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For the past 3-4 years I've tried growing clematis with zero luck. They will normally get off to a good start and then just fizzle out as summer wears on. There has got to be one out there that is bullet proof for my area. (Long Island zone 7A/Bish) I would like to find one that flowers on new growth with small flowers, preferably red. The space where I would like to plant them gets roughly 4-5 hours morning sun with a raised bed/box situation. Any and all suggestions as far as plant and soil conditions would be greatly appreciated.
Clematis need FULL SUN.....and roots shaded and moist. A horizontal structure for climbing...
a moisture retention mulch can help with the latter.
Ask you local nursery for plants that do well in your area.
Thanks gbh. Yes I do understand that most do prefer full sun conditions, but there are some out there that can tolerate half that amount. My hope is to hear for some who may have those conditions and are still able to grow a particular type of clematis. If so, what type would that be? I also understand the importance of growing native plants for my area, which 90% of my plants are. I'm just trying to add another layer of food source for the hummers that frequent my backyard. If it's not in the cards, I'll continue with planting annual flowering vines for them.
I'm not a clematis expert, I have never grown clematis in my life but I just finished planting 5 different clematis plants (one of them an evergreen) into their permanent locations so I'll be following this thread closely to see what other people say.
It's an experiment and learning experience for me because they all had to go in different locations around a high rise apartment tower where there are 5 different micro-climates as well as natural wind tunnel effects at ground level all around the building and up on the roof top patios. They came from hot house nurseries already starting to put out flower buds, in 1 gallon pots, and not acclimated to being outdoors. So before I put them directly into the ground I put them into much bigger, deeper pots for 3 weeks to acclimate to outdoors and the daily changing weather here. I did that so I could move them around to see which micro-climates each one was most responsive to while they're acclimating to being outdoors, and also so I could put them back inside or under shelter if necessary. Which was necessary as we got one super nasty rain storm and then a couple of days of sudden unexpected hail and well below freezing temperatures. Anyways, I did monitor their responses and after 3 weeks I found the right locations for each one.
So here is what I learned about them so far over the past 3 weeks. I discovered they climb and grip only with their leaves, not with their stems, they all can tolerate occasional light snow and down to just above freezing temperatures, but not hail, they don't mind the rain, and they are okay with part shade but grow a little slower in part shade. They do well and grow faster in full sun but didn't like reflected heat from walled surfaces behind them and would shrink away from it, and they're okay with light breezes but they HATE any kind of real WIND. In all other conditions, even the other adverse conditions, I could see them growing daily (an inch a day) but when they were in windy locations they stopped growing, period, went droopy and sulked (even where it was very sunny). All 5 reacted the same way to wind and as soon as I moved them to less windy locations there was an immediately visible positive response within a half hour. So anyway, they are all planted permanently into the ground now - I finished getting that done yesterday - and some are in breezes but none are located where they'll get high winds.
I'm looking forward to reading more in a bit but want to say before I have to go out...i grew gorgeous clematis years ago in the same zone. I could not go wrong. People came by to look at them. Happy with our local wild animals but they do like to eat some of these things were we are now.
My clematis jackmanii did not get all day southern sun and not later afternoon sun. Their front faced the north but they were in a setting with perfect east to their right and west to their left.
The keys from there were five things. (I actually had a paragraph following but thought I better number the items for clarity.)
1. They like good good soil for their roots. If you have clay...not good.
2. They need that good soil very very deep. I have read the roots can grow 4'. So they like the potential for lots of root growth under there. I had one by the mailbox and dug so deeply the mailbox came out. I got the mailbox back even in the softer soil.
3. They like their roots cool. That was helped in my case by not all day nor hot afternoon southern sun all the time. Speckled tree leaf cover just here and there. The depth of the soil. And mulch over the soil....the proper mulch way not touching or climbing up the plant, rather a well.
4. Watering.
5. An eye out for bugs. At that time my great neighbor told me about a bug spray which I cannot for the life of me recall. But the key was very very light. Or it will kill it as I've seen with yet another neighbor.
I put white alyssum around the base of some. I especially liked that at my mailbox at the time where there was a sidewalk curb so that the alyssum fell over it. Ah, memories. I think that light little allysum, which liked similar soil, also helped shade the root area.
You'll need to look into a fertilizer too.
We didn't cut the clematis back in our neighborhood and they grew beautifully the following years. I understand some you can cut back but don't know what those are. The others flower on the previous year's vines. Yes, it can look messy in winter but, hey, everyone will remember you had gorgeous clematis.
When we moved, my good neighbor asked if she could dig some of the clematis for her yard.
Thank you petsandgardens. I'm jotting down notes to what I think are important points. As the thread moves along a little more, I'm sure I will have some questions.
Thank you petsandgardens. I'm jotting down notes to what I think are important points. As the thread moves along a little more, I'm sure I will have some questions.
Thanks. I usually don't boast. This is just one thing that went very well to my surprise.
Thanks. I usually don't boast. This is just one thing that went very well to my surprise.
Wear your badge with pride fellow gardener. Someday I'll boast about my Joe Pye weed.
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