Layering 'Cezanne'

[Neil Bromhall]

By Digger,
I have had much experience during the last twelve months, good luck Paul. recently i have succeeded with a layering of "Cezanne" a Raymond Evison cultivar. I used the usual method wounding the stem and pegging it into a plastic pot. The pot was checked a couple of days ago and it did work, i have separated the plant from the parent and put it into new compost in the propagator. I had trouble with some of the large flowered early hybrids and I have scoured all over the place for methods. I am in touch with a friend in Japan who recommended that the more difficult cultivars are usually the ones subject to clematis wilt, and the following method was prescribed, Take several cuttings about 10 inches long take the cutting to be rooted at the midway point between leaf nodes, thios is unusual usually cuttings are taken at the node, stand the cuttings in clean cool water for at least 24 hours, The japanese use a product called "akadama" for inserting the cuttings the nearest we have is perlite, also a product called HB101 is added we cannot get that here so I just used rooting powder. Once the cutting is dipped into rooting powder it must be inserted in to a small pot of perlite the placed in the propagator then watered every other day from above, according to the chaps in the know this irrigation from above takes oxygen to the stem at the end that you require roots. The method described above has worked well for me even in the dark winter I have had 100% success using the method. I have tried all kinds before i got it right and it works for me. I can even stick my neck out and say that I am willing to propagate any cultivar from any group. Generally tha montanas are considered easy to propagate, difficulties are usually expected in propagating from the groups "Mandschuria" "napaulensis" "ochotensis" "floridae". I am not by any stretch an expert, I was invited to help out with things at the british Clematis Society and I thought "Oh God,I had better get reading any experimenting before I go public" I can recommend the book "clematis" by Mary Toomey and the new one by Everret leeds, I am at the moment busy accumulating my clematis collection The "macropetalas" are fantastic especially the species which is the most beautiful blue flower, I have also succeeded propagating them as above. Apparently the clematis wilt is a soil borne fungus that enters the plant via leaves or stem wounds, to prevent stem damage the stem must be tied at regular intervals all the way up the stem, some clematis posses a mechanism that will shed leaves as they become infected, but early large flowered hybrids lack this mechanism. I am awaiting a rough draught of an article written about wilt from a chap at the international clematis society, I won't be able to post the article for copyright reasons but I will disclose any relevant information as I get it. Sorry to go on everybody but I thought it was worth a mention that for me clematis is the new "black" I will be at Harrogate spring show on the BCS stand come and see us if you are there.

[digger]

This isn't layering or cezanne but it is propagating clematis. At Christmas I was sent some seeds of clematis patens to sow. The seeds can take twelve months to germinate this is all clematis seeds. I sowed the seeds in a half size seed tray in sterilised (microwaved) compost i put the seeds on top and gave them a very light covering of perlite, then I sprayed them with cheshunt compound, I am sometimes reluctant to use cheshunt because as it is a fungicide i think it may harm any beneficial fungi. Anyway i placed a clear cover on the tray and put it into the coolest part of the greenhouse. The information I was given was to ensure that the seeds never dry out but keep them just moist. Today I went to check on them and give them another quick spray of cheshunt and they are beginning to germinate.:-) this is a first for me, taking cuttings is not the easiest propagation method but neither is seed sowing. I have tried many cutting techniques and the one working best for me at the moment is the method from Japan. I am told air layering is a reliable method. But Sue1002, has had good success taking clematis cuttings and I have some of her results in my greenhouse.

[sue1002]

It's the Clematis cirrhosa 'Wisley Cream' that I had success with, I just poked bits that had accidentally broken off the main plant into a pot and within a couple of weeks they had rooted.

[digger]

The c.Wisley Cream that you sent to me sue1002, is doing fine i re potted it and stuck it into the heated soil bed. I let it grow on for a while and gave it extra light via son ti agro and then I took a cutting form it as "insurance" I am happy to report that the cutting took very well and mum and baby are both doing fine. I am getting a new greenhouse for up at home (eventually) and I am going to use it for clematis culture only, this will free up room in the general greenhouse and give me room to indulge.

[sue1002]

Oh good digger, you should be able to plant them outside once all they've been hardened off. The original plant I had was put into a big pot to grow up the pergola, it put on lots of growth that first year but didn't flower that year, it started to flower in January this year (1.5 years after planting it out). The first cutting I took from it was hardened off and planted by the archway, it grew all the way up it and hasn't flowered this winter so I am expecting a good show of flowers next winter.

The Montana you sent me is galloping away in the greenhouse, I'm going to have to put longer canes in the pot, and it has one flower on it which is fully open. I will plant it into the garden to grow up the trellis where I will be able to see it from the kitchen window.