This video has inspired me to try my hand growing clematis. I need a day in the dirt to get out of the doldrums. Thank you for motivating me in this direction.
Ken thank you for this outstanding overview of growing clematis in general and also how to do it in pots. Last year I was considering different ways to plant clematis in my garden and you have just opened a whole New World for me and possibilities for my patio and porch thank you so much.
Great news! Ken Black Is back! Seems like I have watched each of your videos 2 or more times and shared them with friends. Each time I learn a bit more. Thank you for sharing all your wisdom with us. I love the idea of bending the integrafolia into an arch! Also the fact that Mrs Cholmondeley died. I thought I was one of the few avid growers that had deaths. I love putting pots in pots because it allows us to have more clematis. Also in my area to plant directly in a ceramic pot would cause the pot to crack. This fall I will be digging up many clematis in my yard and adding them to my fenced patio because deer have been eating the leaves and buds up to 5'. my only other alternative is to put a 5' fence around each clematis and keep them in clematis prison. When I winter over clematis in plastic pots I round them up and cover them with lots of clippings from ornamental grasses. They survive just fine in my zone 7/6 Each year I seem to learn a bit more and buy more,,,,,after 50+ I really stopped counting. Your videos are a true gift to those of us who love clematis and want to learn. Thank you, Judy from Wading River, Long Island, NY
Thank you for your feedback. I am glad that my videos are helpful.anyone who grows large hybrid clematis will suffer failures because many of the plants will have weaknesses bred into them. Deaths are not common, but they happen. Good luck with your collection.
Ken its so good to see you! I didn't think you were coming back. What a fantastic video. This has helped me a lot. I have many clematis but have planted some in the ground and now I wish I had kept them in pots haha. Explaining how you grow them on and around things is a fantastic help to us I think. I have bought many clematis that grow just too tall and I can't see the heads up that high so watching how you train clematis would make a fantastic video as a follow on to this one. It was a brilliant watch and has gave me many ideas. Thanks so much for sharing. Your garden is looking beautiful as always
I am glad you found the video helpful. I will try to work in trading clematis into one of my videos for next year. I don’t know whether anyone would watch but I am considering doing a monthly video next year taking people round the garden and highlighting the tasks that fit the month ie pruning in March. What do you think?
@Ken Black Clematis i think people will be interested In anything you show Ken. A lot of people don't grow clematis because they are scared of them because they haven't a clue how to grow train or prune them. I tried for many years but I just couldn't get them to grow right. I'm still learning but I now have 30. Some of them I would never have brought if I'd have known how they grew, but they are so pretty. My favourite so far is sea breeze. Its only been with me 2 years but I love it
I love your videos and use them for tips and for reference like a book. I would definitely watch every month. Have you ever grown clematis as ground cover? Do you have tips for companion planting?
What a joy to watch you in your garden! Thank you for a really useful video. Clematis are one of my favourites, but I now live in Ireland where it's often wet, so your use of pots has given me food for thought.
Thank you! I just purchased one and was planning to place it in the ground. Your idea is excellent! I have a lot of decidious fruit trees and the place doesn't look great in the Winter, so I do not need to add the leafeless Clematis to them. Also, it would be so much easier to move the plant out of the ceramic pot.
Hi Ken from Boston, MA. I accidentally discovered your channel and is so glad I watched to the end. You are a wealth of information. I have a clematis I purchased as a bare root and planted in a pot. This will be it 3rd year and was thinking of putting in the ground. With your tips and tricks, I will keep in a pot. Thank you for giving a different perspective.
Thanks Ken for this video. I bought two clematis and put in pots. Kept both pots in sheltered area in garden from harsh winter and only one survived. I think some clematis are stronger than others... it was my first attempt at potting clematis. I thank you so much for THIS video... it will help me planning my pot gardening for next year. Great to see you again and your wonderful garden. Stay well!
Thank you for this. So lovely to see you are putting up new videos. This one was great. Looking forward to seeing the pests and diseases video when you get round to It.
