Climber to cover a dead conifer in the wrong place.......
 

At least, it will be dead when I ring it !

The trouble is, our garden faces due west, and I mistakenly planted a
'slow growing' conifer halfway along the south-facing border with our
neighbour. (ie, on the left when you look out our back door.)

This now 10' tall conifer unfortunately casts a lot of shade across the
lawn in our 35' long x 25' wide garden. I was going to dig it out, until
I thought of the possibility of killing it & growing something up it.

Now I'd love a clem to put up it, but won't the buds all head for the
sun (not that I blame them !), and we won't derive any benefit ? Not
that we begrudge our neighbours, they're wonderful, it's just that we'd
like to see *some* flowers at least on the north-facing side of the
conifer.

Would I be better to consider to choose a different type of climber ? Up
to now we've gone completely with large-flowered hybrids, but have lost
a few this last winter - thought I was doing the right thing in the
occasional hard prune :o((

Just got our first viticella to cover a short wall, so am lookin forward
to lots of smaller flowers this summer.

Regards to all, and thanks from you experts !

Roo.
--

Gravestone Epitaphs :

About time YOU turned up ! Where've you been ?

Will you stop crying & get the bloody grass mown !

What does this button do ?

Please e-mail yours to add ! Keep smiling. Thanks.

Climber to cover a dead conifer in the wrong place.......
 

This now 10' tall conifer unfortunately casts a lot of shade

and with a climber over it, it will cast even more

--
David Hill
Abacus Nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk

Climber to cover a dead conifer in the wrong place.......
 

Yes ,,,,,,,even more shade ......surely if you want to see the sun the
answer is to remove the Conifer
Probably only Honeysuckle would grow up it as Clematis like lots of moisture
at the roots


"david" wrote in message
...
This now 10' tall conifer unfortunately casts a lot of shade

and with a climber over it, it will cast even more

--
David Hill
Abacus Nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk

Climber to cover a dead conifer in the wrong place.......
 

In message , bnd777
writes
Yes ,,,,,,,even more shade ......surely if you want to see the sun the
answer is to remove the Conifer
Probably only Honeysuckle would grow up it as Clematis like lots of moisture
at the roots


"david" wrote in message
...
This now 10' tall conifer unfortunately casts a lot of shade

and with a climber over it, it will cast even more

--
David Hill
Abacus Nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk





Thanks to you both, except you missed that I intend to kill the conifer
by ringing the bark, like a tree. That would do it, wouldn't it ? The
fronds would drop, and I'd just be left with upright, natural supports
that would let lots of light through. (We're in the half-hardy
north-west, incidently.)

Regards.

Roo.

--
Richard Roocroft

Climber to cover a dead conifer in the wrong place.......
 

On Sat, 19 Apr 2003 23:47:13 +0100, Richard Roocroft
wrote:

In message , bnd777



Thanks to you both, except you missed that I intend to kill the conifer
by ringing the bark, like a tree. That would do it, wouldn't it ? The
fronds would drop, and I'd just be left with upright, natural supports
that would let lots of light through. (We're in the half-hardy
north-west, incidently.)

Yep, a bare conifer will let more light through - though even then you
might find the branches are rather dense.

If you then train a climber up it ( and my vote would go to the H
honeysuckle ) you'll end up with a solid mass of greener again, and
thus shade.

Also, once the tree dies it will start to rot - and that may encourage
various fungi to take up residence.
Eventually the whole lot will have to come down, probably quite soon
given that softwoods rot pretty quickly, and you'll lose your climber
( which is another good reason for using honeysuckle ).

A compromise solution might be to lop a few feet off the top of it -
that way you get the use of the tree as a climber support until it
falls over, and it won't block so much valuable light.

Regards,



--
Stephen Howard - Woodwind repairs & period restorations
http://www.shwoodwind.co.uk
Emails to: showard{who is at}shwoodwind{dot}co{dot}uk

Climber to cover a dead conifer in the wrong place.......
 

No way did I miss your intention of Killing the tree.
The only way to reduce the shade would be to top the DEAD tree to about 7 ft
and grow your climber over that.
I have a 6 yr old Clematis Montana growing over a 8 ft stump that is around
7ft wide. The stump is only around 8 inches thick, the rest is the clem.
growing over itself.
I think it looks a lot better than having a few stems tied to the stem.

--
David Hill
Abacus Nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk

Climber to cover a dead conifer in the wrong place.......
 

Honeysuckle


"Richard Roocroft" wrote in message
...
:
: At least, it will be dead when I ring it !
:
: The trouble is, our garden faces due west, and I mistakenly planted a
: 'slow growing' conifer halfway along the south-facing border with our
: neighbour. (ie, on the left when you look out our back door.)
:
: This now 10' tall conifer unfortunately casts a lot of shade across the
: lawn in our 35' long x 25' wide garden. I was going to dig it out, until
: I thought of the possibility of killing it & growing something up it.
:
: Now I'd love a clem to put up it, but won't the buds all head for the
: sun (not that I blame them !), and we won't derive any benefit ? Not
: that we begrudge our neighbours, they're wonderful, it's just that we'd
: like to see *some* flowers at least on the north-facing side of the
: conifer.
:
: Would I be better to consider to choose a different type of climber ? Up
: to now we've gone completely with large-flowered hybrids, but have lost
: a few this last winter - thought I was doing the right thing in the
: occasional hard prune :o((
:
: Just got our first viticella to cover a short wall, so am lookin forward
: to lots of smaller flowers this summer.
:
: Regards to all, and thanks from you experts !
:
: Roo.
: --
:
: Gravestone Epitaphs :
:
: About time YOU turned up ! Where've you been ?
:
: Will you stop crying & get the bloody grass mown !
:
: What does this button do ?
:
: Please e-mail yours to add ! Keep smiling. Thanks.

