How to feed clematis in August.

Clematis like hydrangeaare from Japan. From the east, they came to Europe, and then spread further, conquering the entire northern hemisphere with their beauty. As with any perennial plant, preparation for the winter period is very important for clematis. The more attentively you treat the plant, the better it will prepare for the dormant period, which means it will better endure adverse weather conditions. What exactly is the complex of measures for the care of clematis - this is what we will talk about in this article.

Clematis. General information.

Clematis is a vine that grows up to three meters. These plants are planted next to fences, gazebos and arches, which they braid - it is in this form that clematis look most impressive.

The horticultural community in the UK today registers about 360-380 varieties of clematis, which are striking in their diversity and splendor. Among them, you can find both simple varieties and semi-double ones, having two rows of petals, as well as double varieties, where the petals are located in three or more rows. Clematis are one-color and two-color, small, with flowers up to five centimeters in diameter, and large with huge fifteen centimeters flowers.

When clematis is propagated by seeds, the plant does not retain varietal characteristics, therefore, propagation by layering is considered the most popular and convenient.
Most garden plants prefer neutral soil, but clematis, like hydrangea, loves acidic soil, the pH of which can reach 4. Although there are some varieties that will grow better in alkaline or neutral soil, this is rather the exception to the rule. This feature must be clarified during the purchase of seedlings, so as not to make mistakes in the process of preparing a site for planting.

Clematis care during the growing season.

clematis care: pruning

For feeding clematis during the growing season, you can use both mineral and organic fertilizers: urea, potash and phosphorus fertilizers, rotted manure, self-prepared fertilizer from weeds, wood ash. The schedule for the introduction of certain elements is the same as for other flowering perennial plants: nitrogen in the spring, potassium in the process of budding and flowering, and phosphorus for the root system in the second half of summer and early autumn. All fertilizers are preliminarily dissolved in water, but never applied to dry soil; the plant must first be watered.

To feed young clematis when planting, add a little superphosphate for the root system and rotted manure. After a couple of months, pour it with weed fertilizer (plant raw materials are crushed, filled with water and infused for 10-14 days), and the last top dressing should be done in early September - add superphosphate again, which will help the roots to endure the winter.

Some growers do not advise fertilizing the plants in the first year after planting, but since flower buds are laid at this time, the minimum nutrition for clematis still needs to be provided.

If you have an adult plant that blooms profusely, then you need to provide it with adequate nutrition.

In early spring, as soon as the snow begins to melt, scatter a small amount of urea or ammonium nitrate in the trunk circle. After 20-25 days after that, pour a solution of complex mineral fertilizer. After another 2-3 weeks, you can water the clematis with a solution of bird droppings or mullein.From the moment of flowering, nitrogen fertilization can be excluded by watering the plants under the root with a solution of potassium sulfate. In the second half of summer and early autumn, feed clematis with potassium-phosphorus fertilizers. This feeding schedule will ensure that your plants are nourished and healthy. And in order to protect their root system from pests, you can plant nearby plants with a strong pungent odor, such as velvet, wormwood, marigolds or spicy herbs (rosemary, mint, sage).

How to prepare clematis for winter.

In the autumn, when feeding, dry fertilizers are used, since at this time there is no need to actively accumulate food. Some of these additives will last perfectly until spring and will continue to nourish the plant as soon as the soil starts to warm up.

In September, for feeding clematis, you can use ash from the oven, which contains enough phosphorus and potassium, and therefore will provide all the necessary roots of the plant and ensure the formation of flower buds for the next year. The second option is to add bone meal under the clematis. This fertilizer is rich in calcium and phosphorus, and so much so that for the next two to three years you don't have to worry about phosphorus fertilization.

In addition to fertilizers, attention and time should be paid to such an important procedure as pruning. It is important to know whether your clematis is blooming on young or last year's shoots, because the pruning procedure depends on this. Clematis blooming on young shoots can be cut almost to the ground in autumn, leaving only two or three knots. Then mulch the soil and the remaining aerial part dry foliage or spruce branches and covered with non-woven fabric. If clematis blooms on the shoots of the second year, then the branches are only partially cut off, leaving about one and a half meters.

Absolutely all varieties of clematis are afraid of frost, therefore, they all require shelter for the winter. How carefully you cover the plant depends not only on the flowering of the next year, but also on the general condition of the plant.

clematis care: preparing for winter

Clematis are covered in the same way as vines: shoots are laid on boards (so that there is no contact with the ground), fixed to the ground, then mulched with foliage, sawdust or spruce branches, and covered with geotextiles on top.

As important as it is to have time to cover the clematis before frost, it is just as important to unroll them in time in the spring so that they do not lie under cover.
If you want to propagate the plant, then it is best to do this during the shelter for the winter. When laying the shoots, dig a ditch, add superphosphate to it and lay one of the shoots. Then cover with soil and mulch. By spring, the cuttings will take root and release young shoots, after which it can be separated from the mother plant. Choose in advance a place for a new bush (transplanting is not welcomed by clematis), so you should immediately determine it to a permanent place. When planting, it is necessary to maintain a distance of two meters between the plants, otherwise they will experience a lack of nutrition.