Clematis: planting and care in the open field, growing rules

Such a wonderful climbing plant as clematis needs proper planting and regular care. After all, it is difficult to grow a seedling, and if it is not properly maintained, it is easy to destroy it. Varietal clematis with large flowers is better to buy in the nursery, in the form of seedlings ready for planting. Usually this is a low bush with a well-developed root, which is immediately buried in a hole and watered. Perennial plants grow for a long time in the same place, however, it is desirable to warm them for the winter.

Features of planting clematis

In Greek, "clematis" means a climbing plant.These beautiful flowers are grown to decorate garden arches, hedges, balconies, and house facades. In fact, clematis is a herbaceous perennial that belongs to the buttercup family. There are about 300 species of these plants, differing from each other.

Some varieties of clematis have lignified stems. In other plant species, young twigs grow in spring and die off in autumn. For decoration of houses and household plots, shrub clematis from the group of lianas are grown, with long curly stems and small or large (more than 5 centimeters) flowers. Plants grow and rise thanks to special supports.

Clematis are planted using self-grown seedlings or buy young seedlings (age - 1-2 years).

Purchased sprouts must have a he althy and developed root system, a stem from 5.5 to 20.5 centimeters high, on which there are buds. Before the onset of frost, seedlings are planted in the selected area.

If there was no time to plant a bush in the fall, it is kept until spring in a cold room. The roots are sprinkled with slightly moist soil, with the addition of sawdust and sand, and the growing young shoots are constantly pinched. In the spring, the shrub is transplanted into its place, in a dug hole, and sprinkled with fertilized soil above the root collar.

How to choose planting material?

There are many varieties of clematis. Planting material is bought depending on the region of residence and personal preferences. For the northern and western regions, early varieties (Victoria, Silver Brook) are chosen, which bloom on twigs grown in spring and summer.

In the southern latitudes, varieties of clematis (Florida, Lanuginosa) are planted, which bloom on the stems of the past and new year.

Clematis is divided into 3 groups. The first (A) includes plants that bloom on last year's branches.Group B includes shrubs that are able to bloom on last year's and young stems. Plants of group C bloom only on shoots grown in early spring or summer.

Group A includes the following varieties:

• alpine (Artagena Franchi, Albina Plena) - creepers with a long stem (up to 3.5 meters) and with bluish flowers, blooming from May to August;
• flowery (Baby, Joan of Arc) - a woody vine with a stem over 3 meters and large flowers of light shades;
• mountainous (Rubens, Montana Grandiflora) - a vine plant with a stem up to 9 meters, small leaves, medium-sized flowers of white, pink, red hue.

Group B and varieties:

• woolly (Madame le Coultre, Lawsonia) - a shrub plant with a stem 2.5-3 meters long, large flowers of white, bluish, pinkish hues;
• spreading (Multi Blue, Joan Picton) - a shrub with a stem up to 3 meters high, large flowers of white or dark blue hue (blooms on old branches in spring and early summer, blooms on young ones in the second half of summer and autumn stalks).

Group C and varieties:

• Jaqueman (Rouge Cardinal, Star of India) - stems of plants reach 3-6 meters, flowers of various shades, with a diameter of 8 to 20 centimeters, flowering falls on the second decade of summer;
• purple (Ville de Lyon, Viola) - clematis with a stem 3.5 meters long, purple flowers from 12 to 22 centimeters in diameter, blooming from July to September;
• whole-leaved (Durana, Vyarava) - a semi-shrub that does not cling to a support, with a low stem (up to 2 meters) and bell-shaped flowers of various shades, blooming from July to October.

Selection and preparation of the optimal landing site

Plants are usually planted in late spring or early autumn. A young seedling bought in a container can be planted at any time (except winter). Clematis are photophilous, their stems can break from a strong wind, bushes do not like sour and s alty soil. Plant roots rot in wetlands.

Where on the plot is it better to plant clematis?

These plants love sunlight, so they do not bloom well in shady places. True, in the southern regions it is advisable to plant clematis in partial shade so that the flowers do not suffer from heat and overheating. If several liana crops are planted on the site, then there should be a distance of up to one meter between adjacent stems.

Clematis should preferably be planted in places protected from drafts and winds. Too strong gusts of wind can break the fragile long stems of these plants.True, clematis grow reluctantly in the lowlands. Although these shrubs love abundant watering, they rot in wetlands. It is advisable to plant clematis near houses so that water flowing from the roof does not melt their roots.

Preparation of soil and planting pit

The plant prefers soil rich in rotted humus and minerals (loam, sandy soil). The earth should have drainage, be loose, slightly acidic or slightly alkaline. In one place, these shrubs can grow for almost twenty years.

Dig a small hole for planting - 60-70 centimeters deep and wide. The excavated earth is carefully cleaned of weeds, 5 kilograms of rotted humus are added to it, half a bucket of sand and peat, 200 grams of bone meal, 25 grams of superphosphate, potassium sulfate and ammonium nitrate.

