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Should I feed my clematis now?

B3B3 Posts: 25,252
in Plants
My clematis has finished flowering. It's the type you cut right back, so I did.
Should I feed it now or wait until the spring?
In London. Keen but lazy.

Posts

  • K67K67 Posts: 2,507
    Normally you cut right back in the spring so you haven't anything on the plant to feed!
  • B3B3 Posts: 25,252
    I was thinking of the roots 
    I normally cut them back now partly to give the climbing roses a bit of light.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 29,152
    If you've cut off all the tops there are no leaves left to photosynthesise energy from the sun.   The best you can do in that case is give them some bonemeal for their roots and, once they've had a seriously good soaking from autumn rains, a good mulch of well-rotted manure and/or garden compost for both roses and clems.  Next year, wait a bit longer to cut back the clems and let their foliage die back first.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
  • B3B3 Posts: 25,252
    It's not completely bare. It's about 3ft high.  I'll be less impatient next year.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • K67K67 Posts: 2,507
    You can reduce by half in Autumn to tidy the plant then proper prune in spring.
  • B3B3 Posts: 25,252
    Thanks @K67 . I'll remember that for next year. To be honest, most of the leaves were fried in the drought despite watering. There's plenty of new shoots on it so I'm sure it'll be ok.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
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