Clematis, also called queen of climbers, is a species of climbing wines highly popular among gardeners. Clematis vines are native to the areas of northern hemisphere and they are able to flower for most months of the year even in such cool and temperate conditions.

Steps involved in growing Clematis

Selecting a Clematis variety

There are many varieties of clematis available on the market, so before you plant one, carefully choose the most suitable for the specific growing conditions in your region.

Selecting the site

It is best to start growing clematis out of already two years old plant. Still, it will take few years to mature and produce plenty of flowers. When choosing a site for clematis, keep in mind, that this plant will thrive in a location with abundance of sunlight. However, it will bloom in partial shade, but to reach the potential flowering results, it will need at least 6 hours of sunlight each day.

Watering (Maintaining soil moisture)

The soil should be fertile, moist and well drained at all times. Water clematis regularly once in a week for the first growing season in order to help the plant get established. Also keep on watering as it is the lack of moist that can do the most harm to clematis. Do not let the roots dry out completely. You can put mulch around the base of the plant to keep the soil moist and cool as much as possible.

Preparing Support

Since the clematis are climbing plants, they will need some kind of support they can wrap their leaves around and climb up. Keep in mind that leaf stems are kind of short so use a thin support such as twine, fishing line, wire etc. If you use a trellis it is recommended to add some trellis netting. To help support clematis, you can also try to attach the leaf stems to the trellis using a fishing line or twine.

Fertilizing

In order to obtain a healthy and vigorous plant, fertilize your clemetis well. In the spring, after the last frost, put a shovel of compost and a hand of organic fertilizer around the plant. During the growing season, feed the plant twice with organic fertilizer.

Note

Every type of clematis will require different prunning approach, so you better ask for an advice at the garden nursery from which you got your variety of clematis. However, a general prunning approach consists in leaving the last year’s growth in place until mid-spring and then start prunning when you can see which vines are already dead and which vines are starting to develop.

With a bit of effort and proper care, you can make your clematis a very happy plant which will honor you with vigorous foliage and beautiful flowers in exchange.