Clematis 'The President'

The Clematis 'The President' is a wonderful example that even a simple flower can inspire with its clear color alone. The blue-violet gains additional luminosity because the flowers are numerous and, above all, huge. Their diameter can be up to 18 cm. It may come as a surprise, but this lavish splendor flower is extremely humble when it comes to its own needs.

growth

The perennial climbing plant Clematis 'The President' soars effortlessly upwards on pergolas, bars and climbing aids towards the sky. With a growth of around half a meter per year, it soon towers over all other plants. Its flowers can even shine down on us from a height of 5 m. High up there is nothing to obscure you, and 'The President' cannot be overlooked even from a great distance. While it is still slumbering without leaves and inconspicuous in winter, it unfolds splendidly in summer green foliage that soon has to step back into the second row to take the stage for the flowers left.

blossom

The simple purple flowers are the largest that the large Clemate family has to offer. The flowers of this hybrid variety reach a diameter of approx. 18 cm. The size alone is impressive enough, and so the petals are kept rather simple. When the violet glows from May, the green of the leaves only shimmers through here and there and forms a nice contrast to the color of the flowers. Then this clematis is a popular meeting place for numerous insects who don't miss their nectar and stop by for a snack. A humming concert sounds and testifies to the abundance of nature. A relief for our noise-plagued ears. Her flowering industry continues into September.

Location

Sunny or at least partially shaded should be the ideal location for this flowering climber. However, the roots of the clematis need shade, they have to be protected by ground cover or mulch. A location where there is already a natural climbing opportunity is ideal. A tree trunk and a wall work well for this. Even an existing rose trellis can be attached to this clematis. The variety 'The President' also thrives extremely well in pots and forms a colorful privacy screen in a short time. No matter where you plant clematis, make sure it is sheltered from the wind. Their vines cannot withstand strong winds and it would be a shame if some of them were to tear off.

floor

The deep-rooted clematis cannot thrive in hard soil. The earth must be loose and permeable. If the earth is not naturally of this type, it must be mixed with other components afterwards. Too sandy soil still needs water-storing garden soil, too loamy, compacted soil must be loosened with sand. This is best done before the clematis is planted. Since the clematis needs a lot of nutrients and trace elements for the formation of the flowers, a high proportion of humus is advantageous. Horn shavings can also be placed in the planting hole.

Planting out

Anyone who can offer the clematis a garden will make it a pleasure. She is content with a large pot, but that is nothing compared to the development opportunities she has in the open earth. The President 'is frost hardy and so this hybrid variety can easily overwinter outside.

• Planting time: March to October
• sunny to partially shaded location
• the planting hole should be about twice as large as the root ball
• Put horn shavings into the planting hole as a long-term fertilizer
• Carefully remove them from the pot so as not to damage the tendrils
• approx. Plant 10 cm deeper
• Plant distance between two clematis approx. 60 cm
• Distance to walls approx. 15 cm
• water well
• water in the first few weeks depending on the weather
• Use ground cover to shade the root ball
• alternatively: spread a thick layer of mulch

Bucket keeping

Since climbing plants grow quickly, they are also often planted in planters to create terraces or balconies. At the same time, they also serve as a green privacy screen. Since the clematis 'The President' also blooms beautifully, it is at the top of the popularity list. It can also be grown in a pot, but not in the pot in which it is offered in stores. While it may be sufficient for pre-cultivation and practical for sale, it cannot meet your needs over the long term. It will need to be transplanted into a much larger tub pretty soon so that it can continue to develop.

1. Get a bucket of min. 25 liters volume. It should have many holes in the bottom.

2. Provide suitable soil. It should be loose and substantial.

3. First apply a drainage layer of approx. 8 cm into the bucket.

4. Fill some soil over it. The free space up to the edge of the tub should be as high as the clematis clematis plus 10 cm.

5. Carefully remove the clematis from their old pot. To do this, hold the pot upside down and let the plant slide out into the other hand.

