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Tips for Vines & Shrubs |
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Here are some basic notes on some of our plants. More instructions are shipped with the plants.
CONTENTS
BUDDLEIA
CALYCANTHUS
CERCIS
CLEMATIS
CLETHRA
LILACS
HYDRANGEA
ROSES
TREE PEONIES
PLANTING YOUR VINES & SHRUBS
CHOOSING A SITE
Spend some time looking at possible locations. Consider the mature size of your plant, where it will give the best impact. Don't forget to consider the seasonal features of your new plant. Your young plant will need room; overcrowding is usually fatal.
Your plants will thrive provided you spend a little time on 3 essential things:
WATER
The most important thing to remember above all else is to WATER YOUR NEW PLANTS. A deep drink (3 cm. (1")) once a week will give your plant deep roots and a healthy start for years and years of enjoyment.
SOIL
Before you plant . . . PREPARE
The soil that is. A well prepared planting site is just the kind of welcome your new plant needs. If you do right by the “new arrival” it will sure do right by you. That’s a promise.
Begin the preparation as soon as the soil can be worked. Loosen it thoroughly with a digging fork or spade to a depth of 15 cm. (6") at least all around the planting site. Work in plenty of humus, leaf mould, well-rotted manure or peat moss to improve the quality of the soil and to help it retain moisture through the summer. Good drainage is important for plants, for instance, adding coarse sand to heavy clay soils helps a lot.
BUDDLEIA
Buddleia like a well drained soil in full sun. Most people kill their Buddleia by pruning them in the fall. NEVER PRUNE IN THE FALL. Prune HARD in the spring AFTER THEY HAVE STARTED TO LEAF OUT.
CALYCANTHUS
(Sweetshrub, Carolina Alspice, Strawberry-shrub) These will grow in a wide range of soils (from acid to alkaline) but prefer a deep moist loam in full sun to light shade. They grow taller in shade. Prune after flowering.
CERCIS
This does well in a wide range of soils providing it's not wet from full sun to light shade. Prune in the spring after flowering.
CLEMATIS
When your plant arrives immerse it pot and all in a pail of water for 10 minutes at least. Give a little thought to your planting site because Clematis don’t like to be moved much. Look for a spot free of competition from the roots of trees or shrubs; preferably where the roots will be shaded and the top growth will get the sun. Prepare a hole about 45 cm. wide and deep and retain the soil removed. Place a generous layer of well rotted manure or compost at the bottom of the hole. Mix in generous quantities of peat moss and/or compost with the soil from the hole and add a couple of handfulls of bone meal to the mix. Place a layer of this mix on top of the manure/compost in the hole then place your Clematis in position so that it’s root ball is about 5 cm. below the ground level. Replace and firm the remainder of the soil mix carefully. Water thoroughly and frequently. Feed your Clematis with a balanced (equal numbers eg. 20 - 20 - 20) every couple of weeks during active growth in early summer.
PRUNING CLEMATIS
Clematis are pruned to give as many flowers as possible. Unpruned plants won’t die, they just won’t give you as many flowers.
Group A Clematis
These flower in early spring on growth produced the previous season. They can be cut back sharply after flowering but not later than the end of July. You have to allow time for the new growth to set up next year’s bloom.
Group B Clematis
These flower early summer on the previous seasons growth and then again later in the season on vines from the current seasons growth. In March remove all the dead or weak stems and shorten the rest by about 25cm. (10") to where you can see a strong pair of leaf buds. Re-tie the remaining stems where you want them to grow.
Group C Clematis
These varieties produce bloom on new growth each year. In early March cut back all the vines to the ground. These Clematis make perfect companions for roses and shrubs.
CLETHRA
These like a moist to damp soil, acidic soil in full sun to partial shade.
HYDRANGEA
Hydrangea MACROPHYLLA
These prefer a moist, "woodsy" soil with lots of organic material like leaves in dappled shade to half day sun. These mew varieties (Let's Dance series) bloom on new growth as well as the previous seasons growth so prune back any winter killed stems in the early spring. Their flower colour depends on the pH (acidity) of the soil. They bloom pink in alkaline to neutral soils and blue in acidic soils. Treating alkaline soil with Aluminum Sulphate will make them flower blue but be sure to follow the package instructions carefully.
Hydrangea PANICULATA
They like a moist, loamy soil, well drained soil in full sun to partial shade. Prune in late winter or early spring.
Hydrangea QUERCIFOLIA
hey like a moist, loamy soil, well drained soil in partial shade. Young plants are a little tender so it's adviseable to mulch them in the fall; particularly in areas without snow cover. Prune after they flower.
LILACS
Syringa
Once your Lilac reaches flowering size (2m or taller), it will appreciate a light pruning after flowering. Try to remove the spent flowers and prune branches to keep the shrub open. The youngest branches bloom the heaviest. Lilacs need full sun.
ROSES
How to plant your rose
Your roses have been shipped dormant to directly from our cold storage in heavy duty poly bags.
As soon as they arrive plunge the roots into a large pail of cold water for at least half a day. Then place it directly in the planting hole.
Roses don’t mind cold weather and can be planted as soon as the soil can be worked. If for some reason the planting is delayed, use a temporary site where the roots can be covered with soil. If possible choose a site free of competition from the roots of neighbouring trees, hedges and shrubs. Be sure to allow enough space for the width of the mature bush (check your catalogue).
Roses perform best in heavier soils enriched with a well rotted manure, compost, or leaf mold. Prepare a planting hole about 45 cm. (18”) wide and deep. Spread the roots carefully in the hole so that the graft at the top of the root system is about 15 cm. (6”) below the soil level when the hole is refilled. Firm the soil carefully around the bush to establish soil contact with the entire root system.
Water thoroughly and regularly. Do not fertilize until foliage appears. Your rose will be well pruned when it arrives and should not need additional pruning until the following spring.
TREE PEONIES - fall planting only
How should I prepare to plant? Tree Peonies will perform to their maximum potential if the soil is friable (loose and crumbly) and well-tilled. If it does not contain organic matter or humus, it should be added at this time. A slow-release, high phosphorous fertilizer should also be incorporated into the soil. Remember that when your soil contains adequate organic matter the plant will not need fertilizing again for several years. When you do need to fertilize, we recommend a well-balanced slow release fertilizer.
Tree Peony planting tips
A permanent, sunny to partially shady, well-drained growing location is ideal for Tree Peonies. Dig a hole large enough to accommodate the root system of the plant; 2' wide x 2' deep is adequate. Your Tree Peony has been grafted to herbaceous Peony rootstock. You can see the graft at the base of the stem. This graft is sensitive so carefully plant your Peony so the graft is well below (4"-6") the soil level. Your Tree Peony will eventually develop its own root system and no longer depend on the rootstock on which it was grafted.
How big do they get?
Tree peonies grow from 3'-6' high and equally wide in about 10 years; and occasionally larger under ideal growing conditions. Prune in late winter to keep smaller or to eliminate dead wood. Keep their mature size in mind when planting.
Protecting your Tree Peonies
Protect tree peonies from heavy winds. In colder climates, tree peonies should be given about 4"-5" of mulch in winter.
What results should I expect?
Patience is required to grow these plants. Sometimes they do not bloom the second or third year after being grafted. We sell second and third year grafts, so your plant may bloom the spring after you receive it. The sumptuous flowers are so exotic and spectacular, you will surely feel it has been worth the wait.
Need more help? Call us at:
(905) 731 - 1950 or 1 - 800 - 339 - 8314
or e-mail us at flower@gardenimport.com |
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