Jim Shaffer wrote:
I live in zone 5/6 in central Pennsyvlania. Two years ago I got some
Evison Patio Clematis in very bad condition in 10" pots. When winter
came I set the pots against a southwest stone wall of the house
thinking that the wall would heat up enough in the sun to keep them
from being killed. None of them survived. Last summer I got more of
the same type of plants and I put them on the porch when winter
started. Then we had a severe cold spell, and I got worried so I
brought them into a basement with no direct heat and very little
light. The temperature in the basement fluctuates from 40 to 50
degrees in the winter depending on how cold it is outside and for how
long. I've kept potted rosemary and lavenders over winter the same
way and never had a problem with them trying to put on new growth too
early in the spring. But the clematis had other ideas. Even though
they were only inside for two weeks they sprouted. I didn't want to
put them back outside and risk losing them because they were sprouting
from both the old growth and below ground. I thought I should move
them to a lighted location so that they wouldn't become too spindly,
but my girlfriend said she didn't think they would grow too far if I
left them in the dark and that they might get too spindly in the house
since they're an outdoor plant. So I left them in the basement. Now
some of the sprouts are a foot long, with 6 inches between nodes, and
even have buds on the tips. I'm worried that by spring the plants
will be ruined. Can I save them by putting them near a south window?
They probably would only get a few hours of direct sun, filtered
through two panes of glass and a screen, but I don't know what else to
do.
Jim,
Why don't you plant them in the ground where they belong? I have yet to
see a Clematis that does really well as an over-wintered potted plant.
You are going to have some warm weather the next few days in your area.
Get them in the ground and put some mulch or leaves over them and in a
couple of months you should have blooms.
--
Bill R. (Ohio Valley, U.S.A)
Gardening for over 40 years
To see pictures from my garden visit
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