In article , Victoria
Clare writes
Kay Easton wrote in
:


But I find that my early
the late flowering
ones have all their new shoots nibbled by slugs and just disappear.
Since I'm not into killing slugs, I shall content myself with early
flowering clematis and late flowering honeysuckles.


I've had the same problem, but find that if you don't prune the clematis
right down but leave a bit of a 'leg' - say a foot or so - that helps.

This one is also in a pot*, which for some mysterious reason puts the
slugs off. I don't know why this should be when they will cheerfully
climb 6 feet up my runner beans of an evening to eat the young shoots!

Maybe I should grow runner beans to divert the slugs from the clematis
;-)
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

In article , Victoria
Clare writes
Kay Easton wrote in
:


But I find that my early
the late flowering
ones have all their new shoots nibbled by slugs and just disappear.
Since I'm not into killing slugs, I shall content myself with early
flowering clematis and late flowering honeysuckles.


I've had the same problem, but find that if you don't prune the clematis
right down but leave a bit of a 'leg' - say a foot or so - that helps.

This one is also in a pot*, which for some mysterious reason puts the
slugs off. I don't know why this should be when they will cheerfully
climb 6 feet up my runner beans of an evening to eat the young shoots!

Maybe I should grow runner beans to divert the slugs from the clematis
;-)
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

In message , Kay Easton
writes
In article , Victoria
Clare writes
Kay Easton wrote in
:


But I find that my early
the late flowering
ones have all their new shoots nibbled by slugs and just disappear.
Since I'm not into killing slugs, I shall content myself with early
flowering clematis and late flowering honeysuckles.


I've had the same problem, but find that if you don't prune the clematis
right down but leave a bit of a 'leg' - say a foot or so - that helps.

This one is also in a pot*, which for some mysterious reason puts the
slugs off. I don't know why this should be when they will cheerfully
climb 6 feet up my runner beans of an evening to eat the young shoots!

Maybe I should grow runner beans to divert the slugs from the clematis
;-)
Depends how hungry you are ;-)
--
Chris Boulby National Collection of Diascias

In message , Kay Easton
writes
In article , Victoria
Clare writes
Kay Easton wrote in
:


But I find that my early
the late flowering
ones have all their new shoots nibbled by slugs and just disappear.
Since I'm not into killing slugs, I shall content myself with early
flowering clematis and late flowering honeysuckles.


I've had the same problem, but find that if you don't prune the clematis
right down but leave a bit of a 'leg' - say a foot or so - that helps.

This one is also in a pot*, which for some mysterious reason puts the
slugs off. I don't know why this should be when they will cheerfully
climb 6 feet up my runner beans of an evening to eat the young shoots!

Maybe I should grow runner beans to divert the slugs from the clematis
;-)
Depends how hungry you are ;-)
--
Chris Boulby National Collection of Diascias

In message , Kay Easton
writes
I thought the theory was early flowering clematis - prune after
flowering, late ones, prune in the spring? But I find that my early
flowering ones, which I don't prune, do fine, but the late flowering
ones have all their new shoots nibbled by slugs and just disappear.
Since I'm not into killing slugs, I shall content myself with early
flowering clematis and late flowering honeysuckles.

I had the same problem, but I found that old-fashioned flypaper wrapped
around the bottom and on the trellis where the slugs might crawl worked!
A messy business, but worth it!

Klara


--
damp and cold in Gatwick basin

"Kay Easton" wrote:

I thought the theory was early flowering clematis - prune after
flowering, late ones, prune in the spring? But I find that my early
flowering ones, which I don't prune, do fine, but the late flowering
ones have all their new shoots nibbled by slugs and just disappear.
Since I'm not into killing slugs, I shall content myself with early
flowering clematis and late flowering honeysuckles.

All the "rules" can be flouted and you will still get results but, if you
don't prune them at all, the late-flowerers will put on so much growth
before they flower (on the *new wood*) that they tend to become
unmanageable, so these are best pruned hard (down to, say, 4' in November
and then to a final 1' or so in early March so that any frosted/damaged
buds can be pruned-out). These timings depend on where you live and how
hard the winter has been

The early flowerers bloom on short spurs from *last year's* wood, so if
you prune hard over the winter they will bloom in August-Sept. on new
wood, but you'll lose the early-summer flowers, which tend to be the
choicest and most abundant.

I usually "dismantle" my early flowerers in February, by snipping through
all the leaf stalks and then retraining the stems, evenly and lower-down
on the supports. By doing this you can distribute the plant better and by
that time you'll be able to tell which stems have died and where the
others may have died-back to.

Having said that, I have seen some gorgeous early-flowering clematis which
the owners don't prune at all.

Finally, don't forget that the early small-flowered clematis (C. montana,
C. alpina etc.) generally don't need pruning at all. Prune only if you do
need to keep these in check, and do it immediately after flowering.

