I use a lot of compost.....
Waiting For Spring So Show Your Clematis!!
grannyh: That's interesting to read that you feed your Clematis coffee grounds. I know that coffee grounds are utilized by acidic loving plants, but do you see any difference in the vigor of the vines or more flowering when you use coffee grounds? I'm sure they love ColorBurst (found at big box stores) because Clematis are very heavy feeders.
I use alfalfa tea which I make and add a variety of things to the mixture such as compost that Dawn mentioned, plus Epsom salts, fish emulsion and garden molasses. Here are some links to read more about making your own alfalfa tea. If it's good for Roses, it good from Clematis!
http://www.emmitsburg.net/gardens/recipes/alfalfa.htm
http://www.westvalleyrose.org/roseinfo/alfalfatea.html
Hi Shirley~ We always add compost to all the flowerbeds each Spring,also, and as you know, there are alot of worms in there! I think it's the worms that love the coffee grounds and they in turn make the soil better for the Clematis.
We have always thrown all our coffee grounds out into the beds.....something my own grandma did years ago (she'd say "the worms will love you for it!").
Thank you for the links!!
I have been adding coffee grounds and left over coffee to my roses. I've never thought about doing it to my clem, but it makes sense. I will be doing that this year.
Thanks for the coffee grounds tip, grannyh! I'll be adding them to my Clematis this year!
You're very welcome for the links. Hope they helped.
we compost everything from the kitchen and small pieces of garden refuse too, along with leaves. i throw fertilizer on the pile a couple of times a year. we let it brew, although it does get air and water but we do not turn the piles, which are contained in large areas of kennel type fencing. about once a year we take the well composted stuff from the bottom of the piles and i use it at the base of shrubs and the clems too.
i buy a product called Nias or another one called Bumper Crop and use that also around the base of the clems. I mix it will perlite or vermiculite, handfuls of bone meal, maybe some fine gravel, sometimes finely ground peat, and regular garden soil as my planting mixture.
if i has more coffee grounds i would try them on the clems.
one tip ...i saw large bags of coffee grounds for free at several starbucks cofffee shops for gardeners to take home. maybe checkout your local startbucks and see if you can get them?
One thing I might mention about the coffee grounds.......
When I put down the ColorBurst, I will kind of scratch it into the soil a little. I don't do that with the coffee grounds.....I just throw the grounds out there and let it work its way down into the ground on its own.
Coffee grounds will also help to keep the cats out of your flowerbeds. They hate coffee grounds!!
DH says it makes the grass greener.....but there again, I think the worms play a role in that also.
This message was edited Feb 18, 2009 9:42 AM
grannyh, I wonder if that works with dogs too???
I have some neighborhood chihuahuas that are always in my beds digging and marking. It is soooooooooo frustrating. I'll do anything to keep dogs out of my stuff.
I do use coffee grounds on my mini roses. I think the components really help.
Well....you could give it a try.......or you could make a "little bed of horrors" as my DH calls what I do for a last resort!!
Sometimes I have to go and buy those wooden scewers (you know, for doing shish-ka-bobs)....you get about 100 in a package for $1.50 or so. I'll stick them down into the soil in whatever bed is having major intruders and it seems to really put them off......hmmm...now I wonder why?!!...LOL!!
nice idea granny. I have lots of those somewhere in a kitchen drawer. Maybe if I stick em all around the dogs would get confused and go "mark" somewhere else. OR maybe they'll decide to be smart-ellicy & mark on all of them. *rolls eyes* It's worth a shot anyway.
Here's what I "think" may be a Will Goodwin clem that is just popping up. Pirl & I both think that maybe this is a new shoot. You can see the old wood right behind.
For me, this is a first sign of spring is near, yet we have 27 degrees forecasted for Saturday night. Ugh!
I can hardly wait for warmer weather!! It's still pretty cold here, also.....but,.... it's the Midwest, so you really can't expect too much in the middle of Februrary but cold weather.
Your Will Goodwin is looking good, 2racingboys! It already got a head start on the Spring rush!
I have two Clematis that have come out of hibernation, but of course they were wintering over in my unheated garage. I'll try to remember and take a picture of them tomorrow.
As you guys are waiting for warmer weather we just got a another huge dumping of snow ugh!!! I can't believe this?!?! Will spring ever come for me? Teehee.
Sorry to hear about another load of snow, but at least it is a nice insulation and water (when it melts) for your plants!
Spring will be here, it just might take a little longer.
Henryi & Ville de Lyon - I need to move mine into a little more shade - they look so puny up against everyone else's
While waiting for clems to wake up from winter, I stopped at Home Depot. Found these trellises for 12 bucks each. They're planted near the sleeping clems. I'm hoping the clems appreciate their new growing structures.Doesn't this pretty girl deserve something better than a privacy fence.
edit for spelling
This message was edited Feb 19, 2009 5:41 PM
Oh, these are the trellises.........silly me
Good purchases venu! It will look great!
Irwells50 and venu209......you both have some beautiful Clematis there....we're just supposed to get 'a dusting' of snow tomorrow evening.....we shall see!!
Here is polish spirit with my ville de lyon....they were both newly planted last spring......I can't wait to see them really take off......
Just another shot of the same I think.....
All of your Clematis are gorgeous! I wish I could have every one.
When I first started planting, it was Clematis I chose and have loved them most ever since.
Here are some pics of my beauties.
This is C. Claire du lune
And a closeup
I think this closeup of Jackmanii shows wonderful colors and textures.
This is a multi blue with a little friend
This beauty is C. seiboldii 'Vienetta" in it's final flowering stage.
Just two more! This is Crystal Fountain.
Finally, my truly blue C. durandii
kudrick, love your photos. especially the clair de lune. a beautiful clem and a great photo love the close up.
clair de lune has not been vigorous for me, has taken years to establish. i get a few blooms every year but not a plant who has come on strong for me. maybe this year she will break thru!
i spent time cleaning clem photos up and trashing some yesterday and am positivily drooling for spring and all the work and beauty it brings.
i too love durandi, i consider it the "bluest" of all my flowers, along the lines of worn denim. mine is a little darker than your photo looks, one of my favorites for sure.
happy spring and thanks for sharing the photos!
Same to you Niobe! Pretty soon it will be time to prune!
Beautiful Clematis, kudrick!!!.....especially that C. seiboldii 'Vienetta"...Wow!!!
Thank you, it is a real beauty!
Beautiful pictures of your Clematis, kudrick! The bee visiting your Multi-Blue was a nice natural touch to your photo.Good photo editing as well. We all have Spring Fever after seeing your pictures! Nice to see another Clematis fanatic posting from Maryland! :~)
What a lovely variety of different clematis! Just beautiful! I was drooling just looking at your photo's LOL
Dawn, I love that combination of Ville de Lyon and Polish Spirit. The colors are great together.
Thanks so much!
Thanks Shirley and Dawn. The pic with the bee is one of my favs.
I have a sister-in-law named Shirley who lives in Ellicott City.
wow, those are fantastic. I have Clair de Lune on my "must have" list. Do you have yours in some shade or sun?
claire de lune is prettier in partial shade , retains color longer. it is like pope j p II, hagley hybrid and many other light clems and bleach out from full, direct sun.
2racingboys: I totally agree with niobe! Any white or light colored Clematis needs to be in pt. shade, otherwise their color(s) will be bleached out by the sun.
kudrick: Too funny! What a small world...your sister-in-law has the same 1st name and lives in the same city as me!