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rouge21_gw

Beefy obelisks for vigorous clems

6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago

I just recently acquired this just over 6 foot wood (cedar) obelisk to support our TIE DYE. Right now the obelisk looks too big and bulky...


But the hope is that Tie Dye can weave its way through and up and by July will be the focus.

Here is the TD specimen a couple of summers ago (first week of July) (The metal obelisk hidden here was 5 foot tall and narrower than the replacement).


As well I got a smaller but wider one that will be used to support Rooguchi:


Comments (47)

  • 6 years ago

    Looks like Tie Dye will be great this summer! How tall is the one for Rooguchi?

    Sherry

    rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a) thanked sherrygirl zone5 N il
  • 6 years ago

    I think they’re gonna look really good!

    rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a) thanked oursteelers 8B PNW
  • 6 years ago

    Thanks for the encouragement 'sherry' and 'steeler'. I am not sure how they will look when the clems are grown in and flowering...fingers crossed.


    ('sherry', the blue obelisk is 4.5 feet in height and 3 feet by 3 feet at the base.)

  • 6 years ago

    Assume you know that the clematis will need strings or wires or netting to twine around. Something no wider than a pencil

  • 6 years ago

    Rouge, be sure to share photos with us later in the season. I’m particularly interested in seeing how Rooguchi does in the obelisk since it’s not a clinger, mine gets 6 feet tall, about 2 meters here. I hope it works out for you and I’m curious to see what would also work here.

    Sherry

    rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a) thanked sherrygirl zone5 N il
  • 6 years ago

    They look great! Perhaps I can talk my husband into building something similar. They don’t look too hard! I can’t wait to see what yours look like all filled out. Please share pics!

    rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a) thanked Dillybeansown (6b in the Ozarks)
  • 6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    Assume you know that the clematis will need strings or wires or netting to twine around.

    Good to notice but given the incredible vigor of Tie Dye (see picture above) and the close proximity of the horizontal slats I am very confident that this clematis will not need help. (I will keep an eye out and if needed. I will manually weave some of the vines in and out through the slats).

    Rooguchi is not a climber but again because of its vigor it simply pushed up through the previous obelisk.

  • 6 years ago

    I’m particularly interested in seeing how Rooguchi does in the obelisk since it’s not a clinger, mine gets 6 feet tall, about 2 meters here.


    Me too 'Sherry'! But I am having second thoughts about the shorter but wider blue painted obelisk for the Rooguchi. For its previous obelisk it literally toppled it (albeit it wasn't an very sturdy one). That one was 5 feet tall but quite narrow.


    Given its inability to "cling" I was thinking I could get away with a wide short one. We will say it is an experiment :).

  • 6 years ago

    Thanks Dillybeansown. Pictures will be forthcoming...good or bad the results...promise.

  • 6 years ago

    I had my husband build me an obelisk with rebar, they climb it easier than wood for sure.

  • 6 years ago

    Buyorsell888 how did your husband make it into an obelisk? Heat and bend?

  • 6 years ago

    We built this obelisk several years ago with cedar 2x2's 8' takk and 1x2's. I put the green plastic poultry netting on. I planted Venosa violacea on the one side and Avant Garde on the other side. I just seemed so huge, I never dreamed it would be covered in a short time. However the plastic netting was a tangled mess. I replace it the next season with 6' green tomato


    poles attached with cable nails and some wire twine woven laterally. This seems to work well for me. 2016

    rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a) thanked Debra Vessels
  • 6 years ago

    Great pictures 'Debra'...it looks very much like one of mine.


    (Do you still use this same obelisk?)

  • 6 years ago

    rouge21_gw , Yes, it has held up so well. That's why I insisted we used cedar. The viticiella get way our of control by august, climbing on anything near it, I just let it go.

  • 6 years ago

    Rouge, it would be easy to just run a wire up each side for a bit of extra clinging.

    rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a) thanked NHBabs z4b-5a NH
  • 6 years ago

    NHBabs, you read my mind...I am going to do just that.

  • 6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    I’m particularly interested in seeing how Rooguchi does in the obelisk since it’s not a clinger, mine gets 6 feet tall, about 2 meters here.

    Already ours is 2.5 feet tall...it is so vigorous clematis rooguchi.

    Sherrygirl, just curious...how large is yours right now?

  • 6 years ago

    Rouge, I will have to measure tomorrow, it’s at least as tall as yours.

    Sherry

    rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a) thanked sherrygirl zone5 N il
  • 6 years ago

    We have at least 5 clematis. For those that are starting from nothing, Rooguchi has so much more growth than the others.

  • 6 years ago

    Rouge, my Roguchi is 4feet tall already, must be the record rainfall here for May. I have at least a dozen clematis, don’t remember all the names. My beast this season is Betty Corning, it’s almost up to the gutters on my house!!!! Not sure what to do about that 8-)

    Sherry

    rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a) thanked sherrygirl zone5 N il
  • 6 years ago

    Ay carumba sherrygirl!

    You be sure to post pictures of your clems when they are in full flower.

  • 6 years ago

    Alana8aSC, he cut 12" pieces and welded them to the 7' pieces. No bending.


    rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a) thanked buyorsell888
  • 6 years ago

    Rouge, my Roguchi is 4 feet tall already

    And even before it has finished growing I can see my new "beefy" obelisk is too short. It may be 'non'-vining but it still has enough rigidity to keep going higher and higher.

    (I marked roughly in white where the obelisk extends to)

    Hello Sherry, can we see your Rooguchi right now?

