Clematis

There’s nothing more spectacular than a clematis in full bloom.  Here are some tips for beautiful blossoms.

I live best in full sun. (6 + hrs or more) though some dappled shade during the heat of the day will please me.

I like to have my leaves in the sun, but my roots in the shade. 

I prefer rich, well-drained soil.  The addition of composted manure and/or yard compost will assure I stay a healthy.

When you plant me please dig a hole 18 inches deep and three feet wide.  Plant my crown (the portion where the stem and root meets) one to two inches below the ground line. Cut my stems back to 12 inches in height. Protect my stems with a collar of chicken wire. Add some mulch to keep my feet cool, but keep the mulch away from my stems. See diagram on back.

I perform best in evenly moist soil, so in dry seasons water me deeply once a week.

I climb by twisting leaf stems so choose a trellis with thin wire so I can hold on.  Nylon fishing line is a great way to get me to climb a light pole or arbor post.  Tie a small knot every foot or so to keep me from slipping.  I can also scramble over walls, shrubs or sprawl as a groundcover.

The first season I am busy getting my roots established so I may not grow or bloom.  Be patient! The saying is: ‘The first year I sleep, the second year I creep, the third year I leap.’   I can benefit from early spring applications of fertilizer, such as 15-5-5 or 10-10-10.

More tips to ensure your success when growing me:

Recognize disease quickly.  Clematis wilt is easy to spot.  Part of my vine wilts very quickly, often just as I start to bloom. There is no cure other than to cut the entire stem to the ground as soon as you notice the wilt.  The rest of my vines will survive. More stems will come from the base. 

With the right pruning I will grow and bloom vigorously.  It is best to let me stay unpruned and dormant until spring.  There are three different pruning groups – A, B or C.  The pruning group I’m in depends on when I bloom.

Group A -  If I’m in this group I don’t die back in winter and bloom early in spring.  Cut out damaged wood and any stems that suffered winter kill.   After flowering, prune my stem tips to keep me in bounds.  Pruning a few side branches near a thin area will fill in holes.  If I’m not flowering well, cut off almost all the side branches, leaving only the main vertical stems that fasten to trellis.

Group B  -  If I’m a large-flowered double or a rebloomer I’m in this group.  I  bloom on old wood in the spring and sometimes on new wood in fall. In spring cut back broken branches and thin to balance my appearance  Trim weak stems down to a set of strong new buds.  

Group C -  If I’m late flowering, I’m in this group. To keep me full and lush, cut all stems to within a foot of the ground in March.  Leave two to four sets of buds per stem. 

** If you aren’t sure which group I’m in, leave me unpruned for a year.  If  I die completely to the ground over winter or if my flowers are only at the top with lots of last year’s dead foliage and bare stems showing at the base, then I’m probably in Group C.

There are over 250 species of clematis and thousands of cultivars. 

Here are some of the varieties and their pruning groups.

Group B Vines

‘Niobe’

‘Multi Blue’

‘Belle of Woking’

‘Proteus’

‘Henryi’

‘Nelly Moser’

‘Duchess of Edinburgh’

‘Mrs. Cholmondeley’

Group C Vines

‘Comtess de Bouchard’

‘Ernest Markham’

‘Hagley Hybrid’

‘Jackmanii’

‘Rouge Cardinal’

Sweet Autumn