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Top heavy clematis

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  • Papi Jo said:
    Oh I wish I was in Carrickfergus. One of my favourite Irish ballads.
    Anyway, as others have said your clematis is way too close to that fence. Could you possibly re-site it one or 2 feet away from it?
    @Papi Jo
    Gosh I've never heard of that ballad, must check it out ;-)

    Unfortunately I'm not sure if I could re-site it, still figuring out the rest of my garden and the front one lol.  

    Thanks :-)
  • Fairygirl said:
    I wouldn't move it. It's clearly perfectly happy. I expect you get plenty of wet weather which is all they need. I have plenty of very happy clems against fences, and they're just as near as that one is. 
    Just follow @Obelixx's advice re cutting back and getting wires on the fence to guide new growth onto, or big sections of trellis if the budget allows.

    You could probably relocate that trellis. If it's a montana, and it certainly looks like it, then you'll never really see the trellis anyway once the clem matures. 

    @Fairygirl
    Cool happy I don't need to relocate it, have loads of other stuff to do lol.  

    I'll leave it as it is but give it a good coiffing if appropriate to coiffe now as oppose to a flat top lol.

    Thanks :-)

  • Fire said:
    I would prune the montana regularly - keep on top of it and be careful if your garden is windy. It can bring a fence down quite easily.

    @Fire
    Thanks for your feedback.

    @Obelixx
    The fence is mine so no worries there.  I'm such a perfectionist so will be staying on top of it's maintenance :-:smile:   

  • K67K67 Posts: 2,506

    The fence is mine so no worries there.  I'm such a perfectionist so will be staying on top of it's maintenance :-:smile:   

    In that case don't turn your back in their 3rd year  clematis tend to go berserk

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    If you cut it back now and can get some tensioned wires across your fence it will be easier to train the new growth to cover the wires and fence.   However, you will lose the flowers next spring as it flowers on older stems.   

    If you can release it from the fence, with or without that fan trellis, and without cutting it at all, you could try unscrambling the stems as they are and fanning them across tensioned wires and still have a good display next spring.

    A compromise would be to cut it off along the top of the fence and then tie the stems in to the wires as horizontally as possible to fa them out and send them in the both directions along the fence.

    The thing about a montana is that it is very vigorous so there's no point buying a smart wooden trellis as you won't see it after a while and, at some point, it's going to break or rot and be a nightmare to replace or repair.   Tensioned wires are cheap, unobtrusive and don't rot.   

    Keep your clematis well fed with some slow release fertiliser around the roots every spring and occasional liquid feeds of rose or tomato food between spring and mid July.  I doubt of drought is a problem in Antrim but do make sure it gets a decent bucketful of water in dry spells.
    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
  • Obelixx said:
    If you cut it back now and can get some tensioned wires across your fence it will be easier to train the new growth to cover the wires and fence.   However, you will lose the flowers next spring as it flowers on older stems.   

    If you can release it from the fence, with or without that fan trellis, and without cutting it at all, you could try unscrambling the stems as they are and fanning them across tensioned wires and still have a good display next spring.

    A compromise would be to cut it off along the top of the fence and then tie the stems in to the wires as horizontally as possible to fa them out and send them in the both directions along the fence.

    The thing about a montana is that it is very vigorous so there's no point buying a smart wooden trellis as you won't see it after a while and, at some point, it's going to break or rot and be a nightmare to replace or repair.   Tensioned wires are cheap, unobtrusive and don't rot.   

    Keep your clematis well fed with some slow release fertiliser around the roots every spring and occasional liquid feeds of rose or tomato food between spring and mid July.  I doubt of drought is a problem in Antrim but do make sure it gets a decent bucketful of water in dry spells.

    @Obelixx
    Thanks have ordered tension wires and cutting back clematis, started by trying to unravel the tendrils .... boy are they strong but ended having to cut some back then ended up butchering my finger in the process ... but all is good.

    Will keep you updated on clematis progress.

    :-)

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Good.  Fingers crossed for a happy ending.
    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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