Growing Clematis by Vicky Barney

Last week I had the pleasure of touring some Old Town Steamboat gardens and was particularly charmed by blooming clematis plants.  The cultivars had beautiful blue flowers on long vines, one covering a tall trellis, the other running along a porch roof beam.  Both were several years old and looked very happy.  I went home, inspired to find the clematis growing in my garden (planted by the previous homeowner 5+ years ago), and determined to make it as healthy as the ones I saw.

First, though, I needed more information. I found research-based information and learned that clematis (pronounced CLEM e tis, Greek for vine) is a showy and hardy perennial that fares well in Routt County’s climate.  In the Ranunculaceae (Buttercup) family, it produces flowers most often in shades of purple, blue, pink, or white and blooms at various times during the summer months, depending on the variety.  Most varieties grow as vines but there are some mounding varieties.

Native Colorado clematis include Clematis ligusticifolia, or Virgin’s Bower, which is a vine that produces numerous small white flowers in mid to late summer and may grow to 20 feet.  Clematis scottii, or Scott’s sugarbowl, grows in a small mound and produces nodding purple flowers in late spring to early summer.

There are numerous cultivated varieties of clematis.  Gardeners can choose a variety based on size and shape of mature plant, flower color, flower size, bloom time, and zone rating.   Cultivars with a zone rating of 3 or 4 will thrive in our cooler climate; ones with a rating of 5 may need to be placed in a warmer part of the garden.  Most important is to select plants that are healthy looking from the start as they will have the best chance of long term success.  Planted in the right place (lots of sunshine, shaded roots, adequate water, room to grow, and with some varieties, an adequate support system), a clematis may live for 10 to 20 or more years.

As for care, clematis may need special support structures and some pruning.  Unlike hops or morning glories, clematis vines do not grow around a structure; they wrap their leaf stems around something with a small diameter (up to a ½ inch).  Twine, thin branches, and small diameter dowels work best to guide the growth.  The plant may or may not need pruning, depending on the variety.  It’s best to wait until mid-spring to prune and cut back the vines that are clearly dead.

Now for my plan.  When I started tending my new garden 4 years ago, I discovered a sad looking clematis vine in a shady spot and carefully moved it into the sun.  The results have been disappointing; the vine has stopped growing and I’ve yet to see flowers.  My steps to restore it to health are as follows:

1.       Set up a small trellis.  If there is not an appropriate support system, the vining varieties stop growing.  

2.       Check that other plants have not grown up and created shade.  Neighboring plants may need to be moved. 

3.       Feed it.  Unlike my native perennials, this plant is likely a cultivar requiring more nutrients.

4.       Wait. 

Every article I found in my research said that clematis require patience.  It may be several years before my plant is mature enough to produce an abundance of flowers.  But as I saw in the Old Town Steamboat gardens, a clematis in bloom is worth the wait.

Composting in the Yampa Valley by Andy Kennedy – Master Gardener

Compost: to rot your unused organic material in a way that it can be used as a compliment and amendment to existing soil. 

Composting in rural Colorado - a region robust with wildlife and challenged by severe weather- can be tricky, but it can be done. And it should be. Composting is a very important factor in the sustainability of our existence as it both reduces our waste (and impact on the environment) and improves our depleted soil (improving our environment).

The how is the challenge, but it’s easier than you might think. Compost is a natural process of organic decomposition, and if done right, will not attract wildlife or pests, will not be affected by weather, and will provide you with an amazing, free amendment for your soil. 

Items you will need:
A bin – can be purchased or home-made, but should be no bigger than one cubic yard.
A starter pile – should include 2 parts woody or brown material (dried leaves, sticks, straw, etc) and one part organic or green material (grass, kitchen scraps, etc).
Water – keep the pile moist but not sopping wet.
A pitchfork – if you use a home-made box, you’ll need to turn the pile frequently as the decomposition process needs oxygen to break down more quickly. Some purchased bins, like tumblers, will turn themselves.
Patience – it can take 6-12 months until your pile is a rich, dark soil material. 

In a backyard pile, to keep the animals away and grow soil that’s safe for your veggies, do not add meat products (meat, bones, broth), dairy, oils, human or animal waste products (feces), or any “compostable” materials such as compostable cups, paper products, or “cornware.” 

Your compost should not smell bad.  If you begin smelling an odor, add more brown material and turn more often. You also should not have bugs (flies, fruit flies, etc). If you do, reduce your acidic material (citrus fruits) or cover your pile with plastic. Covering will also increase the heat in the pile, and encourage more rapid decomposition. 

Worms make great dirt. “Vermiculture” is another technique that can be used to make a soil amendment, and worms can be added to your compost pile to speed up the process. Alternatively, you can try vermicomposting in an additional bin. 

The timing of adding to your compost pile is up to you, but know that very little decomposition will take place through the winter months. You can continue to compost food scraps, but bury them with material from a brown pile to avoid non-hibernating animal tampering. (A collection of fall leaves is great for a brown pile.)  You will not be able to, nor need to, turn your frozen pile in the winter, but as soon as it’s warm enough, begin to turn it.

When the compost is ready (crumbly texture and earthy smell), add it liberally to last year’s soil in your garden, pots, lawn, trees and shrubs. It is also good for indoor plants.

Accidental Indoor/Outdoor Tomatoes continued By Ed Powers

Pictures of indoor tomatoes before they were shortened and planted outside.  Picture taken May 27, 2016.

When we last left my Indoor tomato saga it was April of this year and most were still doing well.  They began to bloom again in earnest indoor in early may.  The temperature had began to moderate to between 45 degree at night an and in the day.  While these temperatures feel great to us it is still too cold for tomatoes.  By this time the tomatoes were really growing.   They were 3 to 4 feet high and beginning to flower and form small tomatoes.  It was suggested to me that I put the tomatoes out on June 1 and when I do cut them back to between 9 inches and 14 inches.  Also cover them when I put them out.  I did that and covered with a white material that protected them but also let moisture in.  And because I have rodents and deer in the area I covered their area with a plastic bird netting.  I had constructed a small raised garden for them plus a few other plants.  I also started some tomatoes from seed to compare growth and maturation rates between the indoor tomatoes and the seedlings.

It took the indoor plants 10 to 14 days to recover for the move to the outside.  The seedlings had a harder time and I lost ½ of them.

Tomatoes in raised garden when they were first planted on June 1, 2016

It is now the middle of June and the plants are doing well but no flowers or small tomatoes have formed yet.  The seedlings are still growing and small.  I will continue to observe and report on them.  At this time the indoor plants are over a year old and doing well.  I have enjoyed watching the progress of these plants.

Close up of tomatoes after it was shortened and planted on June 1, 2016