Rules for growing clematis at their summer cottage
Content:
For most of us, summer cottages have already become not just a place for gardening, but a quiet corner of rest from the hustle and bustle of the city, which we strive to ennoble, including by planting various ornamental plants and shrubs. Many gardeners plant clematis for vertical gardening of their plots, near gazebos, terraces, but they do not always follow the rules for growing clematis. This plant reaches several meters, gives rich greenery and a huge number of flowers, which in some exceeds more than one hundred. To achieve such results, you must adhere to important rules for growing clematis.
Rules for growing clematis and their types:
In order not to be deceived in your expectations, planting clematis on the site, you need to know which of the categories the plant belongs to.
So, some clematis form flowers only on the shoots of the last year. The main flowering period of such plants is spring, early summer. However, taking into account our climatic conditions, the flowering time may be delayed.
Another group is clematis, which form flowers on shoots of both last year and the current one.
The plant blooms twice, the first time in early summer, the second wave occurs in the middle of the summer season, when clematis blooms in full force.
And the last category is plants, the flowers of which are formed only on new shoots. Such clematis are weather-resistant, cold-resistant and will decorate your garden plot with their flowering from July to mid-autumn.
Requirements for the landing site and soil. Rules
The optimal time for planting clematis is early summer, after the late frosts have passed.
To plant a plant, you need to choose a well-lit, wind-protected area of the garden. At the same time, it is necessary to take into account the climatic features of the region. If the summer is often dry and hot, then areas illuminated by the sun throughout the day, flower beds near the walls of houses and fences, which get very hot and give off heat during the day, should not be considered as planting sites.
Since the roots of the plant are quite deep, it is not recommended to plant it in wetlands.
It is not necessary to "settle" clematis in areas that are blown through. Thin shoots of the plant are rather fragile and under the weight of large flowers, and even constantly blown by the wind, they will easily break, slowing down its development and growth.
The level of soil acidity with a neutral ph reaction is optimal for clematis; the plant also takes root well on weakly acidic soils.
Planting clematis
The size of the planting pit depends on the type of soil. In areas with heavy soils, the width, length and depth of the pit should be at least 70 cm, with light soils - 50 cm.The distance between plants is from 70 to 100 cm.
If the groundwater at the site is high, it is necessary to put broken bricks, gravel at the bottom of the pit, with a layer of at least 15 cm.
Further, the pit is filled with nutritious soil, humus is added and mineral phosphorus fertilizer is applied.
The container with the seedling is lowered into water for 10 minutes before planting, after which the plant is placed in the planting pit.
A distinctive feature when planting clematis is that the seedling is deeply buried. The root collar should be 8-10 cm below ground level. Shoots should be cut, leaving 2-4 buds. When the shoots grow back, they are pruned again. It should be noted that constant pruning of the plant for the first couple of years will allow the formation of a good root system.
After planting, the seedling is watered abundantly and shaded a little.
It is also necessary to prepare supports for the clematis garter so that the wind does not break thin shoots, injuring the plants.
For the development of the plant, for 2-3 years after planting, you can lower it to the ground and dig in a couple of shoots, leaving them with 1-2 buds. Next year, these shoots will take root and begin to grow as independent bushes.
Rules for growing clematis and flower care
When growing clematis, it is important to regularly (1-2 times a week) and abundant watering. To maintain moderate soil moisture, the land near the plant must be loosened, mulched.
Clematis plants are responsive to fertilization. It is recommended to do weekly feeding with a complex of mineral fertilizers. You can also add wood ash and mullein solution.
In order to prevent fungal diseases, the soil around the bush is treated with a fungicide solution. Such treatments are carried out throughout the entire growing season of the plant, with a frequency of 3-4 weeks.
In addition, plants that repel pests, such as calendula or marigolds, can be planted next to clematis.
So that the work on growing clematis is not wasted, clematis must be prepared for winter. Autumn care includes hilling the plant to a height of at least 10-15 cm, removing the lashes from the support, trimming them and then covering them with spruce branches or coniferous litter.
It should be noted that regardless of the selected clematis variety, in the first 1-2 years after planting, you should not expect violent growth and flowering. The plant is gaining full strength from 3 years.
Providing the correct agricultural technique at first, in the future you will get healthy, beautiful plants with long flowering, resistant to viruses and infections.