Very old clematis not flowering

 
I have inherited this old clematis with roots as thick as a child's arm.
It has not flowered last year and this year their are no buds. I haveno
idea of the variety. Part of the problem may be shade as it is in a
passageway, but even those parts that have escaped over a wall into
direct sunshine have no buds. The previous gardener specialised in giant
brambles so i dont think its been cared for. I did  put some growmore on
the roots last year - but zilch.

Should i hard prune, if so how?
how do you fix such an old monster I should hate to lose it

Zero

thanks




--
ZeroZero

 

Sounds like a montana type, it should be in flower now, if its not but seems
otherwise healthy chop it back now and let some light and air in. If its
very old this may kill it but they die of old age eventually unless they are
cut back from time to time. If its not leafed out then its had it any way!

--
Charlie, Gardening in Cornwall
Holders of National Collections of Clematis viticella
and Lapageria rosea cvs
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk  

 
'Charlie Pridham[_2_ Wrote:

Montanas are funny things. I had one for about 10 years that never gave
me many, if any, flowers, frost always seemed to occur at the wrong
time, and bits of it were frequently dying back. The winter before last
it froze to the ground, and I put all the above ground plant into the
bin in the spring.  Then new shoots came from the roots in the summer,
it grew like wildfire, and this spring a plant as large as it has ever
been was completely covered in flowers.




--
echinosum

 On 2011-05-05 16:49:39 +0100, echinosum


Two of ours, in quite different locations, are flowering as never
before.  Neither receives any attention at all and one, in a small
courtyard behind the house and unseen by all but the family, is
absolutely smothered with flowers and smells just delicious. I've never
seen it flower so well.   Another, which climbed halfway up a telegraph
pole last year, has now clambered almost to the top of a tree beside
that pole and again, is blazing with colour.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

 
The clemitas has lots of leaf and it seems to be flourishing yet no
flower buds




--
ZeroZero