I know it's beneficial for some plants to have the growing tip pinched out but is it good to do this on a clematis to make it bush out and have more flowers?
Ah right. I might leave it for this year then and see how this one does. I've never grown a clematis before so it should be interesting to see how it goes.
Mind you I have just read on the RHS site that they should be pinched out? I just don't want to harm the plant and not have any flowers this year. Hmmm what do to!
A beautiful clematis CraighB, I have found it to be quite slow growing, but mine is in heavy shade, it is very floriferous. I wouldn't pinch it out, you've already cut it hard back, that's all it needs - and lots of food.
Clematis aren't the same as annuals. Pinching out an annual will help it develop more flowering stems so that it does a better job for it's single growth season. Clematis are more like shrubs in the sense that you prune them to develop the mature plant. This also promotes new growth, but it's different from the growth produced by an annual as it's in order to create the eventual structure for flower buds to form. They are long term plants so you're building their future.
Hope that makes sense
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Yes - I understand what you've said Fairygirl - thank you. So when do you actually start pruning a young plant - I think I understand about the groups - but are we not concernd then about promoting growth from the bottom of the plant? In other words, how long do you leave the leading shoot ...... if that's not a generalisation
Thanks for such good replies Makes perfect Sense Fairygirl
flowerlover when you say lots of food, I've fertilized it with bonemeal inside the planting hole and then I read to feed once with maybe blood fish and bone in the summer. Would this be enough?
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A beautiful clematis CraighB, I have found it to be quite slow growing, but mine is in heavy shade, it is very floriferous. I wouldn't pinch it out, you've already cut it hard back, that's all it needs - and lots of food.
Aaah - thank you CraighB for bringing this up - I have Pink Fantasy - good to learn what to do from other people's experience
Clematis aren't the same as annuals. Pinching out an annual will help it develop more flowering stems so that it does a better job for it's single growth season. Clematis are more like shrubs in the sense that you prune them to develop the mature plant. This also promotes new growth, but it's different from the growth produced by an annual as it's in order to create the eventual structure for flower buds to form. They are long term plants so you're building their future.
Hope that makes sense
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Yes - I understand what you've said Fairygirl - thank you. So when do you actually start pruning a young plant - I think I understand about the groups - but are we not concernd then about promoting growth from the bottom of the plant? In other words, how long do you leave the leading shoot ...... if that's not a generalisation
flowerlover when you say lots of food, I've fertilized it with bonemeal inside the planting hole and then I read to feed once with maybe blood fish and bone in the summer. Would this be enough?