Amateur Gardening 2-Feb-2019

February, when buds start to swell, is the time to cut back Group 3 clematis that flower late in the season of growth produced the same year. Varieties include Clematis viticella, C. texensis and Clematis x durandii. If they are neglected they become a tangle of unproductive stems. Newly planted clematis should be cut back hard to just above a strong pair of leaf buds in their first spring after planting. This encourages multiple stems with potential of plenty of flowers. Established plants should be cut back to the lowest pair of buds 6-12in (15-30cm) above the soil.…

One of the most frequent questions we are asked in summer involves clematis wilt, which causes rapid wilting and can, in extreme cases, kill the plant. There are two varieties; one is caused by Calophoma clematidina, which usually affects large-flowered varieties and is caused by a fungus. The other attacks resistant hybrids and species clematis, and has environmental causes. Symptoms of both include black, wilted leaves and blackened stems. Reduce the risk of wilt by planting deep and mulching well – clematis like sunny growth and shady roots. Cut out wilted stems; the new growth will often appear from beneath the ground. Sterilise tools after use.…

THIS is a great time of year to tackle those larger, trickier tasks that keep being shelved because something more important – or enjoyable – comes along. In our case, it was creating a stronger support for an overgrown clematis at the front of the house. For the past couple of years, the well-established plant, which is entwined with robust plastic mesh attached to the house wall by a Heath Robinsonesque scattering of screws and twisted wire, has been slowly sagging. It had got to the point where the front path was almost impassable and you risked losing an eye if you turned suddenly when walking past the clematis. Winter is a good time to take action, because the plant is dormant and easier to handle when its branches are bare, and any…

1 The trickiest task was removing the clematis mesh from the wall and carefully lowering the whole plant to the ground without breaking its stems. 2 Now, one person needs to hold the trellis, while the other wields a spirit level to get it straight, and chalk to mark where it will be positioned. 3 Attach the supports first, aligning them to your perpendicular chalk marks and drilling through to make marks on the mortar. 4 To make sure the supports are firmly anchored to the wall, insert rawl plugs right into the mortar to take the screws. 5 Then fix the trellis to the supports, taking care you don’t drill through the nails that are holding its wooden slats in place! 6 Brush wood preservative over the nail and screw holes and the cut…

While your clematis is standing in a bowl of water to saturate its roots, dig a hole roughly 18in (45cm) away from the plant’s supporting wall or structure. The hole should be twice as wide as the rootball and at least 2in (5cm) deeper. Slide the plant from its container and check the roots are healthy, If any look congested or are starting to circle the rest, carefully tease them out so they will quest into the soil as they establish. Fork up the soil at the base of the plant and add some well-rotted manure, garden compost or mycorrhizal fungi, which help with the transference of water and nutrients from soil to the roots. Place the plant in the hole, so the top of the rootball is around 2in (5cm) below the surface…

FOR gardening success, and to avoid wasting money on plants that won’t thrive, you need to test your soil. This is particularly important if you have recently moved house and are planning lots of additions and changes to your plot. Our garden is extremely alkaline – we didn’t need to test it, because any undisturbed soil quickly turns white with chalk deposits brought up to the surface. This means that if we want to grow acid-loving plants such as camellia, azalea and blueberries, we need to do so in pots of ericaceous compost. However, chalk-loving plants such as foxgloves, hardy geraniums, clematis, cerinthe and aquilegias romp away, and we haven’t had any problems with clubroot in our brassicas. Be sure to monitor nutrient levels, as soils at the extreme ends of the pH…