Clematis CareHow to Grow Clematis Clematis care, and knowing how to grow and prune your Clematis vines, for beautiful flowers. "The Queen of Vines" is a perfect companion for roses. What better plant to be paired with than "The Queen of Flowers"?
When you plant a contrasting color Clematis with your climbing roses, the look is breathtaking. Because they are available in such a wide variety of colors, you will easily find one to suit your taste.
These vines come in both deciduous and evergreen species. The flowers vary in shape from large open saucers to dainty bells. The colors range from shades of pink, red, purple, mauve, blue, white, lavendar, and bi-color. Some flowers are single, double, and fully double, with numerous rows of petals. The Clematis vines seem too have it all, extravagant displays of huge beautiful flowers, hardiness, and adaptability. As vines go, it is somewhat on the smaller side, so it doesn't overwhelm support structures like some other vines. Clematis CareBe sure to choose a variety that is suited to your Climate Zone with the form of flower that you prefer. Most of the newer varietys bloom continually from June- Sept., but others have specific bloom time.How to Plant Clematis VineTo plant your clematis vine properly, you should prepare a deep planting hole that has been amended with plenty of organic matter. Neutral to slightly alkaline soil is best. Add bone meal to alkaline soil, or lime to acid soil, to meet this requirement. A half cup of either should do the trick.The location should be sunny, for at least half of the day. For the proper Clematis care, your soil should be rich, loose, well-drained, soil that will permit the roots to run freely. With that said, You should realize that digging a little bity hole, and stuffing the roots of the Clematis into it, isn't going to allow it to do that, so... Dig the hole much bigger than needed, and put in that organic stuff! This gives the roots maxium aeration. When planting, spread the roots out and cover with soil. Press down lightly, and water well. The roots must become established before the top growth occurs. They like their tops to be in full sun, but their roots shaded. Applying a thick layer of garden mulch wil keep the roots shaded. The roots must become established before the top growth occurs. They like their tops to be in full sun, but their roots shaded. Be sure to keep watered during dry spells. The best Clematis care for your vine is to give them what they need: They thrive in moist, well-drained soil, and need watering regulary.
The foliage is a bit slow to leaf out in the spring, so be patient. It will take two to three seasons for the Clematis to reach its full magnifience. As the vine starts to grow young stems should be tied to supports. The stems of Clematis are fragile and easily broken, so tie them carefully. If the plants can't climb, their growth is poor, so provide them with something to climb on. Fertilizing for Clematis CareTo help your flowering vine achieve its maximum potential and blanket itself with geourous blooms: fertilize it with a balanced fertilizer once a year during the growing season. Put the fertilizer right on top of the mulch, no closer than 2-3 inches from the stems, to avoid burning. Be sure to water it in well. I fertilize mine in the spring when they are starting to leaf out, at the same time as I fertilize my roses.How to Prune ClematisTo achieve maximum flowers you need to learn How to prune clematis That begins with knowing which variety you have. You prune according to the timing of blooms. Some bloom on old wood, others on new wood.Where to Grow your Clematis
It is best to protect your Clematis from strong winds. Arbors and Trellis's are good supports for them. They look stunning growing up your mail box pole, or lamp post. (They do need help to do this, by means of tieing with string as they grow. If you tie some heavy string around a stick, push it into the ground close to the emerging vine, and have the other end loosly twirled around the lamp post, then tied at the top, you can keep twining the young vine around it as it grows, encouraging it to grow where you want. (be careful, vines break easy) A piece of nylin netting make a nice support frame to get them growing. It also ensures that they grow where you want them to. They will also very happily grow on a fence, or porch railing. One of my favorite places to plant them is twining up a tree trunk. To find the perfect Clematis for your garden, go
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