Clematis is a climbing plant that has pretty flowers in blue, purple, pink, rose red, yellow and white all summer through fall. Certain cultivars can grow up to 6 meters in height and live as long as 89 years. Clematis need full sun to flower and cool shade for the roots to grow well. see Step 1 to learn how to plant and care for beautiful clematis.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Preparing to Plant
Step 1. Select a clematis cultivar
Clematis flowers are available in a wide variety of shapes and colors, from pink flowers up to 15 cm long to blue bowed bell flowers to star-shaped white flowers. Clematis have become very popular in recent years, so many nurseries offer dozens of varieties to choose from. When you have decided which cultivar to buy, consider color, shape, potential and sunlight requirements. Clematis often take years to flower, so look for potted plants that are a year or two old. Here are the most common clematis cultivars:
- Nelly Moser: It has large pink flowers and is the most common type of clematis. This type is the most durable and easy to grow until established.
- Ernest Markham: Has beautiful magenta flowers and grows thickly on a trellis or anjang-anjang.
- niobe: It has red flowers and is a great choice for growing in pots, as it does not grow to be very large.
- Princess Diana: It has pale pink bell-shaped flowers and grows well in very hot climates.
- Jackmanii: Has dark purple flowers and grows thickly; favorite choice of many people.
- Venosa Violeta: Has blue-violet flowers.
- Apple Blossom: Has small white flowers; grows as an evergreen leafy plant.
Step 2. Choose a location that receives a lot of sunlight
Clematis come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but they have similar needs in terms of sunlight and temperature. Clematis is a hardy plant that requires at least 6 hours of full sun a day.
- Clematis is a hardy plant that grows in growing zones 3 through 9.
- Some types of clematis will grow in partial shade, but they will not reach their full potential unless they receive 6 hours of full sun a day.
- Look for an area with short perennials and ground cover plants that will provide shade for the clematis roots, but this will also allow the clematis to grow in full sun about 7.5 to 10 cm from the soil. Clematis needs cool roots and full sun for its leaves and flowers. If you can't find a place with a ground cover, you can plant it later or spread humus around the clematis to keep the roots cool.
- You can also plant clematis near the base of a bush or a small clematis tree will grow up its branches without damaging the shrub or tree.
Step 3. Choose an area with well-drained soil
The location should not be dry and retain moisture, but should be able to drain water well enough so that water does not pool around the clematis. To test if the soil has good drainage, dig a hole and fill it with water. If the water immediately flows or washes away, it means the soil is sandy. If the soil is stagnant in the hole, it means that the soil contains too much clay, and the water will not wash away fast enough. When water slowly percolates into the soil, this is a suitable soil for clematis.
Step 4. Test the soil for pH levels
Clematis prefers neutral or alkaline soil over one that is too acidic. If you do a test and find that the pH is too acidic, apply limestone soil or wood ash.
Step 5. Dig a hole and enrich the soil nutrients
Dig a hole a few inches deeper than the pot the clematis is in now, so when you plant the soil up to the first few leaves. Before you plant clematis, till the soil by mixing compost and organic grain fertilizer. This will ensure the plant has enough nutrients to establish itself in the first few months after planting.
If you have soil that tends to be rich in loam (holds water), dig a few inches more than it should. If your soil is sandy (doesn't hold water), dig the hole a little deeper, it will be better for the roots to be close enough to the surface to get water
Step 6. Plant the clematis
Gently remove the clematis from the pot, being careful not to dance or damage the fragile roots and shoots. Insert the root hole into the hole and pat the soil around the base of the stem. The soil should reach the first leaves; if not, remove the root ball and dig the hole a little deeper. Place stakes so young clematis have a place to climb in their first year.
Step 7. Spread humus around the roots
Place a 10 cm layer of straw or other type of humus around the base of the clematis to keep the roots cool. You can also plant or encourage the growth of short, long-lasting plants whose leaves will provide shade for the clematis roots throughout the summer.
Part 2 of 3: Caring for Clematis
Step 1. Continue to water the clematis moderately
Give clematis long, deep watering when the soil looks dry. To test if the plant is dry, stick your finger into the soil, then pull. If your fingers don't reach the wet soil, it's time to water the clematis.
- Don't water the clematis too often; because the roots are shaded, the water tends to stand still for a long time before evaporating.
- It's better to water in the morning than at night, so that the water has time to dry and be absorbed before nightfall.
Step 2. Provide support for clematis
Clematis will not grow unless it has a vertical structure to climb. During the first year, the support available when you buy it will be sufficient for the plant, but after that, you will need to provide a larger structure, such as a trellis or anvil, to encourage it to grow larger.
- Clematis grows by wrapping around the petiole on thin structures such as hooks, fishing nets, bony stalks or screens. Make sure the structure you provide is not too wide for the petiole to reach. Preferably less than 1.27 centimeters in diameter.
- If you have a trellis or awning made of scrap wood, cover it with screen or hook a fishing net to provide support that is thin enough for the clematis to attach to.
- As the clematis grow larger and reach around the structure, you can help it stay in position by tying it to the structure: tie loosely to the structure with fishing nets.
Step 3. Apply fertilizer to clematis
Every 4 to 6 weeks, fertilize the clematis in the form of a 10-10-10 fertilizer or supplement it with compost spread around the base of the plant. Clematis need a lot of nutrients to grow strong and produce lots of flowers.
Part 3 of 3: Pruning Clematis
Step 1. Prune off dead or damaged stalks at any time
Clematis is not susceptible to pest disturbances, but can be affected by fungal diseases that can cause plants to turn black and die. If you see dead or dry stalks, use clean scissors to trim them from the base. Apply a disinfectant in the form of a bleach solution to the scissors when cutting other stalks so you don't spread disease to other parts of the plant.
Step 2. Prune the oldest stems
Since flowers diminish on 4-year-old stalks, you can trim the oldest stems to encourage new stems to grow. Wait until the first flowering season is complete, and use pruning shears to trim the stems from the base.
Step 3. Prune annually according to cultivar needs
Clematis grows well with annual pruning which will encourage new growth. However, each cultivar requires pruning at different times of the year. It is important to know the exact time to prune the cultivar because you can damage the plant if you prune it at the wrong time.
- Plants that bloom on old wood, meaning the flowers emerge from last year's stalks, requiring no pruning except to trim a bit to keep growth in check. Once developed, prune until a pair of healthy shoots. (Apple Blossom falls into this group.)
- Plants that flower on old wood first and bloom again on new wood, meaning flowers are emerging from last year's stalks and new ones, need to be pruned to remove weak stems. Prune in early spring, before flowering, to remove weak stalks, prune again after flowering to improve shape. (Nelly Moser and Ernest Markham belong to this group.)
- Plants that flower on new wood, meaning flowers that appear only on newly sprouted stems, should be cut to a distance of 30 cm in early spring. (Included in this group are Niobe, Princess Diana, Jackmanii, and Venosa Violacea.)
