I have a Clematis planted next to my brick house that hasn't bloomed in 3 years or since it was planted. It is in a clay soil but I have enhanced the soil but am afraid to harm the roots as I know they tend to be touchy. It's growing fine and is trellised, I have composed it and I feed it 20-20-20 fert. What on earth am I doing wrong? It also gets midday and all afternoon sun. My neighbors have theirs on the west side and its blooming fine. Other neighbor has theirs facing east and theirs is blooming great. I have been waiting 3 years now. I am almost ready to give up.. I'm in zone 5 SE Wisconsin. USA I just wanna know.
Thank you Chimera. That was really quick. Really appreciate your help here. I keep the faith. I wanna know.
I wonder if you're overfertilizing. I'm no clematis expert but I have several of them and I do the absolute opposite of pampering them. Those that survive my care bloom quite respectably.
Thank you, I feed her about once a month, 20,20,20, I had read that they were heavy feeders. This one has puny leaves that are pale green and small, there are a lot of them and a lot of vining. I'm beginning to think that the concrete is leaching
That certainly is a thought and you could find out by transplanting it to a different environment. Clematis will grow in containers as long as they get watered. You could always try transplanting it into a fairly big container (plastic is probably the most inert, or fibreglass - ceramic can leach too!) which wouldn't even require you to take it off its trellis, just to see if something changes. Or, put it somewhere else entirely. But take heart - I have plants that I've had for ten years before seeing them bloom - they get crowded out, or I forget to water them, or I just don't have the optimal space for them. It's part of the "fun" of gardening!
KarinL. I'm seriously considering this alternative. I really want to save this little sweetheart. I just have so much clay around here. I lost my Nellie Moser about 3 feet away from it. I think that was my own fault though. because I had Stella d oro in front of her and I moved Stella. I must have disturbed Nellies roots and she got a disease or something because she was never the same and wained and died after that, so I put this one in I may even have it planted it to shallow. I'm just not sure. I think your right I should probably just move it. Thank you Karin.
Hi joclyn, I'm not sure to tell you the truth. It said pink clematis that is what I get for feeling sorry for discount plants right? I don't know if she's a type I, II, or III. This may be part of my problem too. I'm a little older and a little wiser now. Won't do that again. Then my Neighbor gave me a purple one that doesn't want to climb. She said she moved it 3 or 4 times but she doesn't remember the name of that one either. Husband really likes that color if I could do something with it. Is it possible to divide old clematis when the center dies out? Right now I have these 2. and I have lost 2. so I haven't lost completely yet. Thanks for you interest.
Would those non-climbers be the type that mound and ramble over low bushes and fences I think I have seen those in books and articles but they were never identified. What group do those fall into? Do they have deep purple flowers with yellow centers? if so that may be what I have gotton from the neighbor. So if I look up Clematis Durandii, I may be able to get some real good info on cutting back, care, ect. Karin you sure are a help. Which ones are you growing? In what kind of soil? What zone is Vancouver in? Do you have trouble with rodents? We have rabbits and a few other varmits running arround out here. We've got a little creek at the back of the lot. Most animals hang around some kind of water souce. A month ago we had deer, raccoons, possom, and prairie dogs (wood chucks), mice, neighbor feeds wild ducks in the creek all year, especially in spring for ducklings to get off to a good start. I noticed years back when people around here planted young trees and bushes they always put hardware cloth fences around them to save them from the varmits. Thank you so much for all your suggestions and help. I' ll try doing some searches on C. Durandii, I have heard of that before too, so it does ring a bell. Wasn't that one of the earlier favorites? So that would make sense since, my neighbor has been here for more than 20 years and she said she moved it 3 or 4 times during the time she had it before she gave it to me. I have only moved it 2 times. Thanks a bunch and great weather to you and your garden.
No rodents here that I know of (except the odd rat, hazard of city living), but sounds like you are a lot more rural than I am. On our small city lot I have about 20 clematises, most of which are not in ideal spots so I've still not seen some of their flowers in the two-three years I've had them - not helped by me still moving plants around as I don't have the garden really finished yet. Durandii is a fully herbaceous plant, falls into group C I suppose. I do have it; it's a lovely dark purple with just four petals. Good luck with your reticent plant!
