Hibernate clematis: this must be taken into account when overwintering

Takes the clematis for free is called "Queen of the climbing plants", because the climbing shrub has an immensely lush flower dress. It can be easily overwintered in winter. To do this, however, the right steps are necessary and it should be noted that not every plant is winter hardy. Like yours Clematis hibernate optimally, describes the plant expert.

wintering

A total of over 300 different types are available as clematis. Many of them show a different winter hardiness, while others are very sensitive to frost, but can still hibernate. Regardless of whether they are hardy or not, both variants require preparation for winter and above all, there are some details to keep in mind during the cold months so that they will look good in the coming spring come.

Clematis

Not hardy

If your “Queen of Climbing Plants” is a non-hardy variety, it should be relocated to their winter quarters by early autumn at the latest, so that they can be closed before the first frost protection. If you are not sure which species they have, you should treat your specimen as non-hardy as a precaution. It should be noted that evergreen varieties are usually not winter hardy. They all come from Australia and belong to the Clematis microphylla. Caution is also advised with hybrids. A winter hardiness cannot always be clearly determined through crossbreeding. The following varieties belong to the evergreen grapevines, for example.

• Clematis armandii "Apple Blossom"
• Clematis Early Sensation
• Clematis Armandii Snowdrift
• Clematis Avalanche

Location

When the nights get longer and colder, it is high time for the non-hardy grapevine species to move to frost-protected locations. When choosing the optimal location, you should pay attention to the following details.

• Ambient temperature: between 5 degrees Celsius and 10 degrees Celsius
• Light conditions evergreen grapevine: bright daylight
• no direct sunlight
• alternatively use artificial plant light
• Light conditions non-evergreen vines: light to dark
• Humidity: dry
• optimal location: garage, garden shed or cellar with west or east windows if necessary

to water

The evergreen clematis continues to grow in winter, but the cold significantly reduces its water requirement, as it does with all other conspecifics. Here it is advisable to do the thumb test regularly to check whether water should be poured. If the surface of the earth can be indented less than two centimeters because it is hard, it should be poured a little. However, it is very important that the plant is not overwatered, but only kept slightly moist. If the soil is too wet, there is a high risk of mold during the winter.

Fertilize

The last fertilization of the year for frost-sensitive plants should be done by the beginning of September at the latest. The evergreen clematis can be fertilized every two to three weeks with nutrient-rich complete fertilizer especially for evergreen plants until the end of October. This favors winter growth, which is limited but still uses up nutrients. There is a fertilization break in the winter months until the fertilization season starts again in early spring.

Cut

All clematis species should not be cut after the flowering season or towards the end of the year. Pruning does not harm evergreen varieties, but spring is generally the better time for many strong buds to form.

Repotting / -planting

Repotting or transplanting should only be done if a frost-sensitive climbing queen has been planted in the garden bed and has to move to a warmer winter quarter. This should be done by the end of September at the latest, so that the plant can still set before the onset of winter and the icy temperatures. Repotting from bucket to bucket is not recommended before wintering. If this is necessary because the current bucket cannot be moved to winter quarters, this should also be done in September.

Hardy

Hardy clematis

The hardy grapevine species can overwinter outdoors during the cold winter months. However, depending on the variety, they have different insensitivity to cold, as the following examples show.

• Clematis alpina - hardy to minus 25 degrees Celsius
• Clematis florida - hardy to minus 12 degrees Celsius
• Clematis integrifolia and Clematis recta - each hardy to minus 25 degrees Celsius
• Clematis montana - hardy to minus 20 degrees Celsius
• Clematis vitalba - hardy to minus 37 degrees Celsius
• Clematis viticella - hardy to minus 25 degrees Celsius

Location

Regardless of the hardy species, the location should basically meet the following conditions.

• Ambient temperature according to the specified maximum cold resistance
• sheltered from the wind
• Lighting conditions: the colder it is, the less light is needed

Tip: If planted or potted plants cannot be placed sheltered from the wind, a transparent plastic film helps to protect the plant from cold winds.

Watering and fertilizing

No fertilizer is given during the winter. The last fertilization should take place in September and start again in March. Watering is usually not necessary in winter. The cold air leaves the moisture from rain and snow in the ground for a long time, so there is no risk of dehydration. However, if the clematis is under a canopy or something similar, and the winter is quite mild with little Moisture, it is best to check the soil regularly for dryness and, if necessary, slightly to replenish.

Tip: Let the "queen of climbing plants" dry out more than keep them too wet, because if the weather changes and it is then well humid, there is an increased risk of mold for the Root.

Cut

The frost-resistant clematis species are also not cut in winter. In principle, the cut should be made once in spring or after flowering. This not only promotes growth, but also strengthens the grapevine for the next winter season. A pruning before hibernation and hibernation would demand too many reserves from the plant, which it would not be able to replenish by the onset of winter.

Repotting / -planting

In the garden bed, hardy grapevine species are much better off than in a tub, which is why they should not be transplanted from the bed to a pot for wintering. The reverse is possible, but should be carried out by mid-October at the latest. This gives the plant enough time before the first frost to get used to its new environment and soil conditions.

In the bucket

Bucket overwintering

The wintering of the clematis, which should overwinter outdoors in a bucket, is a bit more complicated. In a tub, the plants are generally more exposed to the cold, which is why the minus temperature information always only refers to specimens planted in the bed. This is due to the fact that the roots in a bed are surrounded by earth on all sides and because of the soil mass or density, the cold only penetrates into the depth to a limited extent. This is different when it comes to keeping the bucket. This is usually free from all sides and only a relatively thin wall / pot bottom thickness separates the outside cold / ground frost from the inner soil and thus from the roots. For this reason, special measures must be taken so that even the hardest clematis survives the winter well.

• Place it out of the wind, for example against a wall
• Place the bucket on an insulating material such as styrofoam, wood or cardboard
• ensure that the water drains well to avoid over-watering
• Keep tub clematis only slightly moist, if possible
• Cover the upper layer of soil with brushwood, fir branches or leaves
• never use bark mulch during the winter - it promotes mold growth

Beginning of spring

End of winter / beginning of spring

Most of these grapevine species end their winter season before the start of spring between March and April. The first hardy plants are already growing here. Frost-sensitive clematis varieties should first leave their cold-protected winter quarters outside be set when no more frost is expected and the temperatures are constant at least five degrees be.

Repotting / -planting after the end of winter

If repotting is necessary or if transplanting is desired, this should be done at the end of March at the earliest. If it is an early-flowering clematis, transplanting or repotting has no noticeable effect on bud growth and the abundance of flowers.

Watering and fertilizing

As a rule, the “queen of climbing plants” does not need irrigation until around the end of April. Until then it is usually still raining sufficiently and the temperatures are not yet so warm that water evaporates or dries off faster. From May onwards, the demand for water will mainly increase. You should start fertilizing again as early as March. Early bloomers show a much more luxuriant bloom if they are provided with blooming fertilizer after overwintering. Bedding plants enjoy an extra portion of compost.

Conclusion

It is not always easy to identify your own clematis as hardy or frost-sensitive specimens. To be on the safe side, it is then advisable to winterize in a frost-protected room. While hardy grapevine species in the bed can survive winter well with little preparation, the Clematis in the bucket requires more effort because it could freeze to death without additional heat protection, despite winter hardiness. But if you follow these care instructions and hibernation tips, your “queens of Climbing plants “master the winter well and in the following year in the garden again with magnificent flowers and healthy growth inspire.