Clematis: The Classy Climber

Ask anyone to name a flowering vine and the answer will probably be clematis.

Clematis like to climb, so put them in front of a trellis or fence. Care should be taken when planting the vine. The roots will rot if the soil is too wet. Mix plenty of organic matter into the planting hole and make sure the site gets good drainage.

You may have heard that clematis like to have their feet in the shade and their head in the sun. This is easy to accomplish. Just plant the vine in full sun, then put some short, leafy plants around the base, or use a couple flat stones, which will keep the ground cool.

Clematis wrap their leaf stalks around objects in order to climb. If you're planting against a house or solid fence, install a trellis for the plant to utilize. You may need to tie the stems in place at intervals to train them to go where you want.

Many gardeners plant clematis under large shrubs, so the vines grow up and make it appear the shrub is blooming. They can also be trained to climb up small trees. And for a stunning display, intersperse them with climbing roses or another variety of clematis. Whether the two plants bloom at the same time or weeks apart, the effect will be beautiful.

Clematis vines have to work hard to produce such numerous flowers, so give them plenty to eat. Fertilize in February or March and again in June, or use a liquid feed every three weeks during the growing season.

Some gardeners are confused about when and how to prune clematis. The truth is that all clematis will thrive and flower if no pruning were ever done. But they may tend to get woody and leggy, the flowers may be too high to be appreciated and the vines may grow into a tangled mess. But if you prune a clematis incorrectly, probably the only effect will be fewer flowers for that season.

 Here are basic pruning guidelines:

• If the clematis flowers in the spring, it should be cut back as much as you wish right after flowering.
• Vines that produce numerous large flowers in May or June and then fewer flowers in September and October, or those that have extremely large flowers from June through autumn, should be pruned during February or March by cutting the stems back to the topmost pair of large, fat green buds above the tips of last year's growth.
• Many of the popular vines, like jackmanii, bloom on the current season's growth and flower between late June and October, with most of the blooms occurring on the final few feet of growth. These should be cut back severely, in February or March, to one node above the previous year's growth.