- Tom.

"Kay Easton" wrote:

I thought the theory was early flowering clematis - prune after
flowering, late ones, prune in the spring? But I find that my early
flowering ones, which I don't prune, do fine, but the late flowering
ones have all their new shoots nibbled by slugs and just disappear.
Since I'm not into killing slugs, I shall content myself with early
flowering clematis and late flowering honeysuckles.

All the "rules" can be flouted and you will still get results but, if you
don't prune them at all, the late-flowerers will put on so much growth
before they flower (on the *new wood*) that they tend to become
unmanageable, so these are best pruned hard (down to, say, 4' in November
and then to a final 1' or so in early March so that any frosted/damaged
buds can be pruned-out). These timings depend on where you live and how
hard the winter has been

The early flowerers bloom on short spurs from *last year's* wood, so if
you prune hard over the winter they will bloom in August-Sept. on new
wood, but you'll lose the early-summer flowers, which tend to be the
choicest and most abundant.

I usually "dismantle" my early flowerers in February, by snipping through
all the leaf stalks and then retraining the stems, evenly and lower-down
on the supports. By doing this you can distribute the plant better and by
that time you'll be able to tell which stems have died and where the
others may have died-back to.

Having said that, I have seen some gorgeous early-flowering clematis which
the owners don't prune at all.

Finally, don't forget that the early small-flowered clematis (C. montana,
C. alpina etc.) generally don't need pruning at all. Prune only if you do
need to keep these in check, and do it immediately after flowering.

- Tom.

In message , Tom Bennett
writes
"Kay Easton" wrote:

I thought the theory was early flowering clematis - prune after
flowering, late ones, prune in the spring? But I find that my early
flowering ones, which I don't prune, do fine, but the late flowering
ones have all their new shoots nibbled by slugs and just disappear.
Since I'm not into killing slugs, I shall content myself with early
flowering clematis and late flowering honeysuckles.

All the "rules" can be flouted and you will still get results but, if you
don't prune them at all, the late-flowerers will put on so much growth
before they flower (on the *new wood*) that they tend to become
unmanageable, so these are best pruned hard (down to, say, 4' in November
and then to a final 1' or so in early March so that any frosted/damaged
buds can be pruned-out). These timings depend on where you live and how
hard the winter has been

The early flowerers bloom on short spurs from *last year's* wood, so if
you prune hard over the winter they will bloom in August-Sept. on new
wood, but you'll lose the early-summer flowers, which tend to be the
choicest and most abundant.

I usually "dismantle" my early flowerers in February, by snipping through
all the leaf stalks and then retraining the stems, evenly and lower-down
on the supports. By doing this you can distribute the plant better and by
that time you'll be able to tell which stems have died and where the
others may have died-back to.

Having said that, I have seen some gorgeous early-flowering clematis which
the owners don't prune at all.

Finally, don't forget that the early small-flowered clematis (C. montana,
C. alpina etc.) generally don't need pruning at all. Prune only if you do
need to keep these in check, and do it immediately after flowering.

Hi Tom,

The only problem I find with the advice in your last para above is that
they generally put on the growth that needs to be checked later in the
season, more so that just after flowering. I'm afraid I have to cut it
back again and again to keep it in its place during the summer, and I
know I risk losing flowers, but when they get really big, it has to be
done. I've got several triffids here, and they must be cut back almost
weekly in the summer if I'm not to find everything else entangled in
their tendrils :-)
--
Chris Boulby National Collection of Diascias

In message , Tom Bennett
writes
"Kay Easton" wrote:

I thought the theory was early flowering clematis - prune after
flowering, late ones, prune in the spring? But I find that my early
flowering ones, which I don't prune, do fine, but the late flowering
ones have all their new shoots nibbled by slugs and just disappear.
Since I'm not into killing slugs, I shall content myself with early
flowering clematis and late flowering honeysuckles.

All the "rules" can be flouted and you will still get results but, if you
don't prune them at all, the late-flowerers will put on so much growth
before they flower (on the *new wood*) that they tend to become
unmanageable, so these are best pruned hard (down to, say, 4' in November
and then to a final 1' or so in early March so that any frosted/damaged
buds can be pruned-out). These timings depend on where you live and how
hard the winter has been

The early flowerers bloom on short spurs from *last year's* wood, so if
you prune hard over the winter they will bloom in August-Sept. on new
wood, but you'll lose the early-summer flowers, which tend to be the
choicest and most abundant.

I usually "dismantle" my early flowerers in February, by snipping through
all the leaf stalks and then retraining the stems, evenly and lower-down
on the supports. By doing this you can distribute the plant better and by
that time you'll be able to tell which stems have died and where the
others may have died-back to.

