Hi Everyone! I hope everyone is well! The weather seems to be turning a bit cooler and more moist up here in Southern Tier of New York and I am ever so glad! I see my newly planted clematis are doing o.k.but, I would like to feed them now and want to be conservative due to the beastly weather and their youth. Your opinion please! The group is Niobe, Hagly hyb.Vitacella Venosa Violacae (lets say VVV here on out!) Blenkity Arnold. Fire fly, Allanah, Henryii, Mrs Bateman, Perl D' Azure, and Cardinal Wysznski. I will have the plants well watered at the start, I will give each one a gallon of 1 tbl. of Epsom Salts diluted in 1 gal. ! will spread the following concoction on the surface and work it in to the mulch, from about a foot out to almost the stems then water in well that day and next. Proportions of the concoction- 2 cups oh Alfalfa pellets. I/8 th. cup of Dolemetic lime. I cup of Bone Meal, and 1 small shovel of aged Horsee poop. Also I am pretty happy with the lack of insect and fungal problems this year. Quite a few of these juvenile delinquit clematis kids look pale to me , especially my Allanah...but, the plant is growing well. I send my love and best wishes to everyone. Lee Sherwood McDonald
Feeding my young Clematis
Good luck with your plantings, Lee. I dig the hole, add compost and bone meal and then plant the clematis. If I have a chunk of cement I add it at the side. Manure is very helpful. The only way I've used Epsom Salt is to dilute it in a gallon of tepid water and apply it to the already planted clematises. I haven't tried Alfalfa pellets for clematis though I have heard of people using Alfalfa tea.
We'd love to see some photos, Lee.