Hello Ken.I am new to your channel and all that I can say is that I have just spent a lovely, peaceful,sunny morning in your garden as I cant get outside due to our awful winter uk weather.I did take a cutting from my Pope John Paul clematis a last year and popped that into a plastic pot.There was a split in the bottom of said pot which I put (for only a couple of months) on top of a gravel area.When I came to move it I was surprised to find that it was resisting my efforts to even lift it up.On closer inspection I found that in had bedded itself in the weed membrane under the gravel.Strong roots eh.???Had to cut the membrane away but happily now have a new plant to either pot on or sink into the ground.Loved your video and thanks for letting me sit, with a cuppa,on a cold ,wet ,January day,in your sunny little piece of calm and anticipation .🌹👏👏🌼
Thank you for your comments Margaret. Like yours my garden is far from sunny or dry at present but hopefully new shoots will appear soon. Some winter flowering clematis are in bloom but are not enjoying this very wet and windy weather. Well done you for your successful cutting. I think that John Paul is a lovely clematis but is not always reliable. Have a good gardening year Ken
Hi Ken, brilliant to see that you are still making videos. I must admit that I've tried clematis in large clay pots, but they struggle from year three (they're on my hot terrace so perhaps the roots get overly warm) so I usually end up transferring into a border. I have 72 Group 2/3 clematis at latest count in my small garden (!), one of my favourites being Rebecca (which originally came as a Way Edison trio I think). I planted Texensis, Princess Kate, Prince George and Queen Mother last year (think I've got the names all correct) but havn't seen them in flower yet. But no C. Alpinas as yet. Don't know how you manage to fit so many in your garden! I have some lateral wires about 12" apart along all my fences but the clematis would much prefer the proper clematis climbing ' frames' you provide. Love the idea of bottomless pots and your tips for success, may try that. And plastic pots within clay pots, though in the border I'd have to remember to water! So much easier to move around though. Thank you for your planting up and fertilizing advice too. I still struggle a bit with unattractive browning/crisping lower leaves on my Group2/3s from July onwards despite regular watering, not sure how to resolve that. I 've also had a few that keeled over in year one, but maybe I should continue to water in the hope of them suddenly re-emerging as you say they might do. I look forward to your next video😁.
Hi Ken just subscribed to your channel as I have laid in bed and thoroughly enjoyed your garden and the useful information you have supplied. Bought 3 Clematis this morning but will definitely take more consideration on where I will plant them..
Thank you for this! I've been in two minds about pots vs ground, we have heavy clay that gets waterlogged in the winter and cracks in the summer. You've inspired me to try bottomless pots. Your clematis are stunning, thank you for sharing them!
Thanks Ken, for the great video. Hope to see you again soon. We have stong winds here. I could use s few ideas . It's mid October here on Albuquerque New Mexico, I decided to plant a clematis called Pink Mink. Maybe it's a mistake but I want something different to experiment with... Have a great day.
Thank you so much. Your knowledge helped me to understand why I’ve lost so many clematis over the years. I love clematis and roses and I’m definitely going to try growing more in pots. And I’ve noticed that plants don’t read the rule books either 😂
Wonderful Ken thank you such a lovely video. Sorry to hear about your Montana's. The weather was difficult wasn't it. We had -11 here in North Yorkshire in Dec and reIentless rain in early Spring. I planted a Tetra Rose at the start of '22 it died right back to the ground this year. I wondered if I would lose it, was a shame as it had put on about 10 feet last year. It's started re growing from the ground again thankfully so at least it's not gone completely ! Same thing happened to a Rhapsody planted last year and it's started again from the ground. That is so good when they re grow like that from the base. Loved watching the video on pots and I am definitely going to give the bottomless pot idea a go for some tricky areas I can't dig down into very well.
Loved this video which has ignited some efforts again to look after the varieties i have at various stages of life and decay. please can i request a demo for using a grinder to make the bottomless plastic and ceramic large pots that you have talked about. enjoy your summer Ken with thanks to you.
Thank you Ken, it't's good to see you again. The scorching weather gives us problems, but only yesterday I found blackened leaves on ' Blue Angel', bought last week. The nurseryman told me that the newer hybrids dislike acid soil/compost, so I've had to buy multi-purpose compost for my pots. (Over-watering causes leaf damage too.) I re-potted many of last year's young plants that had been great successes; they all died for the same reason - wrong compost regardless of grit. (PS Don't Americans eat 'grits'.)
Thanks Ken, in Spring everything baked, now it's monsoon of course. I've used your double-pots for years but now can't do heavy stuff. Lost labels are a curse; two unknown clematis could be 'Angel' - one still small one up the Box hedge littered with buds so I'm hopeful. 'Rouge Cardinal' is a beauty; 'Dr. Ruppel', 'Niobe' , 'Amber' now starting second flowers, and super blue c. longifolia;.
@@wendychandler8304 I but strong yellow plastic labels because I find that they last much longer than white ones. Names are applied with a dymo label printer and I tie them to the plant support with long life plastic. Given that this is virtually permanent I don’t feel guilty about using plastic for this purpose. I still loose the odd label but this is more likely to be when I am repotting and forget to put the label back on. The label is saved for reuse.