  • 6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    Well, Rouge, I’m in a bit of trouble here. My 4’ obelisk isn’t doing the trick this season, I had to add extra support. Total length now has to be 7’, it’s just starting to bud. Most of my clematis are monsters this season. Here is Rugoochi now. I may have to secure to a taller vertical trellis next season.

    Betty Corning May take over the house.

    Sherry

  • 6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    Rouge, be sure to share photos with us later in the season. I’m particularly interested in seeing how Rooguchi does in the obelisk since it’s not a clinger,

    Good morning sherry, here is Rooguchi on the new obelisk. Somehow the majority of blooms are on the other side ie the house side:


  • 6 years ago

    Thanks for posting Rouge! It looks nice but I’m guessing it’s not quite what you had in mind. My obelisk didn’t work out to well, I’m switching to a taller one next season. My Roguchi drooped over the top, it needed extra support to keep from breaking.

    Sherry

    rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a) thanked sherrygirl zone5 N il
  • 6 years ago

    The non climbers can be a challenge for sure. I've got Petit Faucon busting out of his obelisk all over right now. Betty Corning is a big'un. Doubt any store bought trellis big enough for her at maturity.

    rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a) thanked buyorsell888
  • 6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    It looks nice but I’m guessing it’s not quite what you had in mind.

    'sherry', I think you are right. I like it enough but I think it could be better?

    I was expecting that much more of it would have pushed its way out in the lower "second level" of this obelisk but almost all of it kept pushing up and out at the most upper section.


    (I muse as to how high it would go it the obelisk allowed it)

  • 6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    FYI, here is Tie Dye on the other new (black) obelisk:



    This very mature TD has looked better in previous years, with the previous obelisk. And for the past 3 years it has experienced clematis "wilt" :(.


    I now think that it is better that the self standing obelisk be open at the top (rather than coming to a point as do these two...live and learn)

  • 6 years ago

    Rouge, I think Tie Dye looks marvelous in this obelisk!

    Sherry

    rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a) thanked sherrygirl zone5 N il
  • 6 years ago

    I am so glad I found this post. I was just looking up Rooguchi. I have a trellis that's about 7.5 feet high, with a climbing rose on one side. I am planning to put Rooguchi on the other side. My question is whether Rooguchi will grow so big that she will take over the trellis/arch. I'd also like to know whether Rooguchi is a rebloomer or has a long blooming season. She looks really really pretty in photo. The color will go really well with my yellow rose.


    rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a) thanked paint girl 6bNJ
  • 6 years ago

    just finished stuffing myself with some ribs.. waddled down here to avoid sleep.. and saw this topic ..


    and i wondered.. what about a porky trellis??


    ken

  • 6 years ago

    'ken' I worry about you sometimes....maybe you have been in lockdown too long? ;)

  • 6 years ago

    paint girl I very much like rooguchi. The flowers last a long time and it is hardier and more reliable than many other clematis but/and it is very vigorous. I am not sure it can be seen in my picture but I have no doubt it would easily attain 6 or even 7 feet with the right support. I think it is too robust to share an support with a climbing rose.

  • 6 years ago

    me??? .. you worry about me???


    youre the one who brought up meat flavored trellis's .....


    ken

  • 6 years ago

    being canadian and all ... im surprised you werent looking for a stout trellis ... lol ...


    ken


    ps: i am more locked down from the heat wave.. than i was before.. hundred degree heat index today ...

  • 6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    you worry about me???

    As neighbours to the north Canadians often worry but especially these days, worry about our American "cousins".

  • 6 years ago

    I grow Rooguchi up the center of an obelisk. It isn’t a clinger, so won’t hold itself to the support, but as long as I tuck Rooguchi back into the obelisk periodically in the spring when it starts growing, the obelisk functions like a peony ring but taller. Mine grows about 6’ tall and blooms for at least a month.

    rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a) thanked NHBabs z4b-5a NH
  • 6 years ago

    (I agree with everything in NHBabs post above)


    Before I planted Rooguchi a non climber, I was envisioning having to be out there "each" day, tying off stems, helping it go up. But how wrong I was as this variety is so robust that it forces its way up through an obelisk. I really like this clematis and wouldnt be without it.

  • 3 years ago

    @sherrygirl zone5 N il wrote:


    It looks nice but I’m guessing it’s not quite what you had in mind. My obelisk didn’t work out to well, I’m switching to a taller one next season.



    UPDATE (March 2023):


    Me too 'sherry'. I have a couple of seasons of Rooguchi on the wooden light blue obelisk shown in the first post. The width was good but the height just wsnt enough. I am replacing it with a much taller but necessarily narrower metal tubular one (basically cylindrical at close to 7 foot tall and 15 inches wide).

  • 3 years ago

    Beefy obelisk...porky obelisk...how about a fishy obelisk?

    rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a) thanked erasmus_gw
  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Rouge, that is exactly what I did. 7 foot worked better, the vine was still taller than 7 feet but it worked for me. I am sticking with this option..

    Sherry

    rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a) thanked sherrygirl zone5 N il
  • 3 years ago

    Hey sherry, any chance you have a picture of that 7 footer?

  • 3 years ago

    Sorry Rouge, I don’t. I will make sure to get a photo this season and post it.

    Sherry

    rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a) thanked sherrygirl zone5 N il
  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Thanks Sherry. (At least in my area it isnt trivial to source a 7 foot obelisk. Is yours wooden/metal?)

  • 3 years ago

    I have a 7’ round metal obelisk. i bought it along with two shorter ones several years ago, glad I did. Now to find one like it I have to try internet sales, yuck……..

    Sherry

    rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a) thanked sherrygirl zone5 N il
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