Thread: Moving clematis
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Old 10-06-2012, 12:40 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening
Spider[_3_] Spider[_3_] is offline
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Default Moving clematis

On 10/06/2012 08:26, KatiG wrote:
My Mum died in Autumn last year, and I lost 80 years of gardening
experience as well as my best friend. So I' m looking for a new source
of advice.
In Spring last year she planted 4 new clematis around a metal obelisk.
Would they move to a south facing fence and if so, how? I would have
done it sooner but the fence was being replaced. Also, when? I probably
have a while until the house sells in this market.





So sorry to hear about your Mum, Kati. Hopefully, you will find a good
source of advice here. Welcome.

The 4 clematis will certainly move, and south facing is fine provided
you give them some shade at the roots. Provided you're prepared to
water well until they establish, you can move them now. Plant them a
little way from the fence, so they are not in the rain shadow. Dig the
area over well and deeply, and add good compost and fertiliser. Once
you see how much root growth the plants have, dig a hole 4-6" deeper so
that the lower part of the clematis is planted deeper than previously.
This will a) provide stronger growth, and b) protect the plant against
verticilium wilt. Of course, with your Mum's great gardening
knowledge, she may have planted them deeply in the first place. If you
know this to be true, you can get away with planting them at 'her' soil
level' (the soil mark around the base of the stems).

Hope all goes well, both with the clematis and resolving your Mum's
estate. I know from personal experience what a difficult time this is.
--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay