Saw this today in Belmont House, a gorgeous Clematis montana. The montana is useful for covering sheds, walls, fences, arbours and more as it is fierce fast growing - growing 10'+ a year. It's also ideal North facing walls and fences, like the Climbing Hydrangea we covered before. In the college our Clematis flowers start off early in the year with Armandii and Early Sensation and last year we planted some pink and some white montana varieties, and we expect them to start looking good next year...
Feeding wise we apply some Bone Meal fertiliser in Early winter and then some Sulphate of Potash in early Spring to promote flower production.
Pruning montana types is easy, and hard to get wrong. Lightly prune after flowering each year to sort out the shape, and if need a very hard pruning can be done in early Spring - montana will regenerate from old timber very successfully so hard pruning is ideal. - indeed you could take a montana down from 20' to 3' very happily with a good saw!
For planting - Always plant Clematis montana about 5inches deeper than the soil level in the pot you buy it, this helps to keep the roots cool and prevent scorching of the roots. - and remember to plant at an angle facing towards the structure you want to cover....
For more on Clematis montana, check out the Clematis montana National Collection
Pruning montana types is easy, and hard to get wrong. Lightly prune after flowering each year to sort out the shape, and if need a very hard pruning can be done in early Spring - montana will regenerate from old timber very successfully so hard pruning is ideal. - indeed you could take a montana down from 20' to 3' very happily with a good saw!
For planting - Always plant Clematis montana about 5inches deeper than the soil level in the pot you buy it, this helps to keep the roots cool and prevent scorching of the roots. - and remember to plant at an angle facing towards the structure you want to cover....
For more on Clematis montana, check out the Clematis montana National Collection
