Clematis Purpurea Plena Elegance: variety description, planting and care, pruning group

An effective climbing liana that can decorate any suburban area is Purpurea Plena elegans clematis. A sophisticated variety of colors and luxurious flowering allow you to create magnificent compositions. Thanks to its unique qualities and ease of cultivation, lush and expressive clematis is ideal for beginner growers.

Description and features of the variety

Purpurea Plena elegans looks like a curly luxurious liana, with magnificent double flowers of dark burgundy color. On one small shoot you can see a great many of them.Lush flowers in size do not exceed 10 centimeters and do not have stamens. The plant grows to medium size and reaches four meters in height. Its stems are densely covered with oval leaves. The root system goes deep into the soil.

This hardy vine needs good light and warmth to bloom luxuriantly. Under shelter, it easily tolerates severe frosts down to -40 ° C. Due to the large size, it requires the use of supports. Looks great against the background of gazebos, fences or walls of various buildings.

Purpurea Plena Elegans Breeding History

The variety was created in France over 100 years ago by mixing several different types of clematis.

Advantages and disadvantages

Purpurea Plena Elegance has many benefits and is suitable for beginner gardeners to experiment:

• tolerates even low temperatures;
• resistant to various diseases;
• grows intensively and pleases with active continuous flowering on an annual vine from June to September;
• not whimsical to care for.

There are practically no shortcomings in the variety:

• needs good lighting;
• requires annual strong pruning, in its absence, weak flowering is observed the next year.

How to plant

After the threat of the last frost has passed, and the soil has warmed up enough, on a cloudy and warm day, you can start planting plants in open ground. For each region, the landing time is different. On average, this is the end of May, June.

Choosing a seat

Clematis Purpurea is grown in a sunny area protected by a fence, wall or tall trees from drafts. Artificial shading during the particularly hot afternoon hours will be the perfect protection against leaf scorch and delicate flowers.

Selecting planting material

Today, two varieties of cuttings can be found on sale:

1. Open rooted, rooted last season. Such cuttings come with a peat ball, three or more developed roots and several buds.
2. With a closed root system, sold in containers.

When buying seedlings, pay attention to the roots. They should be light and elastic. Darkened areas of the root system require removal.

Unbudded clematis can be stored in the refrigerator or basement at temperatures below 5°C. A seedling with grown roots is immediately planted in a pot, deepening the neck by 2 centimeters.

The pot is placed in a bright place with an air temperature of 8-10 °C.

Soil Requirements

Clematis Purpurea loves fertile soil. Sandy loam or loam with excellent drainage and low soil acidity promotes vigorous growth and lush flowering.

The root system goes deep into the ground, so close groundwater inhibits plant development and causes root rot. When growing in such areas, it is necessary to create artificial mounds or block the access of the root system to groundwater by laying a sheet of iron or slate in the planting hole.

Plant pattern

For the intensive development of powerful roots and abundant flowering when planting clematis, a number of rules should be followed:

1. A massive root requires a deep planting hole, at least 50 centimeters deep.
2. To prepare the soil you will need: earth, peat and humus in equal proportions. A small amount of ash can be added to neutralize acidity.
3. A drainage layer is laid at the bottom of the pit, part of the finished soil mixture is poured out and a small mound is formed. A plant is planted on a mound, gently spreading the roots.
4. The planting hole is covered with earth so that the root neck of the seedling is buried 10 centimeters into the ground. Such deepening contributes to the formation of a he althy, powerful bush. Clematis with a root neck located at ground level is doomed: such a plant practically does not bush, only a few stems form on it.
5. To prevent the accumulation of moisture near the root neck and provide the roots with oxygen, the trunk circle around the entire perimeter is covered with a layer of mulch from sawdust, straw or humus.
6. Each plant is heavily watered and supported.
7. Space between plants should be at least 70 centimeters.

When planting Clematis Purpurea with a closed root system, it is carefully removed from the container and placed in a planting hole along with an earthen clod. The formation of a mound with this landing is not required.

Features of care

Clematis is unpretentious in care. For its active growth and flowering will be enough:

• timely watering;
• loosening the earth around the trunk circle;
• periodic feeding;
• annual pruning;
• protect against pests and various diseases.

