Baby plants, when to plant and how to grow.

Mr Morrison sold me today my very first clematises, (and a honeysuckle) (and wine), what do I do with them? The little friends are now 20cm tall and very thin. Should I clip the ends off or will it affect flowering? They are both the type flowering from June onwards, 3m tall.

When can I plant them out? And meanwhile, should I give them bigger pots and a sturdier stick? If I do trim them is it worth trying to root the clippings?

(5 questions in 7 sentences. Sorry. :D )

 

Hi Selleri,

Depending on where you are you can start to plant out now onwards, but take them out for the day for a week or so first just to make sure they are definitely hardened off properly. Put them out in the morning and bring them in at night to get them used to being outside.

Make sure the clematis are planted deeply with a few handfuls of compost each.

Don't bother potting them on, because they are being put out soon.

 

........and as for the wine, as far as I know you drink it. :D

 

Now, contradicting Claire. I would be inclined to pot them on, and plant out early summer. Don`t worry about them flowering this year, that`s not very likely. Grow them on a bit and look forward to the flowers next year.:gnthb:

 

Be my guest David, I'm still only learning. Just what I would do myself.

 

Claire, you know more than you think you do, just have more confidence in yourself.:thumb:

 

When you plant your clematis, cover the compost around the top with some stones, pebbles, broken pots. Clematis like to have their feet in shade. Very important (I've always been told!)

 

"Very important (I've always been told!)"

I've been told that too - cover the roots with a slab or slate was my understanding.

 

Yes, I use smaller stones as they're easier to give a snug cover over the roots.

Actually, I was told the same for honeysuckle, as they also like their feet in shade but their heads in the sun (or dappled shade).

 

To plant or not to plant? In my opinion the babies are too weak to take Newcastle April, then again I'm from Finland where you don't plant anything out before mid June.
Anyway, should I clip off the weak new growth?

 

My gut reaction is not to.

 

Perhaps leave it a month, I personally wouldn't take the new growth off, but I wouldn't think it will harm it. I get the feeling it wouldn't make much difference either way.

 

My votes are: Pot them up, and plant out a bit later; don't cut anything off