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Hello, can anyone help with this one, bought some clematis in morrisons all growing nicely, not planting in garden until next year, have put them in bigger pots, would you pinch out the tops to make them bushy or not. also dahlia lovers, help, what soil is best for them, I have read conflicting reports on the net. thnks




Answers

 

I have dahlias happily in the garden, my soil is very chalky and some are planted directly in the soil others are in pots that i sink into the ground.

I personally wouldnt pinch the clematis tips out.

26 Apr, 2010

Sid
Sid
 

I've got one Dahlia in a container adn it's just in multi purpose compo. I do add a fresh top dressing of compo in spring along with some chicken manure pellats and some blood fish & bone meal mixed in. It does pretty well, but they're not really container plants as they need a lot of water and tend to get buffetted by the wind in a container. The ones in the garden are in a good neutral loam and get some liquid manure a couple of times a year.

26 Apr, 2010

 

For a very good blog on clematis go to the foot of this page and click on C in the A-Z. Scroll down the photographs until you see one by Spitzhendry. Click on Spitz's name and then her blogs. The one you want was published on 5th June 2009. Itis entitled Clematis - To pruneor not to Prune. She tells you when and how to prune for best flowers. I do not think it would work to nip out the top to make it bushy. If you need to ask her a Question then put it in the "Answer this question" box as I am doing now. Remember to click on 'submit' at the bottom right or your message will not be recorded. She will be alerted to the message on her home page.

26 Apr, 2010

 

I have bought lots of Clematis from the same supermarket because they are sooo cheap.....9 at the last count and they are all growing well. All i did with mine was plant them, some in the ground and some in pots...and feed them. Most of mine are group 2 so I give them a light prune early in the year and sit back and watch them grow. They take about 2 years to really get going and i've never pinched them out.

26 Apr, 2010

 

I'm here! Thanks for the compliment, Scotsgran - I'd never, ever pinch the growing tips out of clematis - that's what they use to grow upwards - they are climbers, after all. How would thay climb if they hadn't the means to do it?

They will produce lots of side shoots which you'll need to tie in as they grow, Patricia. I hope the blog helps, as well. :-))

27 Apr, 2010

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