Thanks again. You've been an invaluable souce of info to steer me in the right direction. Sounds like you haven't met a Clematis you haven't liked yet either but your having better luck than I am. I just love the plants. They give height to the garden here and there. I must say I haven't seen a rat yet, but if I do I will surely die in my tracts. We had one in our basement when I was a kid on the farm. It was the size of large cat. I never want to see another. We also have garden snakes and ferrel cats. I have 4 petals and she is deep purple. Sounds likes we've tagged her correctly. Take care. Our county and surrounding counties have
rain. Some got over 10 inches. The ground is just saturated. heres hoping. Waiting for sunshine. Having pc trouble too as you can see.
Great news!!!! My Clematis finally bloomed for the first time ever. It's taken at least 3 years. I am ecstatic. We had had an extreme amount of rain and the weather has been very humid. I have also watered because it is under an eve on the southwest corner next to the foundation. Thank you so much for encouraging me to be patient and for giving me faith in this little frail sweetheart. She is white it appears with burgundy petioles.
Now that it has bloomed, take the opportunity to take some pictures - of the flowers, flower buds, foliage. Post those pictures on this site - perhaps on the Plant Identification forum. Someone might be able to identify the clematis for you. And that will go a long ways towards advising you as to how best to care for it.
I have taken a couple of pics of it. However I have never put a pic up so I don't know how to do that. Is there a spot that tells me step by step how to for that. I'm also wondering if this is just her first bloom or if she will always be a fall bloomer. Thanks all to you all.
It sounds like it is a Miss Bateman. Also in fertilizing, use rose fertilizer or tomato fertilizer where the P in npk is the highest. Give the clematis mulch, and if it is a Miss Bateman, don't cut it back. Only in February cut to the largest leaf node. I have clematis growing just about everywhere, and many along side an eastern and partial southern exposure right next to the house. I put a lot of honey locust leaves and pine needles over them for mulching. Add dead goldfish, pondwater once in awhile from two container ponds with a couple gold fish in them. Handier then to get the hose over just for a some extra moisture and nutrients. I have calla lilies, brunnera, black mondo grass and a double holly hock besides daffodil and tulips bulbs growing in the same two wide and 20 ft long flower bed. It is under the eves, so I watch carefully for moisture control. I also put grass clippings, calla leaf clippings, etc. in this bed. Also don't fertilize just before it is time for it to bloom. But fertilize in February for sure. Depends also on the type or month when it is suppose to bloom. Glad to know that it has finally bloomed. Time to celebrate! A fall bloomer could be a type 2 or a B which means it should bloom in May or June and then again in Sept or October. These are the one that bloom on old would. Montana types are ones and you hardly ever trim until after flowering in early spring to allow time for new vines to grow and might bloom sporadically during late summer & fall. But the best show for Type 1's is early spring, April/May on old wood. Plus they grow to 30 ft long. I have mine on a wire under my house eves. In a southern and eastern/southern exposure. Durandii is wonderful, cut it way back in February, I mean, 6 inches above the ground. You should see many stems come up by doing this. If it becomes too full, you can split it with a sharp knife, digging fork, shovel. I have had seedlings show up, clematis that I forgot I had planted, and even one I thought was dead and threw the pot of dirt into the planting bed to enhance and lo and behold I get the original clematis growing beautifully. It just needed some time and moisture and nutrients. Also, I have found my clematis self layering as well. So pretty soon you just might become a clematisholic! BTW, I divided a Blue Belle and got about 7 divisions from her. I had buried her in her pot and hadn't taken her out of it and it was doing its best to grow roots from the drainage holes. I could tell by the lack of blooms and vigour that something was wrong. Now I have replanted her in the same place as before but without the pot, and another division not too far from that one. Then I pot up the others, and they have been growing this summer, and eventually I'll have to decide where I want them to grow and get busy planting. I've done this with Minuet, Etoile Violette, Kermesina, Miss Bateman, and others that I just get a blank from. It will come to me after I post this! Ugh...;-)
Thanks for all the great info. sounds like they aren't as touchy as I had first thought. Yes I think it needs more moisture than what I had originally thought, because it is under the eves. I will try the rose food too. I have stopped feeding it now. Maybe I should give it a little more for the fall. I don't have fish emulshion but I do have several fertilizers I could use. I didn't think to be feeding it at this time of the year. Your garden must truly be beautiful. I have taken some pics now so as soon as I figure out how to send them on here I will put one up. It's just white with dark center, My other one blooms in spring and fall and it is white with off white center. Yes, I can see how it would be easy to become a Clematisholic. When this one finally bloomed it was like have a first child I was so happy and glad that I waited patiently. Whats that saying good things come to those who wait? :>