Love your garden. I live in Sweden so very very cold in the winter, cold in the spring and short summer. so I hide them in hedges for protection. I might try some in pots. One is potted in pot but the roots have gone down int the ground after 20 years.
I am pleased that you like our garden and hope that you find the videos helpful. I am aware that many viewers have very different climatic conditions to me and have to make adjustments to the advice I give. Good luck with the pots
@@kenblackclematis8272 Thank you. Had to move one of them In order to build a frame, after the old one collapsed in a winter storm 2022. And it came up again this year so we see it. Was thrilled to bits. Once again, one can find some really good. channels. Yours is one of them.
Have you tried growing your Gillian Blades in a bit more sun? Mine has a gorgeous purple outline on each leaf. Mine is planted on the South side of my house under the overhang of my house with a volcanic rock over her roots. It's the clematis in my picture next to my name.
My goodness I just stumbled onto your video and I am in absolute awe of your clematis and overall garden space!! I aspire to grow clematis as well as you are. I live in the US, Austin, Texas and I have just started trying to grow clematis. Currently I have five in total, four are in ground and one is in a bottomless fire clay pot. I chose Stll Waters, Aphrodite, Sugar Sweet, Entil and Yukiokoshi. How often are you fertilizing and how much do you give them? Can clematis suffer from iron deficiency? The Yukiokoshi new growth is looking quite chartreuse. Unfortunately my area is undergoing an extended period of extreme heat, 60 days of over 100 degree heat. Thank you for video it was wonderful to watch!
I am pleased that you find my videos helpful. I fertilise my pots once a year with a year long slow release fertiliser but I think that next year I will use a different method. Pot grown clematis need lots of feed. Any balanced fertiliser will do, but they can suffer from iron deficiency. Good luck Ken
These videos are just lovely, Ken. As is your garden. Are there cons to having clematis grow through ivy on trellisses? Wich type of clematis would be best (due to more difficult pruning)?
I am pleased you find the videos helpful. I would advise against growing clematis with ivy because ivy gets very thick and would overwealm ant clematis. Sorry, I am sure this is not what you want to hear. If you want to grow clematis on your trellis I suggest you first get rid of the ivy first
I have just come across your channel and I am amazed at your wonderful collection of clematis. I have a question - I garden in Laois in the centre of Ireland on heavy clay soil so my clematis struggle quite a bit. Would I be better to lift them out of the soil and replant them in the 50/50 grit and compost you recommend? I only had about a dozen but I lost some when Storm Opelia ripped up the trellis arches they were on. I now have C.Montana Marjorie (struggling), C. Luxurians, C.Niobe (not flowering) , C.Romantika , C.Princess Diana, C.Tangutica, C. cirrhosa 'Wisley Cream', C.Pilu and Clematis Pitcheri 'mary Toomey'. I have been adding my own compost to them every year but I am wondering if it is the heavy clay soil that is the problem? Ihe Clemaits all grow along a walkway with arches and there are vigorous climbing roses sharing the supports. Any advice would be very welcome. Hazel Luskin #gortnaleegardens
Sorry for the delay in replying. Glad you have Mary Toomey. As you possibly knew, Mary died a couple of years ago. She was great to talk with and I miss our conversations. Anyway, clay is a good medium for holding nutrients so don’t despair. Given that you describe your clay soil is very heavy I would consider using pots with very good drainage as you describe, but I would take the bottoms out. By doing this and wedging the pot into the ground or part sinking it you will ensure that the crowns of the clematis do not get waterlogged and the feeding roots can go through to the soil and clay beneath to get water and nutrients. Best of both worlds. Wait until the start of the dormant season to do this however. Good luck Ken
Thanks for the advise! I got a new clematis and potted it up as you recommend, in a pot with the bottom cut out and the best compost mix I could and have planted the pot three-quarters way down and I have great hopes for it! The area doesn't get waterlogged but the soil is very dense however I've replace the surrounding soil with a mis containing grit and leaf mould so it should be fine. I'm really enjoying looking at your past videos too! I dream of having clematis as good as yours. Thanks again for the advise,
Thank you for your kind comments. When I use a bottomless pot the idea is that the pot never gets moved so is wedged or part sunk into the ground. Use a pot with a bottom in it if you are growing a clematis that you may want to move
Hello from Canada :) Thank you for the great, informative video. I was wondering if I could plant in pots and would I bring the pots into my garage in Winter as I do my hostas that are in pots? Gets pretty cold here and lots of snow. Zone 6a. What size pot is recommended?
