View Single Post
  #2   Report Post  
Old 01-08-2005, 09:52 AM
Charlie Pridham
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Chris Hogg" wrote in message
...
I have one of these, grown from seed about 6 or 7 years ago. Initially
it grew as a single stem, but about 4 years ago the growing tip got
frosted (mea culpa!), and it put out two side shoots, diametrically
opposed. These have continued to grow, and it's now an ungainly 'Y'
shape, with central leg about 10" tall, and the arms about 14" long.
The ends of the arms have the normal healthy bunch of leaves which
appear in the early summer and generally last until January or so,
when they drop and the plant goes semi-dormant. The arms puts on about
4" of growth each year, but show no sign of flowering, or of putting
out any more side shoots.

It's in an 8" pot in well-drained gritty compost, in a SW-facing
conservatory maintained at a minimum of about 10C over winter. It gets
fed and watered regularly during the summer and autumn months, but is
kept dry during winter.

What can I do to get it to be a bit more interesting? I'm reluctant to
prune back the arms to encourage them to branch as the cut ends will
bleed milky sap like fury, but is this the only solution? Perhaps I
could root the bits I cut off. Some flowers would be nice....


--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net


I know nothing about growing them here but I got told on Madeira they take a
long time to flower from seed so you may be better off with a cutting. I
have never seen one in the UK so a holiday may be in order (good excuse!)

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs)