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Re: clematis

At 07:17 AM 23 06 97 -0400, you wrote:
>This weekend I spread cedar mulch on one of my beds, and then heard that
>mulch can kill clematisis.  I suppose if I would have stopped to think about
>it I could have figured that out on my own. :) 
>
>My question is, should I completely remove the mulch from the area
>surrounding the clematis, or can I feel safe in knowing the mulch is not
>"touching" the plant?
>
>Christine -- zone 5 

Mulch kills clematis?  More on this please.  :-)

I must be getting to the phase in gardening where recognizing how much I
don't know dominates joyful enthusiasm (now & again).  This list is (isn't)
helping!  :-)  

For several years I had an ample, very local supply of fir wood chips.  My
"garden" really wants to be a rain forest and mulching is the simplest way
to keep the sword ferns, salmon berries, blackberries ... (it's a long list)
from popping up everywhere.  So I used the wood chips -- liberally around
rhododenrons & blueberries -- even after learning that they use up nitrogen
as they break down.

I have two clematis. One is in altogether the wrong place; it survives but
should be moved and is not mulched.  The other is in a large pot (20" deep x
18" wide) sunk in the ground in a bed where buttercups have entwined in
gordion knot fashion throughout the peonies.  The pot has 3" of fir wood
chips on top.  (The theory was to foil the buttercups, retain moisture &
keep the clematis roots cool!)  The chips definitely touch the plant which
is quite lovely this year.  Last year it started out okay, shrivelled up
early in the season but recovered after being cut back hard.

So info on clematis & mulching would be appreciated.  (Anyone know how to
get buttercups out of peonies?)  Thanks!

Donna
Zone 5+ Southwest BC, Canada.

ps -- Christine -- is it the "cedar" part that causes problems?  Cedar has
much more pitch/oil than fir?  Thanks!
 

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