propagating clematis?

hotcookie101

Hi everyone,

I have a HUGE old clematis that climbs up the front of my house, its beautiful when it flowers (has the paley pink flowers coming out now) and I am not sure exactly what type of clematis it is, but it seems pretty vigorous.
Now-I have some ugly old fences/sheds in the back garden that I think could really do with a climber on them. Can I take cuttings of my clematis, and if so-how and when?
Garden faces south, so fences are north,east and west facing.

Also can anyone recommend something for ground cover for HEAVY dry baked clay soil? Thanks

choille

Sounds like montana -possibly.

Try layering it.

SEE

hotcookie101 wrote: »

Hi everyone,

I have a HUGE old clematis that climbs up the front of my house, its beautiful when it flowers (has the paley pink flowers coming out now) and I am not sure exactly what type of clematis it is, but it seems pretty vigorous.
Now-I have some ugly old fences/sheds in the back garden that I think could really do with a climber on them. Can I take cuttings of my clematis, and if so-how and when?
Garden faces south, so fences are north,east and west facing.

Also can anyone recommend something for ground cover for HEAVY dry baked clay soil? Thanks

Choose a long stem and lay it on the ground, don't cut it off:oGet some garden wire and make 'U' shapes and pin the stem to the soil. Cover with a dusting of soil and it will be rooted by autumn.

Suzy_M

hotcookie101 wrote: »

Now-I have some ugly old fences/sheds in the back garden that I think could really do with a climber on them.

As someone who keeps getting roped in to 'help' an elderly relative when clematis becomes too heavy for the supporting structures can I suggest the fences / sheds might not take the weight. Apart from having to radically prune the plants it's a pig of a job to repair the supports when smothered with clematis - and it's always a shame to hack back a mature plant.

In my relative's case I've warned them if they plant another one I'll be calling out scaffolders to erect a decent support frame :mad:. - Though in your case a very heavy duty trellis just in front of whatever you want to hide should take the bulk of the weight.

chez22

It is most likely to be clematis montana rubens, I have it along my fence and it's just about to flower.

Good ground cover plants for clay soil are bugle, ivy, snow in summer, perennial geraniums, hostas, lily of the valley, creeping jenny and periwinkle. Heathers and hebes also grow well.

hotcookie101

SEE wrote: »

Choose a long stem and lay it on the ground, don't cut it off:oGet some garden wire and make 'U' shapes and pin the stem to the soil. Cover with a dusting of soil and it will be rooted by autumn.

Thanks for that the only problem is... I am in the process of scrapping the (VERY) small front lawn for slate. Any way I can do it without soil beside the plant? Am not very good at cuttings etc, I can just about divide clumps of perennials, although I am working on my "free" plant skills (oriental poppies? How do I propagate them? )

I love hardy geraniums so may well plant a few up in my baked clay, I do want something tallish and evergreen too-its at the back of a pond, up a level, and needs some height IYKWIM? Would grasses grow well? I think the look of bamboo would be great, and the sound, but it can be quite invasive I believe?

peter_the_piper

The main ways of propagating clematis are layering and cuttings. Clematist are a mite different in that they root from a portion of stem and not from a stem node like normal. Take a cutting of half ripe stem with 2 sets of leaves, leaving about 1" of stem below the lower leaf joint (node) dip in rooting hormone and insert around the edge of a pot of multipurpose compost. Repeat 3 more times to give 4 cuttings to a pot. Water the pot and cover with a perforated polythene bag and put in a well lit window (NOT in direct sun) Do not allow to dry out and you should get at least 1 rooted cutting in about 6 weks. Resist the temptation to give them a tug to see if rooted, I know its not easy.
Good Luck.

choille

A small point - with all clematis, they like their feet in the shade & their heads in the sun. When I plant them out I put a flat stone over the roots.