Clematis is a type of climbing plant with several hundred species, very willingly grown in gardens. They can be planted on a variety of supports and used as ground cover plants. The most popular arelarge-flowered varieties of clematis , among which we can find plants of Polish origin, such as the clematis 'John Paul II'. See what othervarieties of clematisit is worth planting in the garden, what does the garden look likegrowing clematis , is it necessary to cut these vines and how to overcome anyclematis diseases
Clematis - Clematis
Clematis - varieties
"Clematiscome in a wide range of varieties of various colors (from white, through shades of pink, blue and purple, to intense red and yellow) and flower sizes, different growth strength and also slightly different requirements.large-flowered clematis varietieslook particularly impressive, e.g. &39;Nelly Moser&39;, &39;Dr Ruppel&39;, &39;The President&39;. Among this group ofclematisvarieties, we can also find Polish accents such asclematis &39;John Paul II&39;and clematis &39;Westerplatte&39;. Also often found in gardens isClematis(Clematis montana). Its flowers are smaller than those of large-flowered clematis, but they appear in great numbers, almost covering the entire plant. "
If you need vines with a high growth force, up to 10 m high, which will cover large areas, it is worth plantingclimbing clematis(Clematis vitalba) orTanguck clematis(Clematis tangunica).The latter tolerates dry positions better. Strongly growing (up to 5 m) also include: mountain clematis (Clematis montana), southern clematis (Clematis flamula), alpine clematis (Clematis montana) and their varieties.
Clematis varietieswith a weaker growth force can also be grown in containers on balconies and terraces. The railings run along the length of the railing work well as cover plants for the balcony. Allvarieties of clematisfrom the Viticella group are suitable for cultivation in containers, as well as such popular varieties as: clematis 'Doctor Ruppel', clematis 'Generał Sikorski', clematis 'Kardynał Wyszyński', clematis 'Polish Spirit', clematis 'Warszawska Nike' or clematis 'The President'.
Most clematis are excellent fences, nets, pergolas and trellises, as well as other plants (e.g. tree trunks). They can also be used as ground cover plants. For such an application, you can choose, among others. intermediate clematis (Clematis x jouniana) 'Praecox' or 'Mrs Robert Brydon'.
Most clematis grow best in the Southeast or Southwest display. However, we can also findclematisvarieties that tolerate northern partial shade, e.g. Clematis' Carnaby ',' Dr Ruppel ',' Nelly Moser ', Ville de Lyon'. However, in a very sunny southern position, you can plant allclematisvarieties from the Viticella group, as well as 'Sylvia Denny', 'Duchess of Edinburgh', 'Gipsy Queen' or 'Ernest Markham'.
Dr Ruppel clematis
Of course, the above-mentioned plants are just a few examples from the huge selection of clematis that we have at our disposal. About 300varieties of clematiscan be considered valuable and useful for growing in our climate, out of a whole range of several thousand varieties of these plants.
Growing clematis
Clematis - planting, growing position
Growing clematisis best done in sunny or semi-shaded positions.Necessarily sheltered from the wind, as clematis shoots are quite delicate. The soil should be fertile, humus, rather light and rich in calcium (pH 6 to 7).
If we carry outplanting of clematison poorer soils, a deep hole must be dug at the planting site. A layer of gravel or coarse sand is placed at the bottom of the pit (it will prevent the roots from watering), and then the pit is filled with soil with the addition of compost, well-decomposed manure and de-acidified peat.
Forplanting of clematisyou only buy potted plants. They can basically be planted throughout the growing season from spring to fall, but the bestplanting date for clematisis autumn. The appropriatedepth of planting clematisPlants should be placed in the soil slightly lower than they grew in the container, so that the root ball is covered with a 10 cm layer of soil.
Clematisare climbing plants, therefore appropriate supports for the climbers are required.It should be remembered here that clematis cling to supports with petioles, which are not able to wrap around elements with a diameter greater than 2.5 cm. The best supports for them are therefore grilles made of thin bamboo stakes or wire. Since the clematis shoots are very delicate, the plants must be planted right next to the support so that they grow vertically upwards (sometimes at the beginning of the cultivation it is necessary to gently tie the plant to the support).
Clematis perfectly climb various supports
Watering clematis
Clematis are sensitive to drought and low air humidity. For this reason, it should be ensured that the base of the bush and the soil around it are shaded. For this purpose, next to the vines, you can plant low perennials with similar soil requirements and mulch the soil. You should also remember to regularlywatering clematisso that the soil is constantly moist, but not soggy.
Clematis fertilization
We start fertilizing clematis from April, using compound fertilizers or specialfertilizers for clematisThese types of fertilizer mixtures are available in the offer of most well-known fertilizer manufacturers. You can choose granular fertilizers, such as DR GREEN Clematis Fertilizer with microelements, which are sprinkled under plants, or liquid fertilizers, such as Florovit for clematis and other flowering vines, which are diluted with water for watering. Such fertilizers are applied several times until July. You can also apply a dose of slow-release fertilizer once in April, e.g. Osmocote (in mid-April, 2-3 holes 5-10 cm deep in the soil around the plant are filled with 10 g of this fertilizer), which is enough until the end of the season .
