistsearch.cfm and then you can check suppliers such as Taylors, Thorncroft, Hawthorne, Priorswood......
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
Your plant is happy and healthy - for now! However, it will have grown out of that pot, probably by the end of this year.
But it can be done!
If you want to grow montana in a pot, ideally you need one of the more compact varieties, like Freda or Warwickshire Rose (compact by Montana standard is still 5 metres unchecked).
Then you'll need a massive pot - 50l minimum: think at least 60cm dia by 60cm height.
Then you'll have to feed and water it - lots - these things are v.hungry, thirsty things!
Finally, since they flower on last year's growth, they'll need a chance to let that growth mature; this means pruning it down to nearly nothing after flowering and then leaving it to grow for pretty much the rest of the season. You might get away with another haircut nowish, but whatever you do after spring is going to cut into next year's flowering stems. Remember it's got at least another 3 months of growing this season, and if this is its first year of flowering it hasn't even got into its stride yet.
And for all that cossetting and fashing, you get a show in May (and probs only at the top cos you had to keep pruning it) then nothing for the rest of the year!
So, it can be done, but should it be? It's your plant, your garden, and there's exceptions to every rule, but I'm with the other responders on this one!
thankyou. My clematis is a Montana grandiflora which my hubby bought from Rose Mont in 2017. It was a very small plant then and I had no idea how to care for it so I just put it in a pot! Unfortunately I mixed up the 5 plants in the order so I did not even know what species of clematis it was. It is only during lockdown that I have researched it to find the variety. I’ve also learnt a lot about all the perennials in my garden to.
Ive now put up a trellis in my back garden so am going to put it in the ground today so won’t need to give it a hair cut. Thank you again. Liz
Last winter the aged fence had to be demolished and rebuilt. The C. Montana was sawn off at ground level....guess what it's regrowing!
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Liz