Dear Helen: I’m one of many people wondering about their frost-damaged bulbs. In January, quite a few of my daffodils had formed buds, which froze in February and never recovered. Many of the leaves have turned yellow and blooms that did open are lying on the ground on weakened stems. Will the bulbs be able to store enough food to recover and bloom next year?
J.G.
Bulbs depend on strong, healthy leaf growth through the post-bloom period to feed and restore the bulb enough to flower again the following year. I would dig and discard any bulbs left with almost no green leaves. Keep the rest watered and fertilized until the foliage begins dying back naturally.
The degree of damage to spring-flowering bulbs following a warm January and then an unusually cold February will vary with the bulb type, its stage of development at the onset of freezing temperatures, the degree of frost and the length of the period of freezing.
Probably the most vulnerable will have been taller types of early-flowering narcissus that had formed buds and opened a few blooms when temperatures fell well below freezing and remained so for more than a few days.
Dear Helen: I have a Nelly Moser clematis that has become a tangle of many stems. How can I rejuvenate it? Are all clematis vines pruned in the same way?
S.D.
Over the past 100 years Nelly Moser has become one of the most popular of all clematis varieties for its lovely blooms in soft mauve pink, each petal marked with a carmine bar. The plant’s one drawback: It is among the more complex of these vines to prune.
Others, such as ones that bloom in summer to fall on the current year’s growth, are simply cut back close to the ground in late winter. Spring bloomers flower on the previous year’s growth and are left alone except for thinning and cleaning right after the bloom period.
Nelly Moser gives a profuse flush of flowers in late spring on wood produced in the previous year, and then another, less heavy period of bloom on the current season’s growth in early autumn.
For general maintenance, the plants are pruned lightly in late winter or early spring, removing weak, dead, and a few of the oldest (thickest) stems. Creating space each year for new stems minimizes crowding and helps to ensure a fine show of bloom in the following spring.
For renewing thickly tangled vines, a severe pruning to space the stems will reduce bloom at the plant’s next flowering, but it will help to create a more balanced and pleasing plant.
Another option for rejuvenating an old, tangled Nelly Moser vine is to cut back or remove at ground level most of the oldest stems. New growth will appear quickly. At this point, it will be important to separate and direct the new stems to prevent them from forming a messy tangle. Sometimes it will be necessary to thin out the new growth to prevent congestion.
Be sure to renew a top layer of soil every spring, using a rich blend with composted manure or/and fish compost in it. I usually apply a nourishing mulch after pruning.
GARDEN EVENTS
Dahlia meeting. The Victoria Dahlia Society meets Thursday, 7:30 p.m. in The Victorian at McKenzie, 4000 Douglas St. The evening will feature a demonstration on taking dahlia cuttings and information on growing dahlias from seed and also on the classification of dahlias according to size, type, form and colour. All visitors are welcome.
Alpine plant show. The Vancouver island Rock and Alpine Garden Society will be hosting its annual Spring Show on Friday, 1 to 8 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Cadboro Bay United Church, 2625 Arbutus Rd. The hundreds of entries in this show include many rare plants. As well as show entries there will be plant and seed sales, displays, door prizes and refreshments. A sale of club-grown plants will begin at 11 a.m. on Saturday. Admission is by donation.
Spring show and sale. The View Royal Garden Club holds its Spring Garden Show and Plant Sale on Saturday, 1 to 3 p.m., in Wheeley Hall, 500 Admirals Rd. Exhibits will include in-season flowers and vegetables as well as indoor plants and designs. The sale includes garden items as well as plants. Admission of $5 includes refreshments and door prizes.
Send your gardening questions to Helen Chesnut at hchesnut@bcsupernet.com and she will try to incorporate them into a column whenever possible.
