HERE !!! HERE !!..Miguel!!..How many times must we ourselves dismiss those myths to people..I was reading an excerpt from the book online...did you enjoy the book..is it worth adding to my continued growing collection of clematis Bibles??..Jeanne

Thank you so much for posting these myth busters. Being a new homeowner who has always loved Clematis but never really had the opportunity to grow them, other than in containers on my deck, was one of the people who believed that roots where happier in the shade. Why wouldn't I, it's everywhere, but it makes so much more sense to just make sure that they get enough water. I also have acidic soil!

Thanks again!

Jeanne, it is sorted of dated as it came out 8+ years ago, but I got it cheap as a used book on Amazon.com. If you can get it cheap, then I say go for it. It is only number 14 or so of clematis books that I have.

You are welcome Linda.

Miguel, why don't you write a FAQ? Garden Web is pretty huge in the gardening world, and maybe you can help spread the word.

If you decide to do it, pleasepleaseplease specify that it is not necessary to plant other plants in front of the clematis, nor is setting a slab of stone over the roots. Cripes, that one drives me nuts.

Great news! I was sweating my new plantings until I read this recent post! I put in a very large bed and was thinking now I need to go pick up a small shrub to add some shelter for the new babies! Thank you for bursting the bubble on that myth for us nckvilledudes! Truly appreciated.

Tracy

Both of those techniques can be effective in maintaining that moist root run. While many folks think of mulch as something like bark or compost, low growing spreading perennials or groundcovers act as a living mulch and can shield the soil from evaporation. As can a stone slab set at the base (gravel or rocks are also considered effective mulch material). In fact, anything that shades the soil from the sun or covers the soil will help to slow moisture evaporation and maintain that moist root run. Some of these "myths" do have a reasonable basis in fact if you examine the reasoning behind them.

Gardengal, I agree that rocks or even gravel can serve as a mulch since it covers the soil and slows evaporation but its decomposition is not going to add organic matter to the soil which will also aid in moisture conservation.

As far as plant material serving as a mulch, I think that if what you are really wanting to do is conserve moisture, planting anything that draws moisture from the soil is being counterproductive to that goal. Why not just use something that will do the job without taking either nutrients or moisture from the ground? Seems more logical and to the point of what you are trying to accomplish.

I for one have had one hell of a summer with the high temps and minimal rainfall we have had trying to maintain soil moisture around my clematis. Using a living ground cover that would just suck that much more moisture out of the ground is last thing I would want to do.

Janet, I would be more than willing to add info to the faq section of this forum but am not sure who to get in touch with to try and get permission to do so. When Spike ran the forums, it was relatively easy to get in touch with him but now with a corporation running this site, I am not sure who is in charge.

Miguel, you could try using the 'Suggestions' forum. You can find it in the first column on the left. I don't know how well it works or if the powers that be listen, but it's there. *shrug*

Thanks Janet. I have taken your advice and posted there. Will post back if I can any info on how to update the FAQ.

Cool, Miguel!

Miguel, not all groundcovers or low spreading perennials will suck the moisture out of the ground. Or outcompete the clematis for available soil moisture. An established clem has a very expansive and deep root system - far more so than most shallow rooted perennials or groundcovers. Of course much has to do with one's specific climate and the specific plant chosen, but the soil under a nice dense covering of groundcover here remains uniformly moist, even in our typically dry summers. Anything that shields the soil from the sun and reduces evaporation can be of benefit.

I'm not saying I necessarily advocate either of these practices - just trying to explain why this so-called myth came into being. There IS a logic to it.

Any living plant will draw moisture out of the ground so planting something that will compete with a clematis that you want to flourish seems counterproductive to me. I also still think that if you are doing something to conserve moisture, especially in these times where weather patterns are changing and people are being asked to conserve our natural resources, that adding a mulch that not only shields the soil from the evaporation of water but also adds something back to the soil that further aids in retention of water via decomposition of the mulch, is the way to go with plantings. Just my opinion.

Janet, got an email address for someone at iVillage and have sent them an email. Unfortunately, the email got bounced back to me. Still waiting to see if someone else knows a better way to get in touch with the administrators.

Hmmm...

I wonder if someone actually monitors the forum. Maybe if you cursed you'd get some attention. lol

Might have to resort to that Janet! ;)

Have you heard anything?

Carol

Nothing yet Carol. Like I said, the email bounced and I have yet to check the suggestions forum to see if anyone else has offered any advice on whom to contact.

You could try Tamera.

She posted in another forum and included a link to her email address. Hopefully she can guide you in the right direction.

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/design/msg091258406608.html?1

Janet, funny you mentioned Tamara because I did get up with her through another posting. She responded and asked for my username and I am still waiting to hear back from her. She also told me that at the bottom of each page there is a Contact Us link which no one that has responded to me about this matter has pointed out. It is buried in the footer on each page and sort of blends in with it. I think that it should be moved to the top of each page and put in bolder font so that it would stand out.

If I don't hear back from Tamara soon, I will use the link at the bottom of the page!

Maybe they don't want too many people contacting them.

I am very interested in how responsive they are, so far, it isn't very encouraging.

Still nothing Janet. Perhaps tomorrow I will try the link!

Miguel, this thread is a bit old, so you're likely the only one to see my response if you're having responses emailed to you, but I wanted to add that in a number of areas in my garden I "mulch" the clematis with ground covers like ajuga and mazus reptans.

In my climate, these aren't thugs, and have root systems that go down only an inch or so, and I tend to feel that their ability to keep moisture in the soil is probably larger than their ability to pull it away from (established) clematis. Admittedly, I do this because I have a small garden and leaf mulch in this area just won't work, but FWIW...

Thanks for the info and your take on the matter Michael. This summer has been a bear for those of us in the SE US with over 60 days of 90+ degree weather (normal is 29 per summer) and minimal rainfall. In my book, anything that is going to draw moisture out of the soil is something that I will avoid like the plague. I would prefer something that will insulate the soil and retain moisture and decompose over time and add moisture retaining capacity to the soil. Those in areas who have not been affected by drought conditions are okay in using ground covers since any moisture they draw out of the soil will probably be minimal and easily replaced. Those of us enduring the conditions we have endured and whose state governments are talking outright bans on outdoor watering will do whatever it takes to maintain soil moisture, including not using or recommending the use of ground covers as a means of maintaining soil moisture levels. Hope that you appreciate my take on the matter and where I am coming from.

To get back to the original statement. I'd have to agree with gardengal - some of these myths are based on fact. Whilst the chalky soil is perhaps a myth(relating to the fact that c. species vitalba does thrive in such soils) most popular large flowering cultivars do not.
re the shade. We grow clematis on a large scale commercially and the root activity of most varietes does slow down dramatically above 25 deg C. (appx 80f). Clems also tend to go into a form of summer dormancy if held relatively dry at such temperatures - evidenced by many clems seen suffering in dry soil at the base of a south facing wall.

Keeping the clems roots in moist/shaded soil conditions will help alleviate this.