How to grow clematis? Detailed guide to planting methods and management key points

How to cultivate clematis? Clematis comes in many flower colors, and its flower shapes are extremely beautiful, making it a favorite ornamental flower among many gardening enthusiasts. Clematis is also a Chinese medicinal plant with very high medicinal value. Below, the editor will briefly walk everyone through how to plant clematis.

1. Biological characteristics

Clematis is also called tiexianmu, and is hailed as the "Queen of Vine Flowers." It belongs to the Ranunculaceae family. The flowering period runs from early spring to late autumn, and there are even varieties that bloom in winter; the fruiting period is in summer. The flowering period is from June to September. The flowers have a fragrant scent, and of course the flower colors are even more colorful and varied. Flowers can be single-petaled, double-petaled, and so on.

2. Environment

Clematis prefers a shady, moist, and cool environment, and likes fertile, well-drained alkaline loam. It is not tolerant of high temperatures, fears waterlogging, and has strong cold resistance, able to withstand low temperatures of -20 degrees. For ground planting, choose a slightly elevated, semi-shaded position with good drainage; for container planting, choose a terracotta pot with drainage holes. When planting, place ceramsite at the bottom to aid drainage, and use a mix of garden soil, leaf mold, and river sand.

3. Temperature

The optimal temperature for clematis growth is 15-17 degrees at night and 21-25 degrees during the day. When summer temperatures exceed 35 degrees, provide shade. When winter temperatures drop below 5 degrees, the plant enters a semi-dormant period; in cold weather it enters complete dormancy and the plant sheds its leaves.

4. Light

Clematis prefers semi-shade. Spring and autumn are the seasons of vigorous growth, and from autumn to early spring of the following year it can be given supplemental sunlight without shading. In the hot summer, pull up a shade net, place container plants in a ventilated, cool position, and you can also spray water on the leaves and surroundings to cool them down.

5. Watering

During the peak growth period of clematis, that is, in spring and autumn, apply liquid fertilizer once every half month. During the growing season, simply keep the potting soil moist. Avoid overwatering, otherwise the roots are prone to rot. In the hot, rainy summer, pay special attention to drainage. In summer the plant is in a dormant period, so just keep the medium moist. During the flowering period, be careful not to spray water on the flowers, especially for double-petaled varieties, whose petals are numerous and densely packed; once water is sprayed on them and cannot evaporate in time, the petals will turn black and affect the ornamental value.

6. Fertilizing

During the peak growth period of clematis (spring and autumn), apply liquid fertilizer once every half month. During the growing season, just keep the potting soil moist. Avoid overwatering, otherwise the roots are prone to rot. In summer with frequent rainstorms, pay special attention to drainage. During the high-temperature summer period the plant goes dormant, so just keep the medium moist.

7. Pruning

After clematis finishes flowering, promptly remove the spent flowers to save nutrients. Clematis needs its stems and vines tied up manually so the plant shape is full and attractive. Generally it is not pruned, to prevent cutting off flower buds and resulting in no flowers to enjoy that year. Only after the plant goes dormant in autumn should it be lightly pruned, simply removing dense, slender, leggy stems and vines as well as diseased and pest-damaged stems and vines. When pruning and tying, note that the stems are thin and brittle and break easily.

8. Diseases

Clematis has relatively strong resistance to pests and diseases, and serious pest or disease damage rarely occurs. Diseases may appear in summer when the rain stops and the temperature rises sharply. Pay attention to the ventilation and light transmission of the environment, drain promptly when there is a lot of rain, and reduce humidity to prevent diseases.

The above are the key points for planting the beautiful clematis. Gardening enthusiasts are welcome to continue adding to them. This is only for reference, and I believe everyone has even better experience to share!

Cultivation key points for different clematis varieties

Through artificial breeding and propagation, there are more and more clematis varieties. When cultivating clematis artificially, the principles of ventilation, ensuring moisture, and stopping fertilization before the end of August should generally be followed. The editor will now introduce the cultivation key points for different clematis varieties. Interested friends can learn about them together.

