Lolla - your clematis will be fine. They don't need to be undercover, so get it outside - gradually, as you've had it undercover all winter. Out during the day and in at night for a week or so should be plenty. Assuming you can get the undiluted feed washed through first though!
That one will be fine potted on to let it mature, before planting out in it's final place. It's always better to do that to give them a beter chance against slugs and snails too. They can be very susceptible in the ground when small - especially at this time of year when they burst into growth and have lots of young, tender, juicy shoots which molluscs love.
Check what varieties you have too so that you can follow the right pruning regime. Do you know which ones you have?
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Don't beat yourself up over this Lolla, I'm new to clematis and have discovered all manner of do's and dont's. The mistake you made is very easy to do, especially when these plant feeds are marketed as though we cannot manage without them.
What I'm learning about clematis is the need to establish a strong root system as priority over top growth. I've got two young plants, bought about a year ago and have kept them well watered with a mulch of homemade compost over the top. New shoots are coming through but I was tempted to feed like yourself until a good friend and gardening guru advised me to stick with just watering. I do hope your plants pull through and wish you good luck.
And what a good pupil I have ? It's nice to see that others don't believe in loads of feed either, let nature take its course. The soil will replenish if you get it in good condition with composts and chicken pellets, then it will sort out its own nutrients. They the only things that go on my garden.
Do agree about feeding long term plants in tubs though, by replacing some of the soil, and an extra feed.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
Thanks everyone for the very helpful advice. My mistake here is that the first bottle of feed I bought and used last year was ready to use, hence no need to dilute. I didn't read the instructions for the last bottle, assuming it would be the same. A mistake I vow not to repeat. Unfortunately, as I plan to keep my clematis potted (for various reasons, from "too many slugs, too little will to fight them" to "bad soil" and even "no soil whatsoever" where I intend to establish them) I might have to feed again in the future and now I'm terrified.
Chloe - I had done a little research on clematis when I got mine and I think there wasn't a single article that did not recommend tomato feed. It was everywhere. This is why I bought it, I thought I was doing the right thing.
Cloggie - I know, my humble front border took 3 years to pick up and I'm fully aware nothing happens quickly in the garden - except weed growth.
Fairygirl - The medium one from the picture is a montana rubens, the smaller pot (unlikely to survive) I have no idea, but if I remember well the flowers are a bit bigger than rubens and purple. The bigger pot, the one I'm still hoping to save, is a hyde hall.
Mike - the plants weren't sick when I feed them. The mistake of not reading the instructions has been acknowledged. The big clematis seem to be recovering a bit (it looks slightly better today than it did yesterday), but if it doesn't improve I might have to cut it.
Fishy65 - I may have to feed them again in the future as I plan to keep them in pots, but now I'm unsure if I should bother with tomato feed again, even though it's the best type of feed for them.
Let's hope they all survive. Tomato food is excellent for clematis and roses and many other plants that we want to flower and or fruit profusely. If yo follow the instructions for correct dilution ratios it will be fine, especially as a tonic.
Clematis need a deep, cool root run so make their eventual pot as big as you can and not less than 60cms high and wide. Use the best John Innes no 3 compost you can get and maybe mix in a little Levingtons or multi-purpose for water retention. Make sue you have a crock to cover the drainage hole(s) so they don't get blocked.
The other thng about clems is to plant them deeper than they were so you buy at least one leaf node form which new shoots will grow. This helps the plants thicken up and produce more flowering stems. Since yours are in emergency care I would pot them on slowly into bigger pots rather than all at once.
Top dress your clematis every spring with slow release clematis feed granules or rose fertiliser and use tomato food as an occasional treat. Don't let the compost dry out but don't drown them either. If it gets cold where you are, wrap the pots only, not the plant, in buvbble wrap to protect teh roots from freezing. Use a mulch of chipped slate or gravel to retain moisture and keep weeds down.
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)."