Climber to cover a dead conifer in the wrong place.......
 

Already tried that one here
All that happens is the branches get brittle and break off
you still wont get any light


"Richard Roocroft" wrote in message
...
In message , bnd777
writes
Yes ,,,,,,,even more shade ......surely if you want to see the sun the
answer is to remove the Conifer
Probably only Honeysuckle would grow up it as Clematis like lots of
moisture
at the roots


"david" wrote in message
...
This now 10' tall conifer unfortunately casts a lot of shade

and with a climber over it, it will cast even more

--
David Hill
Abacus Nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk





Thanks to you both, except you missed that I intend to kill the conifer
by ringing the bark, like a tree. That would do it, wouldn't it ? The
fronds would drop, and I'd just be left with upright, natural supports
that would let lots of light through. (We're in the half-hardy
north-west, incidently.)

Regards.

Roo.

--
Richard Roocroft

Climber to cover a dead conifer in the wrong place.......
 

In article ,
Richard Roocroft wrote:


This now 10' tall conifer unfortunately casts a lot of shade across the
lawn in our 35' long x 25' wide garden. I was going to dig it out, until
I thought of the possibility of killing it & growing something up it.

Now I'd love a clem to put up it, but won't the buds all head for the
sun (not that I blame them !), and we won't derive any benefit ? Not
that we begrudge our neighbours, they're wonderful, it's just that we'd
like to see *some* flowers at least on the north-facing side of the
conifer.

With some plants, yes, but you should see quite a few clematis flowers.

You should choose a strongly deciduous climber, to let the sun through
in the winter, and a fast-growing one, as the tree will last only a
few years before rotting and falling down. There is no problem with
water at the roots of a dead tree.

My advice is to plant ANNUAL climbers, though I don't know which ones
will do best with you. Don't ignore runner beans, as they like warmth
and wet, are very decorative and you can even eat them :-)

A good clematis is C. alpina and, as you can cut it down to ground
level after flowering, you shouldn't have a problem when time comes to
remove the tree - you can then put in a stake and some chicken wire,
if you want. But there are lots of others, though avoid the montana
group (too vigorous).


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Climber to cover a dead conifer in the wrong place.......
 

In message , Nick Maclaren
writes
In article ,
Richard Roocroft wrote:



A good clematis is C. alpina and, as you can cut it down to ground
level after flowering, you shouldn't have a problem when time comes to
remove the tree - you can then put in a stake and some chicken wire,
if you want. But there are lots of others, though avoid the montana
group (too vigorous).


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Thanks to all who replied - very kind of you to take the time.

I'm swaying towards a Clemmy alpina now. Hadn't thought about the
possibility of fungal infections in the dead tree, though - thought it
would be there for years, as the 3 or 4 trunks are at least a foot
across - I would've thought it would take a lot of shifting, which was
why I fancied climbers anyway. Alpina 'Constance' looks stunning !
Anyone any experience of growing this up a conifer or tree ?

Regards & thanks again.

Roo.

--
Richard Roocroft

Climber to cover a dead conifer in the wrong place.......
 

We tried leaving in a dead Lawsons Conifer and tried to grow honeysuckle up
it but despite lots of compost and water it never got going .......conifers
screw up the ground and the mere prescence of the tree will stop rain etc
getting to the climber especially important for a Clematis
"Richard Roocroft" wrote in message
...
In message , Nick Maclaren
writes
In article ,
Richard Roocroft wrote:



A good clematis is C. alpina and, as you can cut it down to ground
level after flowering, you shouldn't have a problem when time comes to
remove the tree - you can then put in a stake and some chicken wire,
if you want. But there are lots of others, though avoid the montana
group (too vigorous).


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Thanks to all who replied - very kind of you to take the time.

I'm swaying towards a Clemmy alpina now. Hadn't thought about the
possibility of fungal infections in the dead tree, though - thought it
would be there for years, as the 3 or 4 trunks are at least a foot
across - I would've thought it would take a lot of shifting, which was
why I fancied climbers anyway. Alpina 'Constance' looks stunning !
Anyone any experience of growing this up a conifer or tree ?

Regards & thanks again.

Roo.

--
Richard Roocroft

Climber to cover a dead conifer in the wrong place.......
 

In article , Richard
Roocroft writes

Thanks to all who replied - very kind of you to take the time.

I'm swaying towards a Clemmy alpina now. Hadn't thought about the
possibility of fungal infections in the dead tree, though - thought it
would be there for years, as the 3 or 4 trunks are at least a foot
across - I would've thought it would take a lot of shifting, which was
why I fancied climbers anyway. Alpina 'Constance' looks stunning !
Anyone any experience of growing this up a conifer or tree ?

It'll be fine. Just plant it generously to start off with, make sure it
gets plenty to drink while it's getting established. P'raps a mulch in
autumn & a bit of bonemeal in spring if you're feeling kind.

--
Rachel
Clematis Web Site
http://www.ukclematis.co.uk/