Hello I'm very new to gardening. I have recently bought two Clematis Montana plants, I've put them in the ground about a week ago they
Seem to be doing ok but I was wondering if anyone has any good tips on how to keep it thriving and doing well. I live in east Yorkshire and a little worried about the winter ahead, I bought it from A well known retail shop. Is it a thirsty plant? Will it last through winter should I protect them I don't know much really :-) ty

Hi Zoe, they will thrive, even if we get another bad winter, as they are deciduous and virtually dormant over winter ! Just make sure that you get them established and that means plenty of water, even though we've had rain, the ground is still dry in places. They wont grow much more this year but they will flower next spring, until they finish flowering, growth is minimal as most of the energy of the plant is taken up with the flowering but as soon as the flowers fade, they grow like mad so, the time to prune, is immedeately after flowering, then you can irect this growth where you want it. They have a habit of producing a 'ball' of growth on top of the plant with bare stems underneath, so by pruning off this 'ball' of growth, you will encourage shoots from lower down, evening up the effect.
You cant go far wrong with Montana, so best of luck and enjoy !
Lannerman.

ZoeHart wrote:

Hello I'm very new to gardening. I have recently bought two Clematis
Montana plants, I've put them in the ground about a week ago they
Seem to be doing ok but I was wondering if anyone has any good tips on
how to keep it thriving and doing well. I live in east Yorkshire and a
little worried about the winter ahead, I bought it from A well known
retail shop. Is it a thirsty plant? Will it last through winter should I
protect them I don't know much really :-) ty

mulch well to keep the roots cool during
the hottest part of the summer and make sure
to give it a deep watering once in a while
when it is hot too (especially the first
years it is growing).

i don't know that variety by name, but there
are likely good references at a library that
can be more specific about the type of care
(some varieties do better when pruned in the
fall instead of the spring).

here we have around six varieties and the
winters are pretty cold (well below freezing)
i'm not sure that Yorkshire gets nearly as
cold as long so i'd guess you are fine.

other than that what i can think of general
clematis care is to try to determine if your
plants are susceptible to black spot and
if so water from below trying to keep the
leaves dry as much as possible (and keep other
black spot prone plants away from them (roses,
poppies...).

the deer, bunnies and voles all try to eat
ours but most the time they come back and keep
blooming. they don't seem to need much
fertilizer. some are very strong growers and
will cover a 8ft trellis with no trouble. make
sure the trellises can support the weight of
the plant and any expected winds or make sure
it is anchored well.


songbird

Heres a very general rule for not only climbers but lots of shrubs as well, 'if it flowers AFTER the end of June- prune in the spring (as its flowering on the current years growth) If it flowers BEFORE the end of June- prune after flowering. There are of course exceptions eg. Hydrangeas but most spring flowering plants set and carry the flower buds over winter !
Lannerman.

Thanks so much ! I'm not sure if it did flower though as it had no flowers when I bought it? :-)