When choosing themethod of fertilizing clematisremember that clematis are sensitive to excessive soil salinity. It is better to give the fertilizer a little too little (we only risk weaker plant growth and flowering less profusely) than too much (this can be fatal for the plant).Overdosing is easier to avoid when using slow-release fertilizer.
" Protection of clematis for winterBefore winter comes, the base of the shrub is covered with earth, bark or sawdust, creating the so-called mound. Thanks to this, we protect the lower parts of plants against freezing. "
Clematis - cutting
Knowing howcutting clematisis quite important. The way of cutting varies depending on the flowering date of the creepers. Before we get into the details, let me just mention that most wild species (e.g. alpine clematis) do not require pruning or are pruned very rarely. However, regular pruning is required for hybridlarge-flowered clematisvarieties, where pruning is a prerequisite for obtaining strong, profusely flowering shrubs.
Cutting clematisshould be done very carefully so as not to break their brittle stems. Shoots are cut just above the pair of buds (thickening on the shoot) or above the point where the shoots branch.
Cutting spring-flowering clematis
Species and varieties that bloom in early spring develop flower buds already in the previous year. Trimming these clematis in spring, just before flowering, would remove any set flower buds and ultimately flower very poorly. Therefore, pruning must be carried out immediately after flowering, before the flower buds for the next year form. As soon as the plants have faded, we remove weak and dried shoots and, if the plant is too dense, we also thin the he althy ones. This group of clematis should not be cut too drastically, and sometimes cutting is not necessary at all.
This is how we prune: Clematis alpina 'Columbine', 'Constance', 'Pink Flamingo', 'Ruby'; Clematis macropetala 'Blue Bird', 'Lagoon', 'Markham's Pink'; Clematis montana (Clematis montana) 'Rubens', Freda', 'Mayleen'.
Clematis - Clematis
Cutting spring and summer flowering clematis
This is howlarge-flowered and full-flowered varietiesbloom in this way, first in spring on short side shoots (which grew last year) and then in summer, on this year's shoots. In these plants, pruning is carried out in early spring, removing the most exuberant shoots. Pruning in this period will slightly limit the spring flowering, but it will contribute to the branching of the plant and more abundant summer flowering.
This is how we trim the varieties: 'Alabast', 'Dr. Ruppel ',' Duchness of Edinburgh ',' H.F. Young ',' Lasurstern ',' Multi Blue ',' Mime le Coultre ',' Nelly Moser ',' Niobe ',' Piilu ',' Snow Queen ',' The President ',' Miss Bateman '.
Cutting summer and autumn flowering clematis
With these clematis, the matter is the easiest. They bloom only on this year's shoots and abundant pruning in early spring will not hurt them. You can cut them very radically.Every year in spring, trim all shoots to a height of 30 cm, and remove all dead shoots. After pruning, the plants will bounce back and flourish.
In this way, you can trim, among others. Italian Clematis (Clematis viticella) 'Mary Rose', 'Black Prince', 'Comtesse de Bouchaud', 'Huldine', 'Venosa Vionacea'; Clematis tangutica (Clematis tangutica), Clematis whole-leaf (Clematis integrifolia) and Clematis Rehdera (Clematis Rehderiana).
Clematis diseases
The most dangerous disease affecting clematis is undoubtedlywithering of clematisThis disease most often affects large-flowered clematis, usually those that bloom in spring. Late-flowering clematis varieties are less susceptible to this disease. Withering of the clematis causes whole plants or individual shoots to wilt and die. The development of this pathogen is favored by humidity and temperature around 25 ° C, damage to the shoots and over-fertilization with mineral fertilizers.
Withering attacks clematisbefore they produce thick, woody shoots.The problem therefore mainly concerns young seedlings in the first two years of cultivation. For this reason, you need to carefully inspect theclematis seedlings you buyto make sure that they are not infected with this disease. When symptoms of this disease are noticed, the affected sections of the shoots should be cut below the withering leaves and removed from the garden (preferably burned). After cutting diseased shoots, the plants are properly watered and the appropriate doses of fertilizers are applied so that the root stumps will sprout new, he althy shoots. From mid-spring to early autumn, the soil around clematis should be watered with water with the addition of a fungicide once a month.
Clematis can also be attacked by gray mold, which in clematis causes browning and dying off of the tops of shoots up to several cm long and the appearance of round spots on flower petals. In the fight against this disease,spraying clematiswith Teldor 500 SC (in a concentration of 0.1%) helps. Of course, the affected parts of the plant should be cut.Powdery mildew, which causes the formation of a white, powdery coating on leaves, shoots and flowers, does not avoid clematis.The disease is favored by too dense plantings, weed infestation and high air humidity. While watering, the stream of water should be directed at the substrate or the base of the shoot, avoiding sprinkling the leaves. Infested plants should be sprayed 2-3 times at 7-day intervals, alternating between two different fungicides, e.g. Score 250 EC, Nimrod 250 EC, Topsin M 500 EC.
