"Pam Moore" wrote in message
...
I have acquired some long pieces off a rampant clematis which I
greatly admired last yea. (viticella species, bought for 3s 6d 30
years ago in Woolworths!)
I have cut them up and potted them as conventional clematis cuttings,
(internodal) some with hormone, some not.
Now I would like some advice on the best way to look after them. I
have covered each pot with a polybag but my experience with cuttings
generally is that they go mouldy if left covered and shrivel if not
covered.
All advice gratefully received. I am very anxious to get at least one
to root. I have about 36 cuttings in 6 pots!
TIA

Pam in Bristol

************
Ok, Pammo! - you've come to the right lad!.
Preparation:, Take the long piece and cut as follows.
Snip them into separate lengths by snipping off at one inch approx above
each node. You now have a few pieces shaped like a long thin "T." Where the
"T" piece meets the stalk there are two little tiny buds. just two, - no
more than one at each side. no more
If you have plenty of long lengths also try , for fun, snipping them into
double-length T pieces but with two nodes, i.e, - twice as long as the
aforementioned. In this case there will be four tiny buds.
These will be pricked out into the compost to just above the bottom node of
the pair of nodes. Don't worry about the buried length, - it will strike
shoots on its tod, (as it pleases,) if it wants to, so don't worry.
Cultivators use just one node length, (one long T piece),- but they have a
living to make and you don't. Also, they have the sophisticated, gently
bottom heated and polythene tented stagings which makes work easy.
Compost can be straight peat and nowt will come to any harm, - You are not
interested in feeding anything at this time, - you are trying to strike
cuttings.
I would suggest the peat-bed depth be a minimum of about 6 to 8 inches. But
don't dash out and buy a 500 gallon oil drum. (!!). - I would say a 8 to
10 inches is gilding the lily a bit.
Slit the bottom as you wish but it is not absolutely necessary. we are
looking for buds from the two nodes , but also it has to grow roots and
these come out of the sides of the T stick but having a node at the bottom
sometimes helps because if the cut is just under a node it sometimes helps
roots to grow there.
Hormones is not absolutely necessary but let's give them all the
encouragement we can, eh?!.
You can stick a bunch of cuttings in a slightly shaded corner of the garden
and go away and forget them for six months if you like.
Rightyho!, Stick the cuttings into the compost up to about half an inch to
an inch under the node. You can line them up about an inch apart if you are
using a box or summat like that. But don't rush out for a box just because
I mentioned it, your pots will do nicely. When you *buy* a clematis it
comes in a black deep ersatz "pot" and these are ok because you can put the
cuttings in up to the neck and later the roots have a chance to develop
without too much disturbance. You will only pot-on when they've really got
going. If you are using a wider container but is it a bit shallow you can
slope the T sticks as you push them in.
I see nothing wrong , when using pots, - in pulling a freezer bag or a thin
plastic bag (from your purchase at the fruit stall in a supermarket), over
the top of the pot and tie it with string around the pot. But! I put about a
dozen little holes in the sides of the bag. I don't like the bag sealed and
steaming up too much.
Here's a good idea! get a plastic bowl as used when you buy jelly trifle ,
Eat the trifle, (drill some small holes around the side to avoid overspill
and excess height of water half an inch from the top rim). and put some peat
in it. Stand the pot in it. Water plant and bowl equally.

That's all I can think of for now. If in a greenhouse put the pots on a
shady shelf. Now it's time for patience. You have to wait. Don't interfere
too much or fuss about.
Occasionally peek in and keep a watch on the nodes. On some, where the leaf
joins the stalk a small bud may show.
Bingo!.- Congratulations!, - you are now the mother of a new clematis plant,
Doug.