Clematis doesn't like too many nutrients. Fertilizers need to be applied in small portions. If the soil is acidic, 200 grams of wood ash, lime or dolomite flour are added to it. Drainage (crushed stone, perlite) must be placed at the bottom of the landing hole.

How to prepare seedlings?

It is advisable to plant young annual or biennial plants. Seedlings should be he althy, have roots ten centimeters long. There should be vegetative buds on the stem, and during spring planting - at least one shoot. Before planting, the roots are immersed in a solution of Heteroauxin for a couple of hours.

Favourable landing time

Clematis is planted, focusing on the climatic features of a particular region. In spring, plants are planted in areas with a cold climate, because in the case of autumn planting, seedlings may freeze in winter and not survive until next spring.

Spring

Spring planting is carried out in northern latitudes. Clematis are planted from April to May. Before planting, a hole is prepared for the seedling, the soil is fertilized, and a support is dug in. The basal neck of a young seedling is immersed ten centimeters into the ground.

Summer

In the Middle Strip, seedlings can be planted in the summer. Plants are buried in a shallow hole, sprinkled with fertilized soil and watered. Usually gardeners who did not have time to buy seedlings in spring are engaged in summer planting.

Autumn

Autumn planting is desirable for southern latitudes. Plants are planted from September to November. The seedling must have developed vegetative buds. Before planting, dig a hole and place the plant there. The roots are deeply covered with earth, the soil is mulched from above with dry grass or sawdust, lutrasil.

In the spring, the plant is opened, excess soil is removed so that clematis can grow and develop normally.

Boarding process

A rigid support is installed in the center of the hole and sprinkled with earth. Then, a plant is immersed on a mound made of earth and its roots are straightened down on the sides. The basal main buds are sprinkled with soil ten centimeters from above. Only in this way the plant will "bush". The older the seedling, the deeper it is immersed in the hole.

The root neck of adult bushes is deepened by 18 centimeters. The lower kidneys should be well sprinkled with earth. After planting, a bucket of water is poured under the root, and the ground around is mulched with peat or dry sawdust.

The nuances of planting clematis seeds

Clematis, if desired, propagated by seeds. You can pre-grow seedlings, and in the spring transfer them to the garden. Seeds are grown Manchurian, Tangut variety, clematis Helios. Plants with large flowers from seeds do not reproduce.

Some types of shrubs are planted directly in the garden.

Directly in open ground

Clematis seeds are sown in spring on specially fertilized soil. Then the earth is watered. Before sowing, the seeds are soaked in a growth stimulator. The first shoots appear after 3 months. All this time, the land where the seeds are sown must be regularly irrigated and ensure that the soil does not dry out.

Seedlings

Seeds for seedlings, depending on the variety chosen, are sown from December to March. Seed material is large, medium and small. Large seeds germinate from 1.5 to 8 (or more) months. These include clematis Jacqueman, Duran. Medium-sized seeds "break through" for 1.5 to 6 months (Chinese, Manchurian, six-petal). Plants with small seeds germinate in 2 weeks, maximum - in 4 months (Tangut, grape-leaved).

Seeds harvested this year give the best seedlings. This seed has a shelf life of 4 years (when stored in paper bags at room temperature). Large seeds are sown immediately after harvest at the very beginning of winter. Average - after the new year (in February). Small seeds - in March (until April).

To accelerate growth, seeds are soaked for a day in a stimulating solution before planting. Shallow plastic or wooden boxes, clay pots are suitable for growing seedlings. Prepared soil mixture is poured into the washed containers, consisting of garden, leafy soil, peat, sand and various mineral additives (potassium, nitrogen, phosphorus). Seeds are sown in shallow moistened grooves, sprinkled with earth, slightly moistened and covered with film or glass.

In the room itself should be 22 degrees Celsius. While the seeds are sitting in the ground, the ground should be lightly irrigated with water.

When seedlings emerge, they are provided with sufficient light. Light day should last about 12 hours. When the seedlings have two leaves, they swoop down, that is, they are transplanted from one container to another. In separate cups, seedlings grow until the night frosts subside, and the air outside warms up to 10 degrees Celsius. In mid-May, seedlings that have grown over the winter are transferred to a permanent place.

Highlights for caring for clematis after planting

With proper care, clematis grows in the chosen direction and blooms profusely. Even at the time of planting, you need to trim. One or two main shoots are left on the stem, coming from below. When the plant begins to grow, part of the branches are cut. In the summer, make a regulating pruning. From time to time pinch the branches.

Irrigation

At the very beginning of spring, shrubs are poured with lime milk.In ten liters of water, 200 grams of lime are diluted. In hot weather, clematis is regularly poured with soft settled water. Twice a week, young bushes are poured from 10.5 to 20 liters of water under the root, old ones need 30-40 liters of liquid at a time. If the summer is not very hot, the bush is watered only once a week.

