Re: Sweet Autumn Clematis in trouble
Thanks, YVonne. That's good advice.
Nancy S. deGrazia
Yvonne Cadwallader wrote:
> > Nancy wrote:
> Marge - life ain't fair sometimes. I had decided to
> let the clematis go and see what happens with
> it--until about 15 minutes ago. WIth a sudden burst of
> resolution and energy, I cut it back (not too
> severely) because it was beginning to tumble dowen and
> the string isn't really good enought. I found a layer
> of yellow leaves underneath, and it looks pretty bad
> now-- but the damage is done.
> ****
> Nancy,
> Don't despair; you might have done your clematis a
> favor. I have clematis growing up the tall uprights
> supporting my deck. Although I was always careful to
> tie them up as they grew, one summer the weight of a
> larger plant pulled the whole thing down the upright,
> causing the brittle stems to bend and crack at the
> bottom. Since the plant quickly started to die off, I
> had no choice but to cut it off below the breaks. With
> a little TLC from me, it came back beautifully and
> even more full than before.
>
> But there's another lesson here. My DH covered the
> uprights with wire mesh. I'm not sure what its called,
> but it was a pretty small mesh...probably about 1/4
> inch. Then we learned that clematis need a larger
> mesh, since they climb by wrapping their stems AND
> leaves around the support. If the mesh is too small,
> the leaves can't wind through, and the stems just keep
> growing up the outside (i.e. no support). So we're now
> replacing the wire mesh with a substantially larger
> mesh - the wires are several inches apart. I like the
> wire mesh because it provides very strong support for
> heavy plants, yet you can hardly see it in the winter
> when the plant has died back. Also, its easy for the
> plants to grow up without a lot of coaching, tucking
> in ends, etc.
>
> If I were growing a clematis up my garage wall, I
> think I'd attach vertical wood strips far enough apart
> so that I could staple wire mesh between them, then
> paint the whole thing - wire, wood and all - to match
> the color of the garage. This would provide a bit of
> space behind the wire mesh to give the plant room to
> grow in and out and provide very sturdy support.
>
> Your idea sounds lovely. Once you get your support
> system figured out, your clematis-covered garage will
> be a show-stopper!
>
> Happy Gardening!
> Yvonne in MN Zone 4
>
> _____________________________________________________________
> Do You Yahoo!?
> Free instant messaging and more at http://messenger.yahoo.com