The montana won't do well in a pot anyway Lollo. They need to be in the ground I'm afraid, unless you can build a big enough container or bed of some kind for it. Different type of clematis from the other ones you have.
Tomato food is ideal for feeding, so don't worry about using it in future - the problem is simply that you didn't dilute it! Some of the slow release granular feeds are possibly better for you to use instead. You can add them when you refresh the soil/compost each year in the pots. Readily available.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Lolla, if you asked for a show of hands from those of us who have never made a mistake, or killed a plant, you wouldn't see a forest of limbs, that's for sure.
We all make mistakes, but we soldier on.
Live and learn, we're ALL still learning. Nobody knows it all.
I've found clematis very resilient . I've had some spring back to life 4 years after I'd given them up as dead.
Totally agree Hosta ... I've been gardening all my life (and I'm retired) and of course, I'm still making mistakes, I just hope that I'm learning from them ...
I agree that the C. montana will really struggle in a container ... they do grow huge
Fairygirl and Dove - I hoped I could contain the size of the montana a little by keeping it in a big pot. If it's not possible then I better let her go. My garden has a good size, but it's mostly in shade/semi shade and I have this HUGE oak tree right in the middle of it that probably sucks out all the moisture. The soil is very dry and poor, nothing does well here. Most of my light gardening happens in my front border and pots at the back. The rest is basically laid to lawn with a few scraggly tall shrubs on the sides (my forsythia this year went almost straight to green). If I plant the montana out there it's just going to die a slow death.
Ask a tree surgeon about raising the crown of your oak and maybe thinning the top a bit to allow more light, air and rainfall down below.
You can improve the soil around your lawn by adding plenty of compost and well rotted manure so that shrubs and other plants can grow healthier. Dig a decent deep hole for you montana away from the canopy and plant your montana so that it can grow all along your fence. Keep it watered till established and don't forget to feed it every spring.
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've had a surprise clematis survivor this year, I'd given it up for dead and it came up slightly away from the dead bit from under the soil so the roots were good. Glad I didn't try and scrap it. Only put it in last year - reduced at Homebase if I remember rightly - one of the polish purple ones. Warzawa or something similar. I've not finished mulching, you can see how far I got to the left of the picture.
Posts
Lolla - your clematis will be fine. They don't need to be undercover, so get it outside - gradually, as you've had it undercover all winter. Out during the day and in at night for a week or so should be plenty. Assuming you can get the undiluted feed washed through first though!
That one will be fine potted on to let it mature, before planting out in it's final place. It's always better to do that to give them a beter chance against slugs and snails too. They can be very susceptible in the ground when small - especially at this time of year when they burst into growth and have lots of young, tender, juicy shoots which molluscs love.
Check what varieties you have too so that you can follow the right pruning regime. Do you know which ones you have?
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
And what a good pupil I have ? It's nice to see that others don't believe in loads of feed either, let nature take its course. The soil will replenish if you get it in good condition with composts and chicken pellets, then it will sort out its own nutrients. They the only things that go on my garden.
Do agree about feeding long term plants in tubs though, by replacing some of the soil, and an extra feed.
Thanks everyone for the very helpful advice.
My mistake here is that the first bottle of feed I bought and used last year was ready to use, hence no need to dilute. I didn't read the instructions for the last bottle, assuming it would be the same. A mistake I vow not to repeat. Unfortunately, as I plan to keep my clematis potted (for various reasons, from "too many slugs, too little will to fight them" to "bad soil" and even "no soil whatsoever" where I intend to establish them) I might have to feed again in the future and now I'm terrified.
Chloe - I had done a little research on clematis when I got mine and I think there wasn't a single article that did not recommend tomato feed. It was everywhere. This is why I bought it, I thought I was doing the right thing.
Cloggie - I know, my humble front border took 3 years to pick up and I'm fully aware nothing happens quickly in the garden - except weed growth.
