81 clems got a mixture of aged manure , nias posy power, handfuls of bone meal all mixed together and applied to the surrounding area of the clem today. the rest will have to wait till next weekend and the weekend after. this was a big chore, and my garden time will be limited for the next couple of weeks. watered them also as the top few inches of soil seem dry. our spring soaking rains have not started, we are just leaving dormancy , altho there are fat buds on most type 2 stems and the atragenes also. they will be the first to bloom. herbaceous types are showing small shoots from the crown. many of the clems have shoots and multiple shoots emerging at the base. very encouraging. this is my 3rd season of heavy top dressing (spring 08, fall 08 and now) and seems to be paying off. friend who owns a garden shop came over and walked the gardens with me, seems early for that too, but everyone is excited about spring after such a cold winter.
vitacellas are still sleepy. they wake up quick when they decide it is time.
in a few weeks after i get everyone top dressed as above,(and most of the new shoots are substantially up) i will add a layer of pea gravel to the top of that, which helps retain moisture better than mulch and thwarts some crawly bugs.
let the season begin!
spring enrichment
Thanks for the udpate....even tough I still have snow it is truly exciting to share in all your excitement with spring on it's way.....yippeeee!! Looks like things are coming along just great for you Guru! It will only get better too!
next year come on down in march if you still have snow on the ground. you would be welcome to get your hands dirty!
What is nias posey power? Sounds wonderful. I`m new to clems and want to get mine off to a strong start this year. I was planning on adding compost and Rosetone to my clems. any suggestions? Lesley
Nias Posy Power is a bagged compost that is made of horse manure and other ammendments. last year was my first year using it, prior to that i had used a bagged product called Bumper Crop. I loved Bumper Crop, but last year my garden store did not stock it. So last year i switched to Nias. This year i mixed 2/3 bagged composted cow manure with 1/3 Nias, and a few handfuls of bone meal. I top dress heavily in the area around where a clem is planted in about a 12 inch square area, and generally avoid piling it up on the stem.
I have heard good things about rose fertilizer. I use something called Gro Power, the Bloom and Gro formula, usually 2 x per year.
I use Hollytone on my boxwood, Rosetone is by the same company I imagine. I think they have good products. I just use the Gro Power out of habit, as the American Clematis Society recommends it. I get it mail order from HIgh Country Gardens.
Where does one find "Nias Posy Power" or "Bumper Crop"? I haven't seen either of these in the big box stores.
How big a bag and how much does it cost from High Country Gardens?
I used to use "Chesapeake Blue", which utilized crushed oyster shells from the Chesapeake Bay. My Clematis and garden loved this stuff. However, now it's not being sold any more. SOB!
Guru, thank you for your reply. I have never seen these products in Louisville, but I will keep an eye out during my spring nursery shopping. Your information is so helpful and I appreciate the time you spend in answering questions. Lesley
I get Nias and bumper crop from a regional garden center, not a "big box". i am sure there are comparables if they do not carry the exact same item. Lowes etc only carries miracle grow type products.
i used oyster shells as top dressing last year. cheaper than pea gravel and it lightens and sweetens soil as it sinks down in in. i wil luse oyster shell again later in the summer . happen to have stocked up on pea gravel so am using it now. when i run out will get the poulty grit crushed oyster shell again.
do not get it at a garden store, get it at a feed store . it is sold as chicken grit or poultry grit. also slugs do not like to slither on sharp gritty oyster shells. very very cheap. worth driving to a feed store if there is not one close by for you.
the GRO POWER brand fertillizer recommended by the american clematis society is about 14$ for 8 lbs bag at High Country. it has microbes and soil enhancers.you sprinkle it around the base of a clem, it looks like small charcoal granules, very easy to use. it goes a long way. i really noticed a difference. i do not like to spray anything on the clems, just paranoid about it for no reason. and fertilizer in water is heavier, this method works well for me. i try to use it when it is raining or i know big rain is coming.
this spring mixing the nias with the composted manure is a first for me. based on jeannes discussion about manure i was motivated, also the manure is cheaper than the nias or bumber crop. there was no odor, which i was pleased about.
in my area at a regional garden center pricing is about
Nias posy power, 30 lb bag 4.99
bumber crop (same size bag, not sure poundage), 8.99 or 9.99
composted manure , 2.99 per bag 40 lb bag i believe
this care in spring has a big payoff with health if plants and floriferous-ness!
