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Poor quality clematis?
Andy Leeds
Posts: 518
I planted a clematis Montana last October and only had any significant growth from one stem. Everything is now looking lifeless - not sure if this is how it should look or not? This being my first clematis I didn't notice the 'lumps' with multiple small stems emerging.
Does this look as if the clematis had been sitting in the garden centre for a good while and had been regularly cut back to this point? Is it an issue (should I have nice single stems for a healthy plant)?
Hopefully the picture gives more information - one of these 'lumps' can be seen on the right hand side came with a wire tied around it.
Finally at the base the stems looks like they are 'thinning' - is this normal? Sorry for the multitude of questions!
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Clematis always look dead in the winter, though it could by now be showing a few growth buds. Montana is pretty vigorous so should throw up a new shoot or two in the spring. On older plants you have to be careful when you tie the new growth in as the stems are very brittle and break easily.
You can't really expect a clem to grow much, if at all, between autumn and late winter. It should though, if planted well, have been busy developing a root system to sustain it through the coming season.
Give yours a generous handful of specialist clematis feed or rose feed if you can't find that and fork it lightly in around the base of your plant. You can also encourage it with liquid feeds of tomato food for an instant tonic.
Clematis can take a year or two to settle in before they get going so be patient but then expect your Montana to take off. Train in new stems as horizontally or diagonally as possible on a decent support to encourage flowers. In future years, you can prune it to keep it in bounds as soon as flowering finishes. This will encourage new flowering stems to be produced for the following year.
' One thing I would do is to cover the base with stones, pebbles, slate etc, to keep the roots moist ( for summer) and protection. ' --------- hotel for slugs.
Agree with Richard. I never cover the base of my clems except to put an terracotta pot over them to protect the stems from hoeing accidents to which OH is all too prone. He has decapitated several and not all take kindly to it.
I bash out the bottoms of the pots to widen the hole then slip them, upside down, over the newly planted clem before releasing the stems to their supports. A bonus is that they act as a safety guide for directing slug pellets and slow release food granules so they are concentrated where needed.
Other than that, surround with good perennials to hide the bare stems at the base and apply general fertiliser such as pelleted manure to the whole border.
At this size I would leave it and see what grows this season. It is a group 1 and can be trimmed, if needs be, after any flowers have formed in April/May/June.
This clematis website gives pruning info and can be searched for info on hundreds of clematis and their growing habits - http://www.clematis.hull.ac.uk/new-pruning.cfm