Clematis

1. Type 1 varieties. They continue to grow in summer and are managed normally. Watch out for red spider mites and thrips; it is best to spray pesticide once every half month. Do not let the Atragene group get rained on. As long as the Atragene group sprouts new branches, it can bloom, continuing into autumn. Evergreen and Montana varieties only grow branches. Never forget to water; once a fine-rooted variety lacks water, it is doomed. Example varieties: Atragene (Blue Bird, Pink Macca, Cecile). Evergreen (Early Sensation, Silver Coin, Apple Blossom). Montana (Pink Rose, Green Eyes, Giant Star)

2. Type 2 varieties (including Utopia, Memory, Blessing). They bloom in large numbers in early spring. After flowering, cut off the spent flowers; it is also fine to cut off the branches that have already bloomed. About a month after flowering, some new axillary buds will sprout, and if they develop well, they can bloom. Old leaves will turn brown. From May the temperature gradually rises, and June is the plum rain season in Jiangnan. If the medium is not breathable enough and the branches are buried deep, wilt disease is highly likely. Watch out for thrips pests and diseases on new branches. Example varieties: Pink Champagne, Bees' Jubilee, Andromeda, Crystal Fountain, Josephine, Woking Beauty, Ice Beauty, Aisha, and so on

3. Type 3 varieties. After the first batch of flowers finishes blooming, you can cut off all the nodes that have already bloomed. In about 1 month, new branches will grow again and bloom. Example varieties: Italian group (Purple Cloud, Violet Star, Super Jack, Margaret Hunt). Integrifolia group (Rugo, Durand, Dancing Girl, A-Liu)

4. Type F (except Utopia, Memory, and Blessing), the odd summer-dormant varieties. After flowering, cut off the spent flowers, leaving the branches and leaves to increase water evaporation and reduce the occurrence of wilt disease. Getting rained on is also no problem, but do not give fertilizer. The manifestation of dormancy is leaves turning yellow, withered, and black. After dormancy, you can shorten the branches and cut off the dead leaves. However, it is best to prune the branches around the end of August, because at this time Type F should be waking up, then sending out new shoots and blooming. Example varieties: Little Green, Fantasy Purple, Miss Kyoko, Cassis

5. Boulevard. It is recommended to prune lightly after flowering, cutting off the nodes that have already bloomed. New branches that sprout before the end of June can basically all bloom again. In summer, manage them as Type 2. Example varieties: Picardy, Cezanne, Parisian Charm, Olala, Beer

Thrips will cause new branches and tender buds to turn black. If you find clematis new buds scorched black, after ruling out fertilizer damage, consider whether it is thrips damage. Fertilizer damage mainly causes black leaf tips, while thrips cause tender bud leaves to turn black all the way to the petiole. Here, thrips generally appear starting in July, but this year they had already appeared on roses in May. Drugs such as abamectin and imidacloprid can be used for prevention; after an outbreak, spray once every three days, spraying the above drugs three times in a row.

Key points for transplanting clematis and pruning methods for clematis

Clematis has relatively vigorous vitality, and during container cultivation it may need transplanting and pruning. Many friends are still not very familiar with clematis transplanting and pruning. Next, Xiao Qi will share the key points for transplanting clematis and the pruning methods for clematis.

I. Transplanting clematis

1. Transplanting time: Container-grown clematis can be transplanted at any time of the year, because when transplanting you only need to take the clematis plant out of the pot and plant it, without causing any damage to the clematis root system. Of course, the ideal transplanting time for clematis is spring or early autumn. During this period the soil temperature is relatively warm and the soil moisture content is more suitable, which can provide the best living environment for plants that have just changed environments. But as long as we can dig a hole, we can plant clematis even in winter; even if freezing soon follows, there is not much of a problem.

2. Transplanting steps: There is no standard size for digging the hole. The size of the round hole depends on how good the soil quality is. If the soil is loose, fertile, and well-drained, 30 cm is enough, or a depth of one and a half spade lengths. If the opposite is true, and the soil is heavy and highly clayey, it is best to dig to 50-60 cm deep so a good drainage layer can be made. As for width, it needs to be 30-40 cm so the roots can be placed in freely.

II. Pruning methods for clematis

1. The flowering period begins before the end of May, the pedicels are short, and usually more than 2 flowers are borne in the leaf axils. In February-March of the first year after planting, shorten all branches, leaving 30 cm on each. In February-March of the second year, shorten all branches, leaving 1 m on each. After the third year, each year after flowering, cut off weak branches and dead branches.

2. Flowers bloom on short branches sprouted from the leaf axils of last year's branches, with 1 flower per branch, and the flowering period begins before the end of June. In February-March of the first year after planting, shorten all branches, leaving 30 cm on each. In February-March of the second year, shorten all branches, leaving 1 m on each. After the third year, each year in February-March, cut all branches short above the first pair of plump lateral buds.

3. Flowers bloom on new branches of the current year, with several flowers per branch, and the flowering period begins in July. In February-March of the first year after planting, shorten all branches, leaving 30 cm. After the second year, each year in February-March, cut all branches off above the growth point of the previous year, keeping the plant height no more than 75 cm above the ground.

The above is an introduction to the key points for transplanting clematis and the pruning methods for clematis. Friends who grow clematis at home can refer to it.