I don’t think I am qualified to comment about how to grow in your climate. If you go on Facebook and look up Peter Keeping he may be able to advise. He lives in Canada and grows clematis commercially
I just subscribed, and am so happy to have found your channel. I have failed😅cg with several Clematis that were bought locally and have a few that are GREAT such as Henryii which is blooming right now, May 13. Others such as Sweet Autumn Clematis disappeared for 3 years and then came back to cover our deck support and fence 2 years ago. That one is in hot sun from midday until sunset. The Henryii only gets morning sun. Another gets filtered afternoon sun and is climbing up a large Hinoki Cypress. When shopping for Clematis, I find every tag tells you to plant it in full sun! That certainly is not good advice. The tags don’t tell you which pruning type it is, so you must know to do your research on that. Nor is there info given as to the different types of soil that different types need to thrive. I am in zone 5b in the Hudson Valley, NY with very clay and rocky soil. I amend accordingly. We get very hot summers and wet and cold winters. What comparable planting zone would your garden be classified to be in? That would be helpful to USA viewers. This video was a great learning experience for me, and I may go and purchase 2 Clematis that I spotted at a nursery a few days ago. But, is mid May the best time to plant?
I am pleased that you find my videos helpful. The whole of the UK is in zone 6-9. Like you we get wet winters but not the snow that New York gets. Our summers are not as hot either although the temps are usually 60 to 75 degrees. This probably does not help you much. Clematis are tolerant of most temperature variations however.
Any time of year is good to plant as long as your clematis has a good root system and is not one of the very small plants sold in places like Walmart etc. look at my video on Supermarket Clematis to see what to do with young small ones.
These are probably 2-3 year old plants. One that I loved was Nubia. They are between $50.00 and $90.00 here. Therefore the “ thinking about it phase”. Plant prices are much higher here this year than even last year. Fortunately, I increase my plants by rooting them and growing them on and then trading well established plants with other passionate gardeners😁
Hi. What kind of holes do you have in both pots? I live in Atlanta GA, and we get lots of rain. I am not growing clematis, but I have lots of annuals and perennials in pots. Looks like you have lots of watering to do. Thanks.
The large plastic pots have their bottoms removed with a saw blade designed to cut through plastic and for the ceramic/stone ones I use an angle grinder
Hi at around <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="448">7:28</a> u have black looks like wired trellis looks lovely what is it called also would it be sting enough for a climbing rose many thanks
Hi Ken. Do you cut back your clematis every year? Before Spring when the twigs look dead? I noticed some of my clematis had buds on them? Do I leave them alone? Because I ended up cutting them To the ground.., hope I didn’t kill it. Please advise. Thank you.
If any of your clematis are due to flower before June each year they must not be pruned because you will be cutting off flower buds. In general, Those that flower in June or after can be pruned down to just above the third lowest pair of leaves above the ground.
Why are your flowers are beautiful I love the striped one I have a question doesn't your flowers your plants get root rot from staying in a container I'm new to gardening and so I hear negative things about oh be careful of root rot
No, I plant in good but very gritty compost for good drainage and I use blood, fish and bone in the pot when I plant. After that I use a slow release fertiliser. Clematis are greedy feeders in pots.
My clematis Henryi has all top growth and flowers and about almost a meter off the ground I have no leaves and it just looks like dry twigs ,no leaves at all. What can I do to help it grow leaves and flowers down there again. Ty my plant is in the ground.
fabulous video. Thank you. Can you tell me if I can grow clematis Winter Beauty in a pot placed in a North facing position. My late mum had a climbing fuchsia in a beautiful pot with an attached obelisk. During the very cold Winter of 2022/23 the fuchsia died and I am left with a beautiful pot but no plant. I have looked for another climbing fuchsia to replace the one that died, but couldn't source one, so I thought C. Winter Beauty would be lovely as\ the pot is right by by front door, Thank you for your help and advice. Happy gardening 🙂
I am not sure about Winter Beauty. I live in North West England where the winters are damp or in respect of the last two, wet. Winter Beauty has not done well for me so I would not like to suggest it. Not knowing where you live I do not know what to suggest. If you give me more information I will do my best, however.
Because we open our garden and have some older visitors who might trip if not careful. Some paths are gravel, some paving and some lawn and there might be slight height differences in places
I am sorry to hear that Sal. Not knowing which Country you live in makes it difficult too suggest anything to you, but if you give me more information about what varieties they were and how you tried to grow them I will do my best.