6. Put the root ball straight into the new bucket.

7. Fill in the spaces with soil. Press it down lightly.

8. If necessary, plant small plants to keep the root ball shaded.

9. Now water the plant well.

10. Place the bucket in a sunny or partially shaded place.

11. Attach a climbing aid so that the clematis can hold onto it.

Tip: The clematis should remain as intact as possible when they are removed so that the roots are not damaged. What is not a big problem with other plants is harmful to the clematis. The soil in the bucket should be replaced about every four to five years.

Fertilize

This abundantly blooming clematis needs a constant supply of nutrients almost all the time - with the exception of winter. Only then will you please her with beautiful flowers. Horn shavings and other organic fertilizers, which are spread around the roots in spring from March to April and are easily incorporated, are best suited. Further fertilization should be done with compost. It will be applied in December. This clematis should not be fertilized during the flowering period, as this can shorten the flowering period.

to water

If there is no rain for a long time in summer, the clematis must be watered. Especially in their growth and flowering phase from April to September, their roots must be in sufficiently moist soil. Because they absorb the nutrients necessary for the flowers together with water. If a clematis plant is dry for a long time, the flower formation suffers. The more your location is irradiated by the sun, the more often you have to pick up the watering can. Let the top layer of soil dry out very slightly. During the rest of the year, the clematis, with its long and deep roots, is quite able to take care of itself. It gets along well with the residual moisture in the ground. A few rules are still to be observed when watering the clematis:

• Waterlogging damages the roots
• young plants need to be watered more often
• Soil in pots dries out faster
• Regularly supply the bucket clematis with water
• Buckets should have large drain holes
• Drainage layer allows water to run off well
• better to water less and more often

Cut

The right cut ensures that the clematis is adorned with flowers over and over every year. When the clematis is pruned and how much is pruned depends on its flowering behavior. Based on this, the Clematis varieties were divided into three different cutting groups. The variety 'The President' blooms from May / June and, like most large-flowered clematis, belongs to the second group. The following applies to plants in this group:

• Time to cut in late autumn after flowering
• First cut away weak and dead shoots
• shorten other shoots by 20 cm each
• use sharp and clean secateurs
• Garden gloves protect against contact allergies (slightly toxic)
• After the first flowering, remove the inflorescences and the pair of leaves underneath

Regardless of which cutting group a clematis belongs to, in the first winter after planting it should be shortened to about 30 cm above the ground. This promotes branching. Every four to five years, 'The President' should also be cut back sharply in the spring. This prevents scaling in the lower area. However, the flowering is sparse in the following summer.
Tip: The early bloomer 'The President' blooms on last year's shoots. It is therefore important that some of these shoots are left standing when pruning. You can also use secateurs for dead tendrils. If you pull on it, roots could be damaged.

Diseases and pests

The dreaded wilt does not stop at this clematis either. If the above-ground parts of the plant are infected, they must be cut off close to the ground. Leaves lying on the ground must be collected. If the roots of the plant are attacked by the fungus, the clematis can unfortunately no longer be helped.
Powdery mildew can occasionally occur and should be combated early on so that the infestation does not spread any further.
Voles are a real nuisance in the garden. They seem to like the roots of the clematis. Unfortunately, they don't leave any of it, so the rootless plant ultimately dies. If a grid protection is placed around the root ball during planting, the voles can no longer get to the tasty roots.

Overwinter

The Clematis 'The President' is hardy. It can hibernate outdoors unless it is growing in a pot. In this case, the clematis should overwinter in a light and cool room. If there is no suitable winter quarters available, she can also stay outside. In order not to only hope for a mild winter, the pot with the roots should be well prepared for the winter. A sheltered location keeps icy winds away. In addition, the pot should be insulated by wrapping it with plenty of fleece.
Winter cover cannot harm the outdoor clematis either, especially when the grapevine is still young. A layer of fir branches protects your roots from very cold temperatures.