Thanks so much for the info! Yes, I also frequent my local feed store called "Southern States". I'll check there to see if they have any of the products you mentioned.
All your wonderful soil amendments are really paying off big time because your garden and Clematis are gorgeous!
thanks shirley. appreciate that. you got some great clems going on too, and funny how we have both struggled with some of the same ones.
Thanks so much. Yes, some Clematis grow more vigorously than others. Some just take more time and need a lot more pampering.
I added some Worm Castings and "Compost Plus" from Logees to my clems, roses and passis. I hope they like it!
They'll love it!
Many of mine got a huge barrel of our own compost and the best thing possible happened...I found the tag (and plant) for a clematis I had forgotten I had!
pirl: Great news! Which tag (and plant) did you find?
Comtesse de Bouchard. What a shock!
Ahhhh she is one of my fav's for sure....mine blooms so nicely!!!! I love pink!!
I have only shades of pink on the very large hydrangea, Tardiva. There's City of Lyon, Hagley Hybrid, Duchess of Albany and now the Comtesse de Bouchard. There's still room for at least one more.
found a pic i hadn't noticed from last summer of ville de lyon. i just did a walk around (1 hour with nippers in hand) to check the action since i was away all week on a business trip, got in late last night. lots going on, vitacellas still sleepy.
lots of nice healthy shoots and leaf buds on most clems (except those vitacellas, very few awake yet)
reading a book by Jim Fisk, uk clem guy historically important. book first published in 70's. bought it used online.
really expanded my clem library this winter ..all used and great values.
happy spring to all
I love buying used books from online sites and it never bothers me if there is underlining or notes. It just makes it more valuable to me. I do the same thing with my cookbooks.
Wow just look at that photo!!! Stunning!
thanks dawn. i have posted other shots of that clem, but stumbled on this one this morning and thought it would perk you up. is your snow melted?
hope so. spring rains started this week, which made me smile, so we are par for the course and finished with winter! (i hope!)
Oh good new for you for sure! I just love that clematis...the more I see it the more I just fall in love with it. Thanks again for posting it and if you come across anymore forgotten photo's be sure to post! It sure did perk me up.
Yes we still have snow but it is quickly melting. We have a storm warning for tomorrow which does call for possible snow but I most likely think it will be rain (I hope anyhow). Ha! I was finally able to get out today and take down most of my Christmas lights and stuff....thank goodness. Normally we have to leave ours up till spring since the ground freezes and the wires are normally frozen under the snow.
Happy gardening my friend!
got another 25 or so top dressed yesterday. want to get to about 50 more today. i leave tomorrow morning for 5 days in nyc (work related)
then next weekend more of the same.
so far many, many shoots up, love seeing the multiple shoots poking up. but not many higher than an inch, and many shorter than that. only a few showing several inches ,we are 50 and 60's daytime and night times 30's.
don't know if this means that we have more cold weather coming or if the plants are just taking their time after such a cold winter.
the atragenes such as macropetala and alpina odorato are covered in leave buds, they will burst forward in a couple of weeks and be blooming in a month.
as soon as i complete the top dressing, will plan holes for the early may arrivals and have them dug and labeled in advance. this makes planting so much more enjoyable as all decisions are out of the way and i can concentrate on a good start for the new plants.
this time of year it is good for me to be out of tow some, as the progress is slow in the early spring wake up period. more fun coming home and seeing all the changes after a few days vs watching the pot too closely so to speak.
Which company do you generally order from?
i order from silver star vinery (first choice)
brushwood gardenvines (great choice)
chalk hill was third choice, but RIP as they say on that
other than that have ordered this year from paradise gardens, plants delight, song sparrow, michigan bulb (only ordered once from them, tiny plant , but well rooted)
trying to have a nursery place an order from Blue Bird, they do not sell direct. waiting for confirmation.
really prefer silver star and brushwood. bigger roots and great selection.
Thank you. It's always great to have input from someone who grows and buys a lot of clematis.
oh yes. prideofplaceplants.com seems to have a great clem selection. i thin they may be wholesale only. i left a message but did not have a response. found out about it from someone here on the DG site i think.
dawn, i think they are in canada, might be a good resource for you?
i really wanted Catherine Clanwilliam...but found it at brushwood garden vines. am really looking forward to growing that one.