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Old 27-05-2020, 02:39 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening
Jeff Layman[_2_] Jeff Layman[_2_] is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Sep 2008
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Default A different clematis problem

On 27/05/20 10:00, Nick Maclaren wrote:
In article ,
Vir Campestris wrote:

If your soil is even half-decent, it will grow perfectly well. That's
required only for clay and other unsuitable soils - at least most
clematis like good drainage, a deep root-run and reasonably fertile
soil.

Thanks all - it _is_ clay... I'll dig deep. It can have some of the
not-yet-rotted-properly stuff from the Dalek in the bottom.

That's a good idea. If you have any surplus rubble, that could go
in right at the bottom.


You're kidding aren't you?

As it happens I'm digging up what appears to be the foundations of the
old outside toilet, and have several hundredweight of flints. That's the
explanation for why one of our flower beds has always had poor drainage!


No, I am not. Foundations are almost always made fairly solid, and it
is rubble with air gaps that drains well. Eventually, the soil will
percolate to fill up the air gaps, and that will stop working, but it
takes a very long time for a decent thickness of rubble.


Not necessarily, particularly with heavy clay soil. Dig a hole in heavy
clay, leave it, and after heavy rain (remember what that is?) it will
fill with water as the hole acts as a sump. Rubble will make little, if
any, difference.

I doubt many clematis will complain about being too wet - more likely
the opposite - but like many plants won't put up with living in a pond
for any great length of time. In that sort of ground, I would make a
raised mound and put the clematis in that if there was no alternative
position for it.

--

Jeff