Poorly campanulas and questionable clematis!
joannajmiller
Posts: 45
Hello and help....?!
Planted some purple campanulas about a month ago with a view to them giving some ground cover. They grow in walls, I thought, so must be fairly hardy! Alas mine look very sad... tried watering regularly. Tried ignoring them. nothing seems to make a difference. Do they just need time and should I continue to water or abstain?
Separately, I have a few clematis that are misbehaving. The first is an apple blossom that I planted a few weeks ago. It was growing amazingly in the conservatory before I popped it out so decided to prune a little just to Encourage branching. Since then it doesn't appear to have died but isn't growing either..
Then there is a jackmani superba that continues to start well before turning brown and producing one lowly flower. That one has been in two seasons already and this will be the third.
Finally an Arabella that I had high hopes for despite it seemingly being a climber that doesn't like climbing - it will not self cling and I have to tie every stem in. All of a sudden i noticed today a few stems have started to shrivel!
I am not a total clematis killer as I have an toile violets, freckles and Montana all of which are flourishing. Where am I going wrong with the others?!
Posts
Pics of the Arabella (sorry for the Cornish alba photobomb)
a geranium (forgot to ask as I had potted this out thinking it may have overgrown it's pot but it's doing very little...)
the campanula
apple blossom
jackmani
and more sad campanula!
Arabella isn't really a climber - it's a herbaceous clematis. It scrambles through other planting. If you want it to give height, you'll have to gently tie in new growth onto a framework.
Anything that's been in a conservatory for any length of time needs hardening off before putting outside. It's probably been knocked back by low temps.
What size was the jackmanii when you planted i? Clematis take several years to reach maturity and need the right care and conditions to get them to that stage.
There are masses of different campanulas - most need a fair bit of moisture. Which one have you got? Again - the size of the plant and the timing of planting it out are important. Young, soft growth is vulnerable, and with campanulas, slugs are a big problem at that point. A small plant will take quite a lot of time to get to a decent size, but it does depend on the variety and your conditions.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I hope the apple blossom has plenty of room, it's quite big when it gets going (if it's happy). Mine in my last garden was in a South West facing position by a patio and it was very happy.
The photos weren't there when I replied.
The clematis are all too near the wall,/fence, a bit near other plants, and are very immature specimens. They'll need a fair bitof nurturing and time to get them to maturity. They need to be planted deeply too, to encourage plenty of stems from below, and the soil needs to be in good heart for them to thrive .
The first one is going to struggle where it is - planted right behind that shrub. I'd move that. Is that the one that's been inside? The armandii has probably had a bit of cold damage on newish foliage.
The geranium is a pelargonium by the look of it. They need warmth to start into growth. It's very early days for them.
The campanulas don't look that bad. I'd clear all the weeds coming through though - they're competition for your plants.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Thanks. That border is next up for weeding. I have just got round the rest and now time to start again
I wondered about the Arabella. the planting of the jackmani and that one was done by the person that did our garden design (I did the apple blossom recently) I did ask him if the dogwood was going to cause issues as it's always been very crowded but he had said that it should climb and search for the light as climbers do.
I have planted a princess charlotte further along that also looks a bit sad but I am just watering it regularly and hoping that it will do better in year two!
Should I feed the clematis with anything?
correct on the pelargonium - it did flower a bit inside and I have now added it to my weekly basket feeding so hopefully it will come on soon...?
i assume I should just leave the apple blossom then for now and hope that it picks up in due course - trying to grow it up and into a trellis to block a neighbours window which is why I chose it since it's evergreen! I should be able to train is both ways and I think it will meet up with the Montana so hopefully plenty of room
I am not sure how big the jackmani was now but suppose I just compare it to my lovely etiole violette which is just romping along again - it was enormous last year and this year I cut it to ground and it's branched and grown loads again - in comparison the others planted at the same time have done terribly. We have a madam with Julia correvon next to it that looks pretty miserable last year but had picked up a bit this year so I am hoping that with time that will get more established.
i have admitted defeat on another clematis that my mum got us which I am pretty sure was a weed masquerading in clematis packaging and I have bought a big Japanese Lonicera to go in its place. More climber species to commence battle with!
I planted my apple blossom for the same reason, here's a pic for scale. The Apple Blossom is by the house and was effective in providing privacy between the two patio doors (also fragrance in Spring when you opened the door - lovely). Next to it is the lilac colour of the Chilean Potato Tree Solanum Crispum 'Glasnevin'. This is semi-evergreen and likes to be warm but it's a thug and grows massive.
On the other side of the garden I had a Japanese Lonicera which was fabulous in summer but quite sorry looking in winter. That also got quite big so keep on top of the trimming. I didn't and it was great on top but bare underneath. Smelled lovely though.
Hope this is helpful.
Oh lovely ! And is that a spirea snowmound? We have 3 but they are nowhere near that big. Mine are two years old and probably about 2.5 feet but quite leggy in places with bare stems further down the longest branches. I am not sure of that's normal? I Was debating pruning them after they are done flowering and was just going to take the tops off the longest stems but not sure if I should or just leave them be?
i have bought a small syringa lilac recently but no idea yet where I am going to put it! Musty stop buying plants without a plan!
How big are the pots that your clematis come in normally? Such as the madame Julia correvon and the other one your mum bought ? Are they in 9cm pots or are they more mature?
From the pictures, many of your climbers are very young, so can look very weak in the first year. I know many people don't like to put mulch that is bark type, bearing in mind very young plants like the Campanulas (looked like carpatica) are very low clump forming, and if the soil is soggy and heavy, the soft leaves can start to wilt into the soil causing it to stress. And again, when the sun hits the soil, it starts to bake and form a hard crust. The extremes are not good when they are trying to establish.
The surrounding soil needs a very thick layer of mulch of some kind. Any large gaps in borders without a very thick mulch will soon bake and then be like mud when watered heavily. A very thick mulch keeps the base of things like Campanulas dry. Think of Alpine style planting for low mounds like Campanulas. So gravel of stones at the base will keep the roots cool yet still holding in moisture in a more controlled and even way.