I would love to put one of my new clematis under my crepe myrtle tree, but I'm worried about finding a place between all of those roots to dig a hole and worried about damaging the tree. I have lantana, dianthus and verbena there already, but that doesn't require so much depth. What advise can you give?
I think a clem would look beautiful climbing that tree. The poison ivy certainly doesn't have a problem climbing it and this would be a lot prettier.
Planting clem under trees
i have heard that contrary to the advice of planting a clem midway to tree dripline and angling growth up to trunk, that there is actually more moisture and space right up next to the tree in the "crotch" of two of the bigger roots. this will be different with different trees, but the latest thought is that where you have the crotch and can dig down between it you find better space for a clem than the other, more outdated method
of locating it.
also selectively pruning the tree to allow enough sunlight in to the area underneath vs letting the tree be "au naturel" may be a good thought.
and of course, as you know water water water
you can always do th econtainer under the tree if you have pruned out enough of the tree to make sure sunlight is adequate after the tree is fully leafed out.
It all depends on the maturity and size of the trees in question. I have VERY mature trees with extensive root systems. Digging down into the soil is NOT an option for me. I can't dig through the tough fibrous root systems, plus, it would eventually cause injury to the tree and I don't want to do that.
Instead, of digging down, I have created a raised bed surrounding the tree. I purchased paving bricks at my local Home Depot. I created two rows of pavers, which was around 18" high. I then added compost, manure, good potting soil into the well area around the tree. I planted all my various Clematis and then topped off the planting mixture with several inches of shredded hardwood mulch. I made sure that the mulch was not touching the vines, which might cause fungal problems. I also added chicken wire about 10' up the trunk of the tree so that the Clematis would have something to climb on.
Make sure that the poison ivy is completely gone BEFORE planting in the same area, even if you have to use Round-up to erradicate this awful vine. I'm SO allergic to poison ivy! I start itching just looking at it!
me too on the poison ivy. i also read the way a clem starts on a tree in nature is when both are young. so planting a say, 5 ft tree and a clem at the same time may make more sense than risking alot under mature trees. shirley send a pic of your method when you can. sounds ingenoius!
This is a great idea, but I planted flowers around the tree last year. I added my own soil, but didn't raise it much. So, in order to do that, I would have to dig up my perennials. My granddaughter loves the dianthus and they've been living for two years even during the winter. This photo gives some idea of how big the tree is.
go potted under there in your zone.
I'm so glad you posted your picture Sharkey, because a picture is worth a 1,000 words. You have a large area to plant in. You have your pavers standing straight up. However, I placed my pavers on their side with the scalloped edge on the outside of the circle for a more decorative effect. Plus, my pavers have more depth to them. It will make more sense once I take a picture and post. I also planted a few small perennials in the same tree bed. Right now they are small, but with time they will fill in around the bottom of the Clematis vines and spill over the edge to soften the hard look of the pavers. That's the plan!
shirley consider sedum to spill over edge. angelina is a great choice. i have it at the base of quite a few clems. they retain water to an area but so not drink much, and are hardy as all get out. sedum is a balance to clem addictiom as they are the most forgiving, easy to propagate and grow group in the world.
I too had always read that you didn't want to plant by trees but like Shirley's idea.
I had also read that you never want to mound dirt around a tree but with the roots much further out, how would this hurt the tree?
I've got two trees which would be perfect because I have been complaining to DH (yes Dear Husband right now) that I don't like these trees because they aren't nice looking trees and aren't even good for shade.
Oh btw, I was told on another forum that I should not plant clematis beside my wisteria so was/is this true?