Clematis support

For normal growth, development, long flowering, it is desirable to choose a support suitable for the vine. It must be reliable and strong in order to support the weight of overgrown plants. You can use galvanized pipes, bamboo fences, various fences, wooden or metal gratings, nylon or iron nets stretched over the frame.

Forsythia or weigela bushes can become supports for flowers. Traditionally, arches and screens are used to grow clematis. The supports themselves can be stationary or removable, that is, retractable for the winter.

Loosening and mulching the soil

After rain or watering, it is advisable to loosen the earth around the bush in order to destroy the soil crust and improve gas exchange. It is desirable to mulch the soil near clematis. Mulch retains moisture in the ground and prevents weeds from growing. The soil is usually mulched with peat, dry grass, sawdust.

Weed removal

During the loosening of the soil, it is desirable to remove weeds. They take nutrients from the bush. Weeds are pulled out of the ground without touching the roots of clematis.

Reproduction

The plant is usually propagated by seeds or dividing the bush, layering, pinning young twigs. The division of the bush is carried out if the clematis is not more than 5 years old. It is difficult to extract an older plant from the ground.The young bush is carefully dug up, then its roots are cleaned from the soil and divided by a pruner into a couple of parts. Each such particle should have shoots with buds.

Layers of plants are done in the fall. Leaves are removed from a young branch, bent down, sprinkled with earth, leaving only the top. For the winter, the stem is covered with peat, sand, dry bark, sawdust. In the spring, all the mulch is removed, and the layers are watered with fertilizer diluted in it. By autumn, a young plant will have time to grow up, take root. It can be cut off from the mother clematis and transferred to a permanent place.

In the spring, it is advisable to use the pinning method. Last year's branches are pinned at the site of the knot into pots dug nearby, in which earth is poured. Such containers are slightly buried in the soil so that during irrigation water flows to the roots. As they develop and grow, the seedlings are sprinkled with earth. By autumn, the seedlings grow up, then they are transferred to a permanent place.

Fertilization

Shrubs fertilize 3-4 times per season. Fertilizers are applied after watering. It is advisable to alternate mineral and organic top dressing. Between fertilization, an interval of 2-3 weeks is maintained. In spring, clematis is fertilized with chicken manure dissolved in water or rotted mullein. Instead of organic matter, the bush can be watered with a solution of urea (25 grams per ten liters of water).

Before flowering, the plant is fertilized with superphosphate and potassium sulfate (15 grams per five liters of water). When flowers bloom, clematis is not fed. In the summer, once a month, the shrub is poured with a weak solution of boric acid or potassium permanganate (2 grams per ten liters). For top dressing through the leaves, fertilizers Aquarin or Flower Mortar are used.

It is not recommended to fertilize clematis in autumn. During this period, the vine is preparing for wintering. At the end of September, the bush is sprinkled with earth mixed with sand, peat, wood ash, removed from the hedge and insulated.

How to help clematis grow

In order for the vines to grow properly, their stems are directed in the spring and tied to a support. If this is not done, the overgrown shoots will intertwine or crawl in the other direction, they cannot be untangled. In summer, clematis stems wrap around the supports on their own. True, some varieties need to be tied up all summer during their growth period, since the plants themselves do not know how to twine.

In order to improve flowering, clematis should be pruned regularly. In plants of groups A and B, weak and dry shoots are cut in spring. After the end of flowering in the fall, cut off the upper part of last year's stems. In clematis from group C, before wintering, all young branches that have grown over the season are removed, leaving a low stump with several buds.

Diseases and pests to which clematis is susceptible

The plant can get sick and be attacked by insects. Clematis pests: leaf and gall nematodes. The plant is susceptible to such diseases: gray rot, powdery mildew, rust, verticillium wilt, ascochitosis.

Often clematis suffers from wilting. The bush dries up, its leaves lose elasticity, turn yellow and wither. The causative agents of the disease are fungi that live in the soil. In the spring, at the first signs of the disease, a solution of Fundazol or Azocen is poured under the root. These same drugs are suitable for combating gray rot, powdery mildew. From rust, the leaves are sprayed with Bordeaux mixture or copper oxychloride. A solution of copper sulphate helps from ascochitosis. To control pests, insecticides and nematicides are used (Fitoverm, Aktofit, Marshal, Alanikarb).

Preventive measures to protect clematis:

• every season the ground around the plants is irrigated with a solution of copper sulfate;
• so that the soil is not acidic, it is watered with a solution of lime;
• before fertilizing, the bushes are watered abundantly;
• to protect the roots of clematis from overheating, a lawn or low flowers are planted around it;
• during active growth, fungicides are used to combat fungal diseases (they are sprayed on leaves and flowers in the evening, in cloudy but not rainy weather).

Before wintering, it is advisable to insulate the plant so that it does not freeze and die. The stems are treated with a solution of copper sulphate, highly earthed with sand and ash. For the winter, diseased shoots of plants are cut off, the vine itself is removed from the support, folded and laid near the stem on the base. Top cover with dry twigs, spruce branches, then waterproof material. In spring, the plant is opened and tied to a support.

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