Crop group

Proper pruning is the guarantor of the annual abundant flowering of clematis. It contributes to the formation of a powerful plant. If you skip timely pruning, next year there will be little flowering or a complete absence of flowers.

Plena Purpurea belongs to the third pruning group, as the color is formed on fresh shoots growing in spring. The plant requires cardinal pruning at a height of 10-15 centimeters. At the same time, two or three buds are left on young shoots.

Pruning is done in autumn. With the arrival of warm days and the restoration of the intensive movement of juice with such pruning, the plant is activated and grows, without putting nutritious juices into old unnecessary branches. Deep pruning also increases the winter hardiness of the plant, prevents freezing of the roots at prolonged sub-zero temperatures.

Irrigation

Lack and excess of moisture negatively affect the growth and development of Clematis Purpurea, reduce the period and intensity of flowering. When growing it, avoid strong drying of the earth. Watering should be moderate and regular. During long droughts, the plant needs abundant watering.

Clematis Purpurea is desirable to water late in the evening. During a cool night, moisture will have time to soak into the soil and saturate the plant. When watering in the morning, a large amount of moisture evaporates and does not reach the roots.

Feeding

Clematis is fed in small portions, alternating organic and mineral fertilizers. Fertilizers are applied no more than four times per season. During the flowering period, Clematis is not fertilized.

Shelter for the winter

In regions with cold winters, clematis requires reliable shelter. With the advent of the first frost, the base of the plant is covered with humus, peat, sawdust or dry leaves. The plant is covered with lutrasil or any other covering material.

Protection from spring waters

Drainage grooves laid along the trunk circle and filled with sand or gravel, as well as diversion furrows, will help to reliably protect the vines from the spring flood. At the base of the plant, to protect against water, you can form small mounds of peat or humus.

Support

The height and heavy weight of the vines require the use of reliable supports. To do this, use:

• fences;
• building walls;
• garden arbors;
• metal arches:
• wood nets;
• openwork pergolas;
• chain-link mesh;
• racks.

Whatever support is used in the summer cottage - Purpurea Plena is elegant and beautiful in any form.

Mulching and loosening the soil

For the development of a powerful root system and the plant as a whole, free access of oxygen is necessary. Clematis needs periodic loosening of the soil. Loosening is especially important after heavy watering or a period of prolonged rains.

Mulching the trunk circle will help to avoid loosening, retain moisture and prevent the formation of weeds. To do this, you can use compost, sawdust, straw, dry leaves and even cones.

Diseases and pests

Clematis is resistant to most types of diseases, but some of them are still dangerous for vines.

Rot

Change in the green color of the leaves to brown and whitish plaque indicates developing gray rot. The reason is an excess of moisture. The affected areas are cut and burned, and the plant is treated with a solution of foundationazole or azocene.

Powdery mildew

Whitish bloom on shoots and leaves indicates powdery mildew. For treatment, the plant is treated with foundationazole, azocene or topaz.

Harmful insects

Clematis love:

• aphid;
• Medvedka;
• spider mite;
• slugs.

Timely treatment with chemicals will help save the plant from serious damage and death.

Rodents

To protect Clematis Purpurea in winter from rodents, various baits are laid out around the trunk.

Reproduction

Purpurea Plena can be easily propagated by seed, division, cuttings and layering.

Dividing bushes

To breed clematis by division, they dig up a plant no older than seven years and carefully divide it into parts. Each resulting bush is planted in a prepared planting hole, having treated the root system with a rooter.

Layers

In early spring, he althy young shoots are bent down and sprinkled with earth. After the roots appear, the cuttings are cut off from the mother bush and transplanted.

Cutting

With the onset of warm spring days, you can start propagating clematis Purpurea by cuttings. To do this, the middle part of the young shoot is cut off and placed for rooting in a wet mixture of humus and sand. The rooted cutting is transplanted into open ground.

Landscape use

Clematis Purpurea is ideal for growing in the garden, terrace or porch. It will effectively decorate:

• garage or barn wall;
• fences and similar barriers;
• house facade;
• arches and pergolas.

Reviews

According to the owners, Purpurea Plena elegans needs careful care. It's not easy to work with, but it's worth it.

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