I suspect you've been too kind Fishy. Clematis need a deep hole and well prepared soil but maybe a bit OTT on the garden compost? Try using a specialist, slow release clematis food next spring with occasional drinks of liquid tomato feed. Both will encourage flowering.
In my garden I find clems take a couple of years to get their roots settled in before they take off above ground but then they romp away. Sometimes they disappear for a year or two before doing a Lazarus and resurrecting themselves so I've taken to putting new clems in big pots for their first year so they can develop a good root system before having to compete in the borders.
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)."
I went to a lecture by Dr Mary Toomey 4 weeks ago, author (ess?) of many books on clematis, she said that when planting clematis always remember this...................
" First year sleep, second year creep, third year leap "
That is if you plant a mature, 2 year old plant, using the correct planting method for your particular variety of clematis
So there is nothing ' instant ' in the clematis world.
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I suspect you've been too kind Fishy. Clematis need a deep hole and well prepared soil but maybe a bit OTT on the garden compost? Try using a specialist, slow release clematis food next spring with occasional drinks of liquid tomato feed. Both will encourage flowering.
In my garden I find clems take a couple of years to get their roots settled in before they take off above ground but then they romp away. Sometimes they disappear for a year or two before doing a Lazarus and resurrecting themselves so I've taken to putting new clems in big pots for their first year so they can develop a good root system before having to compete in the borders.
I went to a lecture by Dr Mary Toomey 4 weeks ago, author (ess?) of many books on clematis, she said that when planting clematis always remember this...................
" First year sleep, second year creep, third year leap "
That is if you plant a mature, 2 year old plant, using the correct planting method for your particular variety of clematis
So there is nothing ' instant ' in the clematis world.