My Clematis saga continues to mystify me (I have four new different plants) as they come on, then "die", then come on again, and now I have a recently planted Nelly Moser that has stopped growing at 2 ft., but maybe the two flowers it is displaying has shagged it out.
Clematis are annoying as they have loads of different groups that all need pruning differently.
I always lose the labels, so have no idea which method to employ.
For what it's worth this is RHS page on Nelly Moser.
https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/clematis/group-two-pruning-guide
Yes, thanks for the link - I go by the rule of continually nipping out the leading bud to make it spread more, but then (!) when it is well established it has a tendency to take over!!
I just love clematis and I wanted to plant them at home, so I would be glad if someone advises me how to care for them because I love them very much, but even the cactus does not live long for me
Quote: EricTaylor55 @ 26th July 2023, 12:09 AM. I just love clematis and I wanted to plant them at home, so I would be glad if someone advises me how to care for them because I love them very much, but even the cactus does not live long for me
A very dodgy plant to get established, but once it does get a hold, they are usually rampant - out of five different varieties I've planted, three have died.
The big killer of clematis is "Clematis Wilt", an almost mysterious fungal disease they can suddenly get and die from
My gardening these days is getting more sedentary and some of it has got away from me.
My heart problems are resurfacing and any hard work results in severe angina.
I've been given stronger pills and am on the waiting list for stents or bypass.
I hired a gardening firm to cut down the over-growth and they charged me a fortune and basically butchered everything.
Quote: Hercules Grytpype Thynne @ 26th July 2023, 12:18 AMA very dodgy plant to get established, but once it does get a hold, they are usually rampant - out of five different varieties I've planted, three have died.
The big killer of clematis is "Clematis Wilt", an almost mysterious fungal disease they can suddenly get and die from
It stays in the soil, so you shouldn't put one where you had one before.
Careful where you put the dead plant - rootball and all - ie don't compost it.
Might be worth removing a bucket or two of the soil where the plant was too - to be extra safe.
Took advantage of this week-end's barmy/balmy weather to clear the veg beds, ready for next season.
Just the kale, leeks, celery and sprouting left in.
Mean to do it every year - finally managed it.
Glass of wine on near horizon.
Today I attacked the Blackberry runners that have entwined themselves between everything.
They tripped me up this morning while I was hanging out the washing and scratched my ankle to buggery.
Sneaky bastards hiding in the grass.
The Chinese buzz saw on a stick fettled them though.
Quote: Hercules Grytpype Thynne @ 30th April 2023, 11:54 AM"Disposed" of a number of the pesky varmints to the woods this way - I got totally fed up with them taking the peanuts and burying them in the "lawn", so I had little holes all over the place.
I'll buy you a packet of peanuts if you're desperate Herc.
Hedgehogs keep shiting in my garden
And I don't care
Absolutely adorable, beautiful creatures
🦔 💩
Am about to plant some fruit trees against a newly erected 6'6" wooden fence - does anyone have any experience of growing them as espalier or cordon?
Quote: Hercules Grytpype Thynne @ 22nd November 2023, 9:30 AMAm about to plant some fruit trees against a newly erected 6'6" wooden fence - does anyone have any experience of growing them as espalier or cordon?
Grown quite a few.
Espalier probably best for apples; fan-trained for pears and soft fruit.
Cordon actually takes up quite a bit of space and was designed mainly for those massive brick walls in victorian walled gardens- I wouldn't bother.
You can't go far wrong with thr RHS
https://www.rhs.org.uk/fruit/apples/training-espalier
Depending on what stage your trees are at, the first three years are what's important - after that it's a twice yearly job.
Good luck.
Thank you for that Lazzard, as I was hoping you would pick this up, what with you being the BCG's Mr Middleton 😊 (I still have my father's green Mr Middleton's Garden Book), and I already had the RHS page open, and thanks for putting me off and giving me the reason for cordons, which is understandable now you have explained it.
I'm planting one each of apple, pear, plum and cherry, which are about 4 to 6 feet high bare rooted, which I have soaking in a bucket while I wait to get out there this morning.
How I usually plant trees is to use the soil dug out of the hole only (no compost after Monty Don said last week not to do so), and break up the soil in the bottom to which I mix bone meal, then a dressing of bone meal around the surface, along with some bark chippings garden mulch, which should suppress any weeds and give some frost protection.
That all sounds good planting-wise.
The plum & cherry are definitely best fan-trained ( I think it's to do with plenty of air round the fruit?)
Might be best to treat the apple & pear the same way in terms of best use of space.
So I'm guessing your starting with two/three year old saplings?
Or has someone done the first bit of training already?
My main, overarching advice is to be brutal with fruit thinning - the limited number of leaves means it can only support a certain amount of fruit.
Be satisfied with less quantity and more quality (not that pears will ever.give you much trouble in this regard as they 're pretty shy fruiters).
Worth thinking about frost protection - if you get it where you are.
Stone-fruits - depending on breed - can be pretty early blossomers - and an early frost can bugger up your year.
A couple of layers of fleece at the right time will do the job.
And if you have squirrels, a spiral trunk protector for the base of the trunk.