Thanks
Bonnie, I understood, mounding more soil on top of the base of the trees, that impede air circulation and it eventually weaken, sometime 'choke' the tree and kills it. As far as Wisteria and clems? Wisteria grow very fast, my concern is that they will shade out the clematis.
i have clem on wisteria, but i prune the heck out of the wisteria all season long and do not care if it blooms. i keep it limbed up, practically naked and just use it as a structure for clems and to add some top fluff to an arched area. but you have to be relentless and not attached to the wisteria blooms. you can leave a small area that will bloom, i do get some blooms. i have one big wisteria i do not have clems on.
there is a wall in nyc on 8th ave. a brick wall(side of building)with kennel fencing all the way uy, wisteria and 10 kids of clems on it. the do the same thing, prune the wisteria severely as soon as it blooms, by then th eclems are half way up and it is amazing. this year i will snap a photo when it is in bloom and post it.
you can imagine the day i walked by this "wall of clematis" in nyc, it tool my freath away. i felt like an urban plant hunter!
CG: I like your suggestion of low growing Sedum at the base of the tree. Their roots would not compete with the Clematis and they thrive on neglect and little moisture. I'm not familiar with Angelina. I never grown that before. On the north and east sides of the tree, I've planted some Columbine that I grew from seed. I have a couple of other perennials in the planting area also. I'll have to look at the tags because I can't remember for the life of me what I planted! Sheesh!
Bonnie: Yes, it's true that you don't want to mound a lot of dirt around a tree. I always shudder when I see these "mulch volcanoes" as I call them around people's trees. I haven't done that. I'll take a picture (I promise) and will post it very soon. That would be a lot more helpful than my explanation.
Sorry, can't help you with your Wisteria/Clematis question. I love them both!. I love to bury my nose in the drooping Wisteria blooms and inhale deeply! I would think that these two vines grown together would eventually compete with one another for space and for moisture. Just my 2 cents worth.
il send pic of clem with wisteria later in season.
re angelina sedum. get one plant and tear it up and start 30 more. within 6 weeks you will have plenty to put anywhere you want. i have photo of it at base of ville de lyon, it is yellow green in spring, grass green later and goes red in fall. practically evergreeen in my zone. and so easy to start more, like all sedum xcept even faster!
look at the base of this clem in this shot and you can see sedum angelina in action.
truly a great sedum!
Gorgeous C.G.! Love your floriferous Clematis and the lime green Angelina Sedum. Very nice under planting for Clematis that will not compete with the Clems root system.
Sharkey: I finally got a chance to take a picture of the tree and the way I did my raised bed of Clematis. I have 5 different Clematis varieties in this bed. I've taken the picture from different angles so you would get a better idea. You can see how I surrounded the tree with chicken wire. It goes up at least 10 ft.
This is the same tree and raised bed taken from a different angle. I have inter-planted winter sown Columbine plants between my Clematis.
CG: You can sort of see my climbing Hydrangea along the fence line in the picture above. When it's in bloom this Summer, I'll take another picture of it for you.
At least everyone can see some of my flowering Spring Daffodils from this angle.
Wow Shirley i can't wait to see that tree full of your clematis...which ones do you have growing up it?
Shirley great idea, I hope you don't mind if I copy it!
I agree with Guru, Angelina is a great sedum to grow. It spreads quite a bit and you may see bits and pieces elsewhere occasionally but it's super easy to pull and grow elsewhere. I've even dropped pieces before and it takes root and grows there.
Here's a pix of my wisteria last year after it bloomed, I have wacked it back alot on the sides don't have near the growth now.
Maybe if I grew a clematis on each side post that would give them plenty of room?
Shirley, thanks for the picture. It's a beautiful yard. Please send us another photo when these clems are in bloom. It's going to be gorgeous. Except for a few pecan trees and a couple of cedars, we have no trees. That's why I can't own anything that requires a lot of shade.
shirley, retty, please sendpics thru the season.s
bonnie i think you can grow clems on the front posts, something that likes a bit of shade. nelly moser a nice choice?
Dawn: Thanks so much for your very kind comment. If my memory serves me correctly, I have Clematis "Jolly Good", "Freckles", "Queen of Holland", "Tentel" and ??? I have to go outside and refresh my memory.
Bonnie: Glad you like my raised bed. It's the first one I ever made. Of course you may copy it because copying is the highest form of flattery! (Not my original saying either!) Love your swing, arbor and water. Is that part of a lake, river, stream or inlet?
