If you’re wondering how to best care for your clematis, you’re far from alone. They have specific care and pruning requirements, but once understood, they can be easily managed. One phrase that is often repeated when talking about clematis care is that they like to have ‘hot heads and cool feet’. Meaning, the plant wants full sun without its base drying out. Easier said than done.
Outlined below are steps to keep your clematis healthy and happy.
Watering
Before you consider whether or not you should plant a clematis, determine whether you can give it enough water. All clematis like water and effort should be taken so that they do not dry out. This is critical when it comes to maintaining “cool feet.” There are a few ways to ensure that you are getting your clematis adequate water:
- Make sure to use wood mulch around the base of your clematis. This will allow the soil to retain moisture for longer periods of time (which means less work for you as the gardener!).
- Use facer plants. Essentially, plant a small shrub, perennial, or annual that will grow in front of the base of the clematis, protecting it from the harshest rays of sun. Your plant will get all the sunlight it needs, but the base will be protected and cool.
- Give it a good drink now and then. Is Minnesota in the midst of a dry spell? About once a week, water your clematis more deeply than you typically would. This will give the roots a deeper water supply to access during the week.
Sun
Clematis like full sun, meaning a minimum of six hours a day. If planted on the east side of your house, your clematis may not require facer plants to protect its base because it won’t be exposed to the harshest rays of the day, but you’ll need to be sure it’s in a location where it receives enough sunlight. However, clematis do just fine when planted on the south or west side of your house provided that you have facer plants in front and an adequate water supply.
Planting, Care, and Site Conditions
With the right amount of sun and water, your plants should thrive. Here are a few other things to consider when choosing to plant a clematis.
- Best times to plant: The absolute best time to plant is in early spring. For root development, anywhere in April – Mid-June or September – Mid-October is best.
- Best soil conditions: Rich and well-draining soil is key here. Loosen the soil about two feet down from where you plan on planting your clematis. Consider mixing in some peat moss or coconut coir to your planting site as well. These additions help to manage the water conditions and also provide additional nutrients for your plants. If you have clay soil, you will need to amend the soil conditions. Remove the existing clay and replace it with a sandier soil mixture to encourage good drainage.
- How to plant: Plant the crown of the clematis 1”-2” underneath the top layer of soil. Be careful not to break the shoot. Depending on how much growth your clematis has at the time of planting, you may also want to consider staking the plant or training it to a trellis.
- Fertilizing a clematis is pretty easy! Once to twice a year, feed the plant with a general fertilizer.
- Wintering: Mulch further up the base of the plant with either wood mulch or leaves to protect the base through the harshest of winter. In the spring you can remove some of the mulch.
Pruning
A clematis’ pruning requirements will differ depending on what type of clematis you have. The bottom line is that if you’re not sure which pruning group your clematis belongs to, leave it alone. Let it grow and flower, and observe which time of season it blooms. You will then know what group your clematis belongs to based on the information below.
- Type 1: Flowers early and blooms on old wood. The good news about type 1 clematis is that while they may benefit from pruning, they don’t truly need it on a regular basis. The not so good news is that there is a pretty short window of time in which you can prune them. This is immediately after flowering and no later than late July. When you prune, be sure that you get any weak or dead branches! Do not prune this group to the ground. Some examples of this are Clematis alpina ‘Blue Dancer’ and our native Clematis virginiana, known as Virgin’s Bower.
- Type 2: These clematis bloom twice per year: once in late spring/early-summer and again in mid-summer/early fall. The first flush of blooms will bloom on old wood and the second will bloom on new wood. Do not prune this type of clematis to the ground. The best time to prune this group is in late winter/early spring. Make sure to remove any weak or dying vines, and to trim all of the vines back by about ⅓ to the nearest pair of swollen buds. Some examples of this group are ‘Henryi’, ‘Doctor Ruppel,’ and ‘Cardinal Wyszynski.’
- Type 3: These clematis bloom exclusively on new wood and will bloom in late summer/early fall. Prune in late winter/early spring. You can do more pruning with this type than the other two. You typically want to leave about 1’-2’ of the previous year’s growth, but you can remove the rest. When you cut, ensure that you are leaving at least two bud pairs per stem. Some of our most well-known clematis come from this group including ‘Jackmanii’ and ‘Sweet Autumn.’
Clematis are a beautiful addition to your garden and with a little extra TLC your clematis should thrive.
We are here to help
If you have any questions or want to call in a local garden expert, get in touch with us here at Pleasant View Gardens!
Long Lake, MN 55356