Fairygirl - The medium one from the picture is a montana rubens, the smaller pot (unlikely to survive) I have no idea, but if I remember well the flowers are a bit bigger than rubens and purple. The bigger pot, the one I'm still hoping to save, is a hyde hall.
Mike - the plants weren't sick when I feed them. The mistake of not reading the instructions has been acknowledged. The big clematis seem to be recovering a bit (it looks slightly better today than it did yesterday), but if it doesn't improve I might have to cut it.
Fishy65 - I may have to feed them again in the future as I plan to keep them in pots, but now I'm unsure if I should bother with tomato feed again, even though it's the best type of feed for them.
Let's hope they all survive. Tomato food is excellent for clematis and roses and many other plants that we want to flower and or fruit profusely. If yo follow the instructions for correct dilution ratios it will be fine, especially as a tonic.
Clematis need a deep, cool root run so make their eventual pot as big as you can and not less than 60cms high and wide. Use the best John Innes no 3 compost you can get and maybe mix in a little Levingtons or multi-purpose for water retention. Make sue you have a crock to cover the drainage hole(s) so they don't get blocked.
The other thng about clems is to plant them deeper than they were so you buy at least one leaf node form which new shoots will grow. This helps the plants thicken up and produce more flowering stems. Since yours are in emergency care I would pot them on slowly into bigger pots rather than all at once.
Top dress your clematis every spring with slow release clematis feed granules or rose fertiliser and use tomato food as an occasional treat. Don't let the compost dry out but don't drown them either. If it gets cold where you are, wrap the pots only, not the plant, in buvbble wrap to protect teh roots from freezing. Use a mulch of chipped slate or gravel to retain moisture and keep weeds down.
The montana won't do well in a pot anyway Lollo. They need to be in the ground I'm afraid, unless you can build a big enough container or bed of some kind for it. Different type of clematis from the other ones you have.
Tomato food is ideal for feeding, so don't worry about using it in future - the problem is simply that you didn't dilute it! Some of the slow release granular feeds are possibly better for you to use instead. You can add them when you refresh the soil/compost each year in the pots. Readily available.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Lolla, if you asked for a show of hands from those of us who have never made a mistake, or killed a plant, you wouldn't see a forest of limbs, that's for sure.
We all make mistakes, but we soldier on.
Live and learn, we're ALL still learning. Nobody knows it all.
I've found clematis very resilient . I've had some spring back to life 4 years after I'd given them up as dead.
Totally agree Hosta ... I've been gardening all my life (and I'm retired) and of course, I'm still making mistakes, I just hope that I'm learning from them ...
I agree that the C. montana will really struggle in a container ... they do grow huge
http://clematis.com/clematis-catalog/varieties/montana-rubens/
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Fairygirl and Dove - I hoped I could contain the size of the montana a little by keeping it in a big pot. If it's not possible then I better let her go. My garden has a good size, but it's mostly in shade/semi shade and I have this HUGE oak tree right in the middle of it that probably sucks out all the moisture. The soil is very dry and poor, nothing does well here. Most of my light gardening happens in my front border and pots at the back. The rest is basically laid to lawn with a few scraggly tall shrubs on the sides (my forsythia this year went almost straight to green). If I plant the montana out there it's just going to die a slow death.
Last edited: 09 April 2017 22:32:54
Ask a tree surgeon about raising the crown of your oak and maybe thinning the top a bit to allow more light, air and rainfall down below.
You can improve the soil around your lawn by adding plenty of compost and well rotted manure so that shrubs and other plants can grow healthier. Dig a decent deep hole for you montana away from the canopy and plant your montana so that it can grow all along your fence. Keep it watered till established and don't forget to feed it every spring.
I've had a surprise clematis survivor this year, I'd given it up for dead and it came up slightly away from the dead bit from under the soil so the roots were good. Glad I didn't try and scrap it. Only put it in last year - reduced at Homebase if I remember rightly - one of the polish purple ones. Warzawa or something similar. I've not finished mulching, you can see how far I got to the left of the picture.