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Shy Bill

Hi

I planted a clematis "Bill MacKenzie a couple of years ago and it hasn't flowered as yet. It's growing up a south facing wall and is mulched in the spring and  is generally well looked after.Is there anything I can do to encourage it to flower??. Any comments will be gratefully received - thanks.

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  • Hi Peter, I can't say that I am a clematis expert, in fact, the only thing I know is that they like sun on their heads and their feet in the shade. But I didn't want you to think we were all ignoring you!
  • it has its roots in the shade and its growth in the sun? plenty of water in spring and only feed when in flower.This year has not been good for my clematis the only one to do well niobe.image

  • make sure you prune at the right time, or you can lose the flowers.
  • Thanks for the replies. Thank you very much Penninepetal, I can see you must be a very caring person!! I'm a keen gardener so I've fed it and  pruned as stated in the text books - perhaps it will burst into flower next year. Funnily enough it's next to a Kiwi "jenny" and that's never flowered either - gardening can be so very frustrating !!

     

  • Just a thought, but if other plants in that area aren't flowering, is it worth doing a soil analysis?  Or maybe just a watering with some soluble potash to give them a kick-start?


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Good idea  - thanks

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,066

    Clematis can take a year or two to get established and are very greedy so I would give it a good general purpose feed next spring to get it growing well and add special rose, tomato or clematis fertiliser to promote flower production.  That will help the Kiwi too and you can top up every couple of weeks till mid June.

    It's a myth about clematis needing their head in the sun and their feet in the shade.   I've grown them in hanging baskets before now and have some planted in full sun as well as others in shade or semi shade.    Some varieties like shade and some like full sun and they all like a deep root run and plenty of food.

    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • I have a clematis that I want to move, when would be a good time?

  • Thanks obelixx

  • depends on when your Clematis flowers,try to move it when it becomes dorment, make sure the hole is deep ,water well, with fertilizer added as a good start,to a new life,

    before you dig up the Clematis water it well some time before.

    Things to remember with a Clematis is---- plant deeper than usual--- in case of Clematis wilt.-- keep roots in shade or protect with stones,or other plants, when you do move it take as much soil with it as possible.
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