Caring for clematis: watering, fertilizing and pruning

In order for clematis to develop their full bloom, it depends on the right care. We give you valuable tips on watering, cutting and fertilizing.

clematis (clematis) are considered perfect plants for greening a fence or house facade. Especially their lush and extremely beautiful flowers make the clematis a welcome guest in the garden. Although it is considered hardy and easy to care for, the clematis needs care to be able to present itself in all its glory. But how often do you have to water a clematis? And how do you properly fertilize a clematis? We answer these and other questions about the care of clematis in this article.

Water clematis properly

Watering the clematis is generally quite uncomplicated, but is very often necessary for the thirsty climbing plants, especially in summer. The plants like a constantly moist soil environment - for this reason you should regularly check whether the clematis needs to be watered. Especially when cultivating in a bucket, it is better to use the watering can more often, as the evaporation rate is higher with this variant. Therefore, water your clematis as soon as the substrate has dried out even slightly on the surface. However, your clematis should never stand in water and you should also avoid wetting the tendrils with irrigation water so that rot does not occur. The clematis also needs water in winter: when it is dry on frost-free days, you can water the plant with confidence.

Summary watering clematis correctly:

• High water requirement - more in the pot than in the bed
• Keep constantly moist, but avoid waterlogging
• Water as soon as the substrate has dried out slightly on the surface
• In winter, water on dry, frost-free days

Tie up clematis with trellis

Most clematis species are true climbers and sometimes reach heights of ten meters or more. When caring for the clematis, it is therefore particularly important to provide a suitable climbing aid early enough. The selection of the optimal climbing aid always depends on the growth height of the respective clematis species: For low-growing clematis species such as the alpine clematis (Clematis alpina) a trellis is ideal for the plant to hold on to. For taller species and varieties, you can use either a rope or a trellis net that reaches several meters up to fix it.

Fertilize clematis

Clematis combine shoot growth and flowering in unimagined proportions. Their need for an adequate supply of nutrients is correspondingly extensive. Clematis should be fertilized especially during their growth phase from March to August. At this time, the climbing beauties need a lot of phosphate for flowering and potassium to strengthen the newly formed shoots for the winter. Ideally, you should use a fertilizer with a long-term effect for the clematis: This enables balanced, even fertilization during the growth phase. The following products are therefore particularly suitable as fertilizer for the clematis:

• Mature compost or manure in combination with comfrey manure
• Flower fertilizer with a high potassium and phosphate content

Our Plantura organic flower fertilizer not only offers phosphate and extra potassium. It is also composed almost entirely of organic materials. This offers compared to mineral fertilizers many advantages. Organic fertilizers are produced using fewer resources, are harmless to children and animals, do not wash out of the soil as quickly and support healthy soil life. In addition, there is the long-term effect of these fertilizers. While you have to reach for the fertilizer every two weeks with mineral fertilizers, organic long-term fertilizers are only applied two to three times a year. How and how often you apply the different types of fertilizer and how you use your Fertilize clematis should, you can find out in our special article.

Summary of fertilizing clematis:

• Care fertilization from March to August
• Long-term fertilizer: Two to three times a year
• Mineral fertilizers: every two weeks in the irrigation water
• Preferably mostly organic fertilizers with lots of potassium and phosphate like ours Plantura organic flower fertilizer use

Cut clematis

An indispensable part of caring for clematis is regular pruning of the plant. An annual cut ensures that the clematis grows into a well-branched and healthy plant. The cutting time depends on the respective clematis species - however, the flowering time offers a rough guideline. Early flowering clematis and multi-flowering hybrids should be pruned in spring after flowering. Species that flower several times in particular benefit from this, as the cut supports the second flowering. In the case of summer-flowering species, scissors are used after flowering in early winter. The shoots are shortened to a good 20 to 30 centimeters above the ground. In this way, a particularly large number of new shoots sprout. Thinning out the clematis is always necessary when too little light can fall inside the plant. In the worst case, the clematis could otherwise bare inside. In order to keep the plant vital, a rejuvenation cut should also be carried out every four years to stimulate new shoot formation.

You can find out more in our special article on the topic “Cut clematis” read.

Summary of pruning clematis:

• Annual pruning to 20 to 30 cm
• Prune early-flowering and multiple-flowering varieties after flowering in spring
• Prune summer-flowering varieties after flowering in early winter
• Thinning out becomes necessary when not enough light can fall inside
• A rejuvenation cut is to be carried out about every four years or when the plants have lost their leaves
• Pruning after the first flowering in multiflowering hybrids to support the second flowering

Clematis overwinter

As far as wintering is concerned, you should definitely know what kind of clematis you call your own. There is complete hardy clematis - like the alpine clematis - which is wonderfully suited for planting out in the bed, as it does not have to be overwintered separately. However, when planting, you should make sure to choose a location that is as sheltered as possible for the clematis. Clematis, which are not hardy, need winter quarters. It is best to plant them in a bucket - the Plantura organic potting soil is excellently suited for this. This makes it easier to overwinter the clematis. Around September/October, when the temperatures are slowly getting colder, the plant can move to its winter quarters. Proper care is also important when clematis overwinters: temperatures should always remain between 0 and 10 °C throughout the winter. It is only poured in such a way that the root ball does not dry out completely. Evergreen clematis also need some light in winter. Otherwise the plants can stand in the dark.

Clematis also needs care outdoors in order to survive particularly hard frost periods. Simply cover the root area with a layer of brushwood over the winter, creating an insulating layer while minimizing evaporation. The hardy clematis should hibernate outside in a sheltered spot. With clematis in a pot, this is additionally wrapped with an air-permeable fleece or a reed mat and placed on a wooden base. Otherwise there is a risk of the pot freezing through, which can cause considerable damage to the clematis.

Summary Clematis overwinter:

• Not hardy Clematis: overwinter in the pot in a frost-free winter quarters
• Hardy clematis in the bed: cover the root area with brushwood
• Hardy clematis in a pot: choose a sheltered place, cover the root area with brushwood, cover with fleece or reed mat

Would you also like to have a clematis in the garden? You can find out how to do this in our special article on the subject “plant clematis“.