Evergreen Clematis

Pruning Clematis can cause panic in many gardeners. Note that improper pruning will never kill a Clematis, it merely leads to delayed flowering. If never pruned at all, they will still bloom but may look a bit rangy.

Clematis can be planted anytime the ground is workable. Because they are such long-lived plants, it is essential to site and plant them appropriately. Clematis require at least 5-6 hours of full sun, or all day filtered sun. They prefer rich, loose, well drained soil. A cool root zone is essential, so use rocks, mulch or ground cover to provide shade. To support their climbing habits, always provide a shrub, tree or trellis for climbing.

Pruning Clematis can cause panic in many gardeners. Note that improper pruning will never kill a Clematis, it merely leads to delayed flowering. If never pruned at all, they will still bloom but may look a bit rangy.

Where flowers form determines how and when Clematis should be pruned.

Those that bloom only on growth produced the previous year should be lightly cut back as soon as they finish blooming in May or June.

Clematis that flowers in spring on last year’s growth, and again in fall on this year’s growth, should be lightly pruned in late February or March.

Clematis that blooms in early summer to fall on the current year’s growth tend to become quite leggy over time, with flowers occurring progressively higher, leaving much of the vine naked. These vines are well suited to being trained up into a tree where their growth habit works well.

Another option is to aggressively cut back summer-blooming forms in late February or March to two strong sets of buds on each stem as close to the ground as possible. This will ensure a compact vine with flowers at eye level.

Keeping a garden journal is very helpful for remembering pruning details from year to year!

When growth begins in spring apply a balanced fertilizer. Later when actively growing, a general purpose liquid fertilizer (such as 5-10-10) works well. Once the flower buds are well formed, stop fertilizing until after flowering to prolong the bloom time. To help plants settle down for winter, discontinue fertilizing in mid-August.

Water your new Clematis freely and often in the first year. After the first year, soak the roots well once a week during dry weather.

Dig a hole about 18 inches deep and wide. Mix 1/3 compost, rotted manure, and /or pumice into the back-fill to loosen heavy soil. Be sure to remove the stake which is usually stapled to the pot. Place the clematis in the hole about 2 inches below the soil line, being very careful not to damage the brittle stems. Back-fill with amended soil to the base of the plant stem.

Leave the final filling of the hole until later in the season to avoid rotting out the crown. Securely attach the stems to a support to prevent damage throughout the growing season. Note that may varieties of clematis are excellent subjects for large containers, as long as the roots stay cool.