Can I jump in here & ask a stupid question?

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

Hi everyone!

I follow your forum, but I'm not much of a gardener.

We've only been in this house for about 12 years so I thought maybe it was time to get some plants for the deck. I went out & bought clemantis & planted them in barrels. I want them to climb up the posts. But they won't climb. The posts are 4-inch square & they just won't go up. They're sort of tangling around themselves. I tied them up with string, but that doesn't seem to be doing anything. Is there something I can buy (other than a trellis) & put on the posts & train them?

Is this a really stupid post or what? The nearest gardening store is miles from me & before I drive all the way over there & spend all that money in gas & pollution, I thought I would ask first.

best

[LiberalEsto]

1. Clematis needs something thin to hold onto

and a 4" post is way to big for those little tendrils.

How about hammering some nails up and down the post, and then hanging twine, starting at the top and looping around every nail. Pretty soon the clematis will cover the entire thing.

Also, although clematis has to be in full sun, it likes some shade around its roots. Plant something that only gets about a foot high in front of it to provide that shade.

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

4. I really don't want to hammer nails in the post,

but I can run twine up & down. Do you think that would work?

This clemantis is supposed to do well in either sun or shade. I hope it's okay in shade, since that's mostly what it will get.

best

[ebayfool]

5. That's what I did w/mine (natural, tan-colored twine) - works pretty good.

I made a loop, though - so that the twine is spread apart @ 3 inches down the length of the post. Lets the tendrils weave back & forth between them as it climbs. The clematis probably won't start climbing very fast right away - mine seemed to want to settle their roots in before they started stretching. Once they start, watch out - they are impressive. Part shade does okay w/mine, they get several hours in the A.M. & afternoon - but are shaded during the hottest part of the day. Probably depends alot on your location. I'm in a part of California w/temps like Texas & Arizona - 100+ for the whole summer & part of the fall. That's probably why I get away w/midday shade! If you are in cooler climes, try to maneuver into the best sun you can. If not enough it will mostly sacrifice some of the bloom quantity, but is still pretty w/all the greenery & occasional blooms. Experimenting is the best way to get the feel for what you want, sometimes things will grow in the most unexpected places.

Lucky you! A bare deck ... a blank slate to play with! That's fun!

[diplomats]

2. It sounds like the posts are too wide for the

vines to get their tendrils around. Could you put some sort of plastic netting around the post for the clematis to climb?

Is there a reason why you planted them in barrels rather than the ground? Just curious.

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

3. I planted them in barrels

because the deck is on the second floor.

I don't know if it will work, but I thought I would give it a shot. If it doesn't, maybe I can come back & ask for suggestions for other plants.

best

[uppityperson]

6. I plant things in containers and have a large garden in the ground.

I plant things in containers when I don't know where I want them, want to keep a closer eye on them, like the container, don't want them to spread, may move, don't have a good spot dug in the ground, all sorts of reasons. Many things can grow well in containers and it's nice to have portability with many plants.

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

7. I have the blackest thumb ever.

Both of them died. I replanted them. One looked like it died. It came back. Now the other one looks like it's died. Maybe I'll get lucky & there will be another resurrection, but I doubt it.

:cry:

[bleedingheart]

8. don't cry over this....many of us have stuff die all the time

I would recommend checking out something more vigorous than Clematis...they can be really fussy ..I know because I have one that just makes me crazy.

Climbing Hydrangea would be nice too...and they like shade...and in the winter their bark has a unique look...

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

9. Okay. The one came back & is probably 10 feet tall now.

I replaced the other one & it's thriving 3 whole weeks later. In fact, it has buds!!! Oh happy days!!!!!

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

10. I have four, count 'em

four flowers! Only on one though. The other is huge, but no flowers. I think it's one of those that the flowers grow on second year growth & since it broke off at ground level, we're back to square one. But, it must be 12 feet tall!

[blueworld]

11. I have had a lot of success with clematis

I also have large wooden posts on my front porch, but smaller balusters on the railing. We made a small (2 feet or less) "ladder" & leaned it up against the porch so they could climb on that while they were young. When they reached the balusters, I trained them by hand to wind between them. They hung out at that level for a year & then seemed to support themselves better as they grew large enough to reach the porch posts. We also have used twine for moonflower vines etc. Good luck!

[badgerpup]

12. Clematis will surprise you...

Have one, an Etoile de Violette that got eaten to the stems by hoppers one year...but it came back the next year- whereupon it fell over when the trellis it was on rotted and broke off below ground. Sorta like a certain castle that burned down, fell over and sank in the swamp...

I lost a lot of it distentangling it from the old trellis, but it came back stronger than ever this year and completely SMOTHERED the new custom-built trellis I'd made for it.

The one in the front yard fried to a crisp during a a two-day heat wave, despite being watered, but when I checked it, there was new growth near the base at the lowest set of leaves. It's going to come back, I'm pretty sure. :thumbsup:

[baby_mouse]

13. Clematis is a fickle, fickle, creature.

One year it'll just sit there and twiddle it shoots and do nothing in particular and the next it'll swarm all over your wall and swamp it completely.

My mum managed to kill one that had been completely covering a large archway (at least 14 feet high) by "fertilising" it with coal ash... or so she thought. In 2 years time, all the "dead" wood (which, fortunately she hadn't had time to remove) burst back into life and exploded into bloom as if nothing had ever happened. There must have been a thousand flowers.

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

14. ************** Update ************************

I planted 'a million bells' around the bases to help with the 'cool hands, warm feet'. One clemantis had hundreds of the most gorgeous, purple blooms. It was absolutely stunning. Even the million bells did fine even though they're not in full sun like they're supposed to be.

The other clemantis didn't have many blooms, but it's only in its second year so I think it did fine.

My neighbor, who has the most fabulous garden, said that her clemantis didn't do anything for the first three years. She was very impressed with mine!

Thanks again for all your help!

[Libby2]

15. Wrap a piece of chicken wire around your post

painted the color of your fence post, if you wish.