What is the minimum order quantity?

Our minimum order is one (1) tray regardless of size. Please note however that our boxes can contain either 2 trays of 4 or 3 trays of 50 cell liners.

Can we mix varieties in the tray?

Sorry, at this time we cannot mix varieties in the tray, you must order at least 18 – 4” liners or 50 – 50 cell plugs per order.

What soil mix do you recommend for transplanting your clematis liners or plugs?

Our Clematis liners/plugs should be planted in a well-draining media composed of bark and Canadian peat with a pH between 5.5 and 6.5. The soil should be amended with a medium term, well-balanced fertilizer such as Nutricote 18-6-8 at 8-10 lbs. per yard. Even at these rates liquid feed (20-20-20) can be used to supplement the fertilizer program. Don’t let the pH rise over time, though.

How deep should we plant the liners and how often should we water them?

The top of the liner/plug should be planted about 1/2 inch below the new soil line. Plants should be watered upon arrival at your location and potted within that first week. After the initial irrigation, no more water should be required for 7-10 days. During this time very little growth will be noticed and the plant requires very little water. Growth will begin in the second week and irrigation will be required. During the third week, accelerated elongation will begin and the plant will start growing rapidly. Irrigation will become more frequent as the leaf area increases. Allow the plant to dry down moderately before the next irrigation as keeping the soil too wet can cause problems during the first 2-3 weeks. It is also at this point when vines should begin to be trained and/or tied to the trellis. Critical to stay on top of this step as vines can easily grow out of control very quickly causing damage to plant when trying detangle them from their neighbor.

What are your recommendations for Miticides? Fungicides? And Herbicides?

These liners are very resistant to pests and disease for the first 6-8 weeks and chemical applications should be used only if absolutely necessary. If you have problems with specific pathogens, then preventative measures can be employed at your discretion. Please note however that Clematis have shown to be highly sensitive to herbicides. We have conducted numerous tests with numerous herbicides and all have had negative results. The same situation exists with growth regulators (PGRs). A listing of those miticides and fungicides, with recommended rates is attached here. With the constant introduction of new and improved chemical and applications, this listing is by no means complete. It is however a great starting point!

 

 

Can we grow newly transplanted Clematis outside?

Newly transplanted Clematis should always be protected from rain, wind and extreme cold, therefore a covered growing space with minimal heat is always recommended. Control of irrigation is fundamental in having a successful crop. Too much rain can make the pots sodden, literally drowning the roots. Too much rain can effectively “leach” the soil, washing valuable nutrients from the pots, not to mention the increased damage the wind can do to the plant itself. In short, yes they can be grown outside, but they will require more care and attention with regard to irrigation, fertilization and temperature.

What about light? How much?

While most mature Clematis in the garden can do very well in full sun with shaded roots, young immature vines can be adversely affected when grown in direct sun. We recommend growing in a covered location with approximately 30% shade or about 1500-2000 foot candles of light.

Pruning Clematis

The most commonly asked question regarding the culture of clematis in the garden or in a container is how to go about pruning them. Their vining nature and varied blooming periods add to the mystery. The pruning methods and timing are essentially the same whether they are in the garden or in a container. You should always use a sharp, clean tool when pruning any clematis. Pinching or breaking the vine will only serves to damage the tissue and possibly cause disease problems. A clean cut is always preferable.

It is not absolutely necessary to prune your clematis. It all depends on what you want out of your vine. Montana Rubens left unchecked will soon become a huge vine with leads 20 feet high or more producing massive amounts of small pink flowers very early in the spring. That same vine can be kept in check with pruning to keep it under control on a smaller trellis or mail box post. Jackmanii left unpruned will still thrive. The tips of the leads will find spots far removed from the base of the vine and flowers will be scattered along these leads. Pruning Jackmanii in the early spring will keep the vine under control and produce a more full plant with a dense mass of flowers in early to mid summer. The main reasons for pruning clematis are to establish a tidy presentation on some sort of support, encourage healthy vigorous growth and maximize the flowering potential.

New clematis should be pruned back to about 12 inches in the spring following their planting. This pruning will encourage new shoots to grow and will produce a fuller, bushier vine with more leads. New growth on an established plant will begin very close to where the previous year’s growth stopped. Over time this will cause the vine to become bare at the bottom. Old established vines that have bare bases can be rejuvenated by an early, hard pruning. Cut the plant back to 12 to 18 inches in the early spring, just as the plant begins to grow. This may reduce or delay the blooming that year depending on the variety, but will restore the lower growth and make for a fuller vine in the long run.

The individual varieties fall into three categories of pruning timing. These categories depend on the blooming period of the individual variety.

Category 1

These varieties produce flowers from the mature growth of the pervious season. These plants should be allowed to finish blooming in the very early spring before they are pruned, therefore pruning should take place in late spring or early summer. The vine should then be fertilized and trained back on to its support in anticipation of the next years show. Some of the category one clematis varieties will produce a modest show of bloom in the fall as well. The Montana group and the evergreen clematis are examples of category 1 clematis.

Category 2

Many of the category two varieties will produce flower bud from both old and new growth. Early blooming will come from last years mature growth while later in the summer and early fall more blooms will be produced from the current years growth. Clematis in category two should not require major pruning. Pruning can be used to keep the vines growth in check and to remove any dead or weak growth. This should be done after the early blooming period. The old seed heads from the early blooms should be removed. This will help to maximize blooming later on in the year. Niobe and Proteus are examples of category two clematis.

Category 3

The Category three varieties produce flowers from the current year’s growth. These clematis tend to flower mid to late summer. They should be pruned in early spring, just as the dormant vine begins to grow. This should be a hard pruning leaving only one or two nodes of growth above the ground. This type of pruning will encourage vigorous growth. The Viticella varieties are examples of category three clematis.

Montana Grandiflora – 1

Montana Rubens – 1

Asao – 2

Barbra Jackman – 2

Canaby – 2

Dr Ruppel – 2

Elsa Spath – 2

Fireworks – 2

HF Young – 2

John Paul – 2

Miss Bateman – 2

Mrs Cholmondeley – 2

Nelly Moser – 2

Niobe – 2

Snow Queen – 2

The President – 2

Warsaw Nike – 2

Will Goodwin – 2

Belle of Woking – 2

Duthcess of Edinburg – 2

Proteus – 2

General Sikorski – 2

Henryii – 2

Violet Charm – 2

Comtesse de Bouchard – 3

Ernest Markham – 3

Hagely Hybrid – 3

Jackmanii – 3

Jackmanii Superba – 3

Lady Betty Balfour – 3

Rouge Cardinal – 3

Ville de Lyon – 3

Etoile Violet – 3

Kermesina – 3

Madame Julia Correvon – 3

Polish Spirit – 3

Purpurea Plenas Elegans – 3

Venosa Violacea – 3

 

Arabella – 3

Blue Light – 2

Climador – 2

Golden Tiara – 3

Kullus – 2

Maria Louise Jensen – 2

Marmori – 2

Minister – 2

Little Duckling – 2

Pink Climador – 2

Reiman – 2

Ruutel – 2

Silmakivi – 2

Viola – 2

Huvi – 3

Eyers Gift – 2