Having said that, I have seen some gorgeous early-flowering clematis which
the owners don't prune at all.

Finally, don't forget that the early small-flowered clematis (C. montana,
C. alpina etc.) generally don't need pruning at all. Prune only if you do
need to keep these in check, and do it immediately after flowering.

Hi Tom,

The only problem I find with the advice in your last para above is that
they generally put on the growth that needs to be checked later in the
season, more so that just after flowering. I'm afraid I have to cut it
back again and again to keep it in its place during the summer, and I
know I risk losing flowers, but when they get really big, it has to be
done. I've got several triffids here, and they must be cut back almost
weekly in the summer if I'm not to find everything else entangled in
their tendrils :-)
--
Chris Boulby National Collection of Diascias

"Chris Boulby" wrote
snip
The only problem I find with the advice in your last para above is that
they generally put on the growth that needs to be checked later in the
season, more so that just after flowering. I'm afraid I have to cut it
back again and again to keep it in its place during the summer, and I
know I risk losing flowers, but when they get really big, it has to be
done. I've got several triffids here, and they must be cut back almost
weekly in the summer if I'm not to find everything else entangled in
their tendrils :-)

Morning, Chris,

I understand the problem well: The montanas can be brutes, particularly
in confined spaces, and there's no reason why they shouldn't be cut back
in the autumn if you need to restrict them. Generally, the alpinas and
macropetalas are less vigorous, but I have know these get out of hand too,
over a period of years.

Incidentally, for those who like montanas but don't have too much space to
spare, I've found C. montana 'Freda' is a good bet. It has a much
stronger colour than most of the pink montanas and tends to be less
rampant (though no less healthy). It's been around for a few years now.


- Tom.

In message , Tom Bennett
writes
"Chris Boulby" wrote
snip
The only problem I find with the advice in your last para above is that
they generally put on the growth that needs to be checked later in the
season, more so that just after flowering. I'm afraid I have to cut it
back again and again to keep it in its place during the summer, and I
know I risk losing flowers, but when they get really big, it has to be
done. I've got several triffids here, and they must be cut back almost
weekly in the summer if I'm not to find everything else entangled in
their tendrils :-)

Morning, Chris,

I understand the problem well: The montanas can be brutes, particularly
in confined spaces, and there's no reason why they shouldn't be cut back
in the autumn if you need to restrict them. Generally, the alpinas and
macropetalas are less vigorous, but I have know these get out of hand too,
over a period of years.

Incidentally, for those who like montanas but don't have too much space to
spare, I've found C. montana 'Freda' is a good bet. It has a much
stronger colour than most of the pink montanas and tends to be less
rampant (though no less healthy). It's been around for a few years now.


- Tom.
Good evening Tom,

I can't log on daytime, no broadband here I fear :-( But I can go on
and on about clematis I'm afraid. After diascias they are my
favourites.

I hack the montanas back as often as I can remember to do so, even as
late as October last year and I expect I will still get some bloom.
Silly me, planted *three* montanas (reubens, 'Elizabeth' and an unnamed
white flowered on I begged from someone as a cutting) on a fence about
14ft long all together in 1996 and they are all now monstrous. Course,
planting a few dead fish that my mother had caught floating on top of a
pond she was fishing in, under them when I first planted them probably
meant they romped away more than they might otherwise have done. I keep
saying I'm going to cut back to the main stem which is now (8 years
later) about 2 inches thick. Bet I'd face the same problem though in a
year or so, and it would also mean buying more plastic trellis because
they are hopelessly intertwined in them now. And to top it all off I
have Codonopsis clematidea in there too, plus the prolific Tropaeolum
ciliatum. Its a right mix up. I think I'm going to dig out the
Codonopsis though, can't stand the skunk smell!

I have a C. alpina 'Frances Revis' that does get quite big nowadays, its
been in its location for 9 years. I generally tie this in tight with a
pair of tights at this time of year and still get a marvellous bloom
from it - and it lasts for such a long time too. To add to your
recommendation of C. montana 'Freda' I'd add C. montana var. reubens
'Broughton Star' which is also much better behaved than some of the
older varieties. I love the leaves on Broughton Star too.

I'm nuts about clematis though, even though many of the large flowered
hybrids struggle to do well here. The species love my slightly acid,
well drained, sandy soil.
Chris Boulby National Collection of Diascias

"Chris Boulby" wrote
snip
I'm nuts about clematis though, even though many of the large flowered
hybrids struggle to do well here. The species love my slightly acid,
well drained, sandy soil.

Yes, I fell in love with them many years ago and, at one time, I had
dozens packed into a very small north-eastern garden. That was several
moves ago and I'm now trying to re-establish them (and myself) in SW
Essex, which is a long way, in distance and soil type, from my original
garden.

