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'Clematis mesh'

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  • AstraeusAstraeus Posts: 336
    That does make sense @Fairygirl, thank you. What I've done at the moment is this:



    And what I'm struggling with is the idea that I'll end up with anything other than a love heart, i.e. I don't see how the middle part will fill out. Is it just a case of patience? 🙂
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Just patience - yes  ;)
    They're just planted, so they're getting established. Even a plant of two years or more will take a while to settle and grow well. They take around 4 or 5 years to get to maturity, assuming they've been planted out at around 2 yrs and grown on. Some older plants will have been cut back each year in a nursery until they're sold, but they would still take a year or two to get going again.
    I had to look up the E. Plater one, as it isn't one I know. It's a Group 3 , so every year [around this time] you'd cut it back to a pair of buds, as it'll flower on the new wood produced. Feed regularly until budding/flowering, and mulch after pruning and at any time you feel like doing it. 
    The winter flowering, or early spring types, aren't as greedy re food, and don't really need pruning, other than to keep them in the space you want them, or if they get congested and you want to rejuvenate them. It'll be a few years until you're anywhere near that stage  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • AstraeusAstraeus Posts: 336
    Brilliant, thank you ever so much for your helpful reply. The one I photographed is actually Avalanche, an early flowering G1. The Emilia Plater doesn't yet have any growth to tie in! 😄
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I realised that @Astraeus - apologies if I misled you a bit!
    I was speaking generally - but that plant is certainly young. The other one probably is as well, even if you got them from a reputable supplier. They still take a while to settle and thrive, but hopefully they'll both do well for you  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • I tried the Gripple system on a gable wall for Clematis and found that although a very good system for roses and similar climbers, the Gripple wires did not work very well with my Clematis viticella cultivar, which tended to hang off the wires, rather than climb up the wall, and look very scruffy.  I have since replaced the Gripples with the mesh supplied by Taylors and it is a vast improvement.  The mesh is also attached by hooks as they suggest, so I can lower the whole thing for maintenance of the wall and it makes pruning much easier as well.
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