Sharkey: Glad my pictures helped. It's very hard to envision what someone is talking about until you can actually visualize it. I'll definitely send pictures when my Clems are in bloom. You'll get shade eventually, but it takes many years for trees to grow.
C.G. I promise to send pictures throughout the growing season. My problem is that I focus on close-up shots of my Clematis or take a picture of the Clematis plant, but forget to take a long shot of the rest of my garden. I actually do grow lots of other "things" besides Clematis! Right now my Spring bulbs are producing lots of beautiful blooms and my Hellebores are in full swing!
If anyone wants some starts of rooted Climbing Hydrangea just D-mail me.
Found what the ??? was, it's "Tye Dye".
Guru, this area does sun most of the day until late day. Actually Nelly Moser is one that I recently purchased and now in a pot waiting for a place to be planted so thanks for the suggestion.
Shirley this area is by our pond. Pix attached...
Bonnie: What a beautiful pond. It's the perfect setting for growing flowering vines. Is your home in the distance?
Shirley that tree is going to look AMAZING with all those clematis....is that a new project for you or did you have that last year as well? I am just exciting thinking of the photo's I will see from you this summer!
Bonnie what a lovely yard!
pretty bonnie. nelly will do well there i think. your lake is really nice, looks like a park! good luck with your clems!
Dawn: This raised bed around the tree is a new project that I completed last Fall. At that time I planted my Clematis surrounding the tree and added the chicken wire around the tree's trunk. With all the blessed rain we are receiving this month, my Clematis should be growing very quickly now.
april showers bring may flowers....we are getting the april showers for sure. soaking deep , spring like rains that make the heart sing....
I totally agree CG! We needed this soaking rain desperately! We were in such a significant deficient from lack of moisture during this past winter. Many of my bushes have already shown winter kill! I was so busy this weekend with triming, fertilizing other plants, over seeding the lawn in anticipation of these wonderful April showers! I'm hoping the Clematis will grow several a lot from this wonderful rain.
my clems are leaping and only a handful not up yet. i am checking those lke 2 x a day like a hawk. watched pot and all that.
i do have some shrubs that were put in last spring that look pretty bad such as some red and yellow twig dogwood and some jap willows....jury is out on those, but i am planning how to juggle and replace and not replace a few of them!
but clems doing well for time of year, at least thru today!
I've been watching my "Florida Sieboldii" like a hawk. No sign of it yet! I sure hope all this rain will make it start growing!
Hope your red and yellow twig Dogwoods respond. I have a large red twig Dogwood that I planted years ago. It appears to be okay. My Barberries & English Hollies were showing the winter kill.
my red twigs that have been in a couple of years are back fine. the ones i put in last spring...look very bad. i think i am going to prune them low later this week and see what develops. if not much develops i shall have to move them to a recovery area, probably in pots as the place i planted them is too prominent for recovery years.
i had a florida sieboldi in the ground a few years ago in a protected spot. it cam back year 2, spindly, put out one bloom , disappeared forever. just too much of a winter here i guess. was trying to push the zones as i am close to zone 6. but in inch is as good as a mile as they say with hardiness.
right now i am hoping flammula made it. it is a species clem that may be borderline for here. no show yet. have only a handful of others with no show. entel, voluceau, caroline, abundance (but i killed her last year ,she was one of the ones let in the box for 6 weeks),bourbon, a a couple of others. all put in last year. however, i have a good number of other who just are up an inch, first stems, so i think most of these will come up. we have had several days of rain and now some good weather coming on, will bring out the last of em i think.
i can relate shirley. i have been checking al mine 2 x per day that are not up. watched pot and all that.
one of my larger clem orders is on its way. if they arrive by sat i will be planting them sat and sunday. holes are dug soil ammended and ready. all existing clems fertilized. if they arrive monday DH will have to unpack and hold them for a few days as i have a business trip. have my fingers crossed they will arrive tomorrow or sat so i can plant. am itching to plant.
have a green one everybody!