The one thing that occurs to me is to mention that the montanas, and some
of the other "species clematis", root very well from hardwood cuttings.
It's a bit late bit for this year now, but I used to do quite a few
internodal cuttings, in early January, from my established plants.

The thickness and age of the wood doesn't matter. I'd just snip up a few
stems, strike them in a 50:50 grit/peat mix and leave them in a shady part
of the unheated greenhouse. They had rooted by April and could be potted
up in early May. I could have them in 2 litre pots by the autumn.

C. heracleifolia and its close relative C. x jouiniana 'Praecox' were
equally successful, but getting sufficient wood from the former was
sometimes difficult.

I did experiment with some of the large flowered clematis and C. 'Hagley
Hybrid' was one which I did root, but the strike rate was only 1-2%,
compared to 90%-odd for the "species" I've mentioned, above.


- Tom
Blackmore, SW Essex.

"Chris Boulby" wrote
snip
I'm nuts about clematis though, even though many of the large flowered
hybrids struggle to do well here. The species love my slightly acid,
well drained, sandy soil.

Yes, I fell in love with them many years ago and, at one time, I had
dozens packed into a very small north-eastern garden. That was several
moves ago and I'm now trying to re-establish them (and myself) in SW
Essex, which is a long way, in distance and soil type, from my original
garden.

The one thing that occurs to me is to mention that the montanas, and some
of the other "species clematis", root very well from hardwood cuttings.
It's a bit late bit for this year now, but I used to do quite a few
internodal cuttings, in early January, from my established plants.

The thickness and age of the wood doesn't matter. I'd just snip up a few
stems, strike them in a 50:50 grit/peat mix and leave them in a shady part
of the unheated greenhouse. They had rooted by April and could be potted
up in early May. I could have them in 2 litre pots by the autumn.

C. heracleifolia and its close relative C. x jouiniana 'Praecox' were
equally successful, but getting sufficient wood from the former was
sometimes difficult.

I did experiment with some of the large flowered clematis and C. 'Hagley
Hybrid' was one which I did root, but the strike rate was only 1-2%,
compared to 90%-odd for the "species" I've mentioned, above.


- Tom
Blackmore, SW Essex.

"Chris Boulby" wrote
snip
I'm nuts about clematis though, even though many of the large flowered
hybrids struggle to do well here. The species love my slightly acid,
well drained, sandy soil.

Yes, I fell in love with them many years ago and, at one time, I had
dozens packed into a very small north-eastern garden. That was several
moves ago and I'm now trying to re-establish them (and myself) in SW
Essex, which is a long way, in distance and soil type, from my original
garden.

The one thing that occurs to me is to mention that the montanas, and some
of the other "species clematis", root very well from hardwood cuttings.
It's a bit late bit for this year now, but I used to do quite a few
internodal cuttings, in early January, from my established plants.

The thickness and age of the wood doesn't matter. I'd just snip up a few
stems, strike them in a 50:50 grit/peat mix and leave them in a shady part
of the unheated greenhouse. They had rooted by April and could be potted
up in early May. I could have them in 2 litre pots by the autumn.

C. heracleifolia and its close relative C. x jouiniana 'Praecox' were
equally successful, but getting sufficient wood from the former was
sometimes difficult.

I did experiment with some of the large flowered clematis and C. 'Hagley
Hybrid' was one which I did root, but the strike rate was only 1-2%,
compared to 90%-odd for the "species" I've mentioned, above.


- Tom
Blackmore, SW Essex.

"Chris Boulby" wrote
snip
I'm nuts about clematis though, even though many of the large flowered
hybrids struggle to do well here. The species love my slightly acid,
well drained, sandy soil.

Yes, I fell in love with them many years ago and, at one time, I had
dozens packed into a very small north-eastern garden. That was several
moves ago and I'm now trying to re-establish them (and myself) in SW
Essex, which is a long way, in distance and soil type, from my original
garden.

The one thing that occurs to me is to mention that the montanas, and some
of the other "species clematis", root very well from hardwood cuttings.
It's a bit late bit for this year now, but I used to do quite a few
internodal cuttings, in early January, from my established plants.

The thickness and age of the wood doesn't matter. I'd just snip up a few
stems, strike them in a 50:50 grit/peat mix and leave them in a shady part
of the unheated greenhouse. They had rooted by April and could be potted
up in early May. I could have them in 2 litre pots by the autumn.

C. heracleifolia and its close relative C. x jouiniana 'Praecox' were
equally successful, but getting sufficient wood from the former was
sometimes difficult.

I did experiment with some of the large flowered clematis and C. 'Hagley
Hybrid' was one which I did root, but the strike rate was only 1-2%,
compared to 90%-odd for the "species" I've mentioned, above.


- Tom
Blackmore, SW Essex.