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| In the beginnig (pre commuter knowledge) all of my first tries at growing clems where type 2. All suffered clematis wilt and I promptly gave up. When Japanese Beatle invasions became so bad that there was no hope of seeing roses in June, July or August the search was on for additional plants. I discovered type 3 clematis. I started with viticellas because of their heathy reputation and had great luck. Now have around 70. They fit the bill perfectly. Starting their bloom close to JB time and the roses are blooming again when their bloom is slowing down. Yeh! Most keep blooming till frost anyway. Some with a little rest period. So-After seeing so many gorgeous other clematis on the 'I'm sick of winter thread' I'm wondering do type 2s ever get as easy to grow as most of my 3s? Do other people deal clematis wilt when plants are young? Did I do something wrong? I know now that many clematis have a tendency to grow faster then their roots can can supply nutrients. I also think perhaps I over watered in my early years. Any advice to get me over the hump so to speak or maybe it's just time to try again. |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by buyorsell888 Zone 8 Portland OR (My Page) on Sat, Mar 16, 13 at 19:07
| Hard prune them like Type IIIs, especially the first few years but I pretty much do all of mine every year |
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| I have some type 2 clematis that do well, but others that struggle in my garden. I have a HF Young (the blue one I added to the 'Sick of Winter' thread) which has thrived. It dies back to the snow line most years and I trim off dead stuff when it starts sprouting, so in effect it gets type 3 pruning. I have a Guernsey Cream (white) that does well in half shade and blooms beautifully every year even though due to its location growing through the middle of a lilac it never gets pruned at all. So I guess I'd recommend either one of them. I have had two Niobe, one of which died, and the other of which has always struggled with only a few stems each year and sometimes wilt. It has gotten cut back like a 3 for several years, but doesn't seem any happier cut hard or not. I'm planning to dig it up and put it somewhere less obvious this year and I don't know if it will die, continue to struggle or decide that it just didn't like its current location and begin to thrive . So I guess that I'd suggest that you choose your varieties carefully based on recommendations of plants that seem to well for many folks. |
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| I have had some type 2's that do very well and I have had some type 2's that just seem to either succomb to wilt are just fade away. There are some very beautiful type 2's and you really have nothing, other than the plant to lose, by trying. I too pruned all of my type 2's like type 3's for the first couple of years. I now prune them after flowering. Often I will get a second flush, but that second flush is never as full and nice as the first flush. |
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| Thanks nhbabs- I'll give HF Young a try. Unfortunately Niobe was my first try. Even bought it a second time since I thought it was my fault it died. Didn't do much better the second time Thank you buyorsell and Carolyn. Yes, what 2s I had or have I just cut back like my 3s. The only type two that I have currently is Silmakivi and of course it has neither thrived nor died. At least I can grow type 3s for now. I'll keep an eye open for strong growing 2s. |
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- Posted by gardengal48 PNW zone 8 (My Page) on Sun, Mar 17, 13 at 14:29
| In addition to the hard pruning for the first couple of seasons, deep planting (root crown 3-6 inches below the soil surface) will encourage a stronger root system and increased stemming, both of which tend to reduce the incidence of wilt. And it is always good to remember that wilt is seldom fatal. Should it occur, simply cut back the vine and treat as usual (water and fertilizer) during the growing season. You may very well get regrowth that season but the vine should return the following spring regardless. Eventually it will outgrow this tendency. In my old garden nearly all my type 2 clems - and I had a bunch - were customer returns I dragged home from the nursery where I worked. They were returned because they had wilt but after cutting back, planting and a little TLC in my garden they all turned into great vines. |
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| Thank you Gardengal, I appreciate the advice. |
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