Clematis – planting and care
Clematis is a garden plant that many have a strong connection to, with its stunning flowers climbing up walls, trellises, old tree trunks, and similar structures.
Scientific name (Latin): Clematis
Family: Buttercup family (Ranunculaceae)
Quick guide for clematis
- Placement
There are clematis varieties that can grow in both shady and sunny spots. It is commonly known that clematis needs "shade on the feet" to thrive, which is why many believe they cannot be planted in sunny locations. However, they can thrive in pots or in sunny spots as long as they are watered regularly and thoroughly. It’s a good idea to cover the soil around the plant with grass clippings, as this helps retain moisture and improves soil quality over time.
- Soil
Clematis thrives in deep, nutrient-rich, and evenly moist soil with good drainage. You can mix manure compost and bone meal into the soil before planting. A helpful tip is to fill in coarse sand around the base of the stem for extra drainage around the root collar. This can protect the plant from fungal attacks.
- Watering
Clematis prefers consistently moist, well-drained soil. When planting the clematis, you can also bury a pipe down to the roots. Fill the pipe with gravel so that you can provide water directly to the roots.
- Fertilization
Add compost, manure compost, and bone meal to the soil during planting. After establishment, you can add manure compost around the plant early in the spring. Fertilize with complete fertilizer two to three times during the summer. The final fertilization should not be too late in the summer to ensure the plant has time to mature before winter. This is especially important for varieties that bloom on last year's growth.
Clematis is a beautiful and delightful plant in the garden, and is the collective name for a large plant family with about 350 different species. For the most part, this is a climbing plant that grows like a bush and is very popular in Norwegian gardens. They can range from small plants just a few centimeters tall to a climbing vine that can reach up to ten meters. Only your imagination sets the limits for how houses and gardens can be decorated with these beautiful and willing climbing plants. Many clematis varieties are also great ground covers.
Planting clematis
Clematis is often described as a plant that likes to have its head in the sun and its feet in the shade, and this is quite accurate. This means it should be placed where it can get as much sun as possible, preferably in a warm and sheltered spot, but at the same time, it is a plant that requires a lot of nutrients and moisture in the soil, so it should not dry out. Protect the roots and base with stones or other low-growing perennials to create the right conditions. The soil should be moist, humus-rich, and nutrient-dense, so it's a good idea to fertilize in the spring or use slow-release fertilizer in the fall.
You can plant a clematis throughout the season, as long as the soil can be worked.
- Place the clematis in a bucket of water before planting, so that it is completely soaked.
- If you plant in a bed, turn the soil over and remove any weeds.
- Mix in new soil and peat moss (possibly potting soil if you plant in a pot).
- In a bed, the planting hole should be about 60 cm deep and wide. In a pot, the plant should be at least 10 cm deeper than the edge of the pot.
- Place the root ball in the hole and press it gently with your hands. Fill in enough of the soil mixture so that the clematis is about 10 cm below the soil surface. This will help the plant branch better and have a larger root system that can absorb nutrients and water.
- To ensure optimal establishment and a dense and beautiful plant, you can prune it to about 20 cm immediately after planting.
- Provide the plant with support in the form of, for example, a trellis.
- Water!
- Feel free to protect the root system by covering the soil around the plant with leaves and spruce needles before winter.
Pruning clematis – three different pruning groups
Clematis is a large group of different types of plants, with different conditions, needs and growth patterns. This also means that the plants have different needs when it comes to pruning. Clematis are divided into three different pruning groups.
- Clematis that bloom early in the season
The shoots that bloom on these are formed before summer, and therefore they will also bloom early. These varieties do not need much proper pruning, here it is mostly about thinning out and weeding out what is damaged or dead. It is of course okay to cut it down if it starts to get too big, and this is best done when the flowering is over. It is also possible to prune it completely to let the plant "start over". - Those that bloom several times, i.e. both in spring and late summer
They have the ability to bloom partly with the shoots from the previous year, and also have time to bloom with shoots that come in the same season. If this is pruned down to ground level, the previous shoots on the flower will disappear, and with their bushy growth habit, these varieties can then look a bit tired. Here, it is important to save on last year's shoots and only cut away what is dead. This also gives the opportunity for new annual shoots to grow. If the plant has been completely frozen over in winter, however, it should be pruned all the way to ground level. - Clematis that only bloom late
On these varieties, the buds form in spring and summer and bloom around July. A classic perennial characteristic in other words, which means that you also prune it like a perennial. The plant should therefore be cut down to ground level in autumn or early spring. Leave one pair of leaves.
Tip! Once you have planted a clematis, you can prune it down to about 20 centimeters, and do the same the following year. It takes time, and it does not produce as many flowers and foliage, but it is a way to ensure that your clematis eventually grows up in the very best way!
Large flowers in winding green
When you grow clematis in your garden, you can definitely expect a magnificent display of flowers and foliage. This plant produces flowers in a fabulous variety of different shapes, often very large. They can be anything from white and light to blue and red, with an intensive color - in other words, you can get exactly the clematis that suits you and your garden.
You can also combine different varieties with each other, preferably both early flowering and late flowering, to get a long flowering of clematis in the same place. Make sure that the climbing varieties get the support they need, and the plant will thrive!
The clematis that grow here in the northern part of the globe originate primarily from China, Japan and Europe. Clematis is one of the perennials that are most popular as an ornamental plant in the garden, and it also occurs wild in various species, also in Norway.
The wide variations between the different varieties mean that you can get different types of characteristics depending on which clematis you choose to plant – everything from really large and deciduous to small and green all year round. The hybridization of clematis is quite extensive, so it is easy for those of you who are interested in beautiful and majestic flowers to find just the variety that suits your garden. To put it simply – there can be a big difference in size, appearance and growth habit, depending on which clematis you choose, but you can always count on getting an easy-to-grow and beautiful plant that will adorn your home!
Facts about clematis
- Due to its many different varieties, clematis is divided into different pruning groups
- Has its original home in the northern, temperate area and in Africa
- One of the most popular ornamental plants that blooms for a long time
- There are hardy varieties that can grow up to zone 4
- Available in early-flowering and late-flowering varieties
- Like many other plants, has been used for medicinal purposes in various parts of the world
- Clematis is a poisonous plant and contains a substance that irritates mucous membranes and skin
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