Plant Advice — Choosing a site & planting

Choosing a site for your clematis
The ideal site for a clematis is one which will retain moisture throughout the growing season but will not become waterlogged during Winter.

Personally I am against stone slabs close to the base of the clematis as I feel they provide a home for slugs with dinner next door. Avoid planting too close to walls and fences as these areas can remain very dry even after the heaviest shower.

Clematis 'Andromeda'

Planting
When you have selected the best position for your clematis dig a large hole (ideally 18in x 18in x 18in) and fork over the sides and base to improve drainage. If you have access to well-rotted manure, place this in the bottom of the hole, cover with 2" of soil and place plant on top (don't put your clematis directly onto manure). Infill with your soil mixed with two spadefuls of peat and two handfuls of bonemeal.

If you have chosen a large flowered cultivar, this needs to have 4in of stem below ground - all other species need only 1in of stem below ground. Herbaceous and evergreen clematis do not need to be planted deeply.

If the plant is dry, place in bucket of water for 30 minutes before planting.

Water thoroughly - about 2 gallons. Two clematis may be planted in the same hole but for sanity's sake it is advisable that they both belong to the same pruning group.

Feeding
Clematis have huge appetites, being in the Billy Bunter class. Lightly hoe a good general fertiliser into the soil around the clematis in the Spring, carefully avoiding the stems. Follow this with an alternate weekly feed of tomato fertiliser and Phostrogen, making sure the ground has been well watered first so the feed goes down to the roots rather than running off a dry surface. However, once the buds start to form, stop feeding as this will shorten the flowering season. In the case of Group 2 clematis when the first flush is over resume feeding until the later buds appear. An autumn mulch of well rotted manure plus bonemeal is always appreciated.

Watering
Watering is of prime importance. In the first two years during the growing season regular watering is required. 'Wilt' is usually blamed when a clematis starts to droop, however nine times out of ten the plant is in desperate need of a grood drink.

Pruning
(Group 1) No regular pruning is required. If space is limited prune by half as soon as flowering has finished.

(Group 2) No regular pruning is required. To tidy the plant however, in mid-February start at the top of each stem and cut just above a pair of buds discarding the dead tip. Also remove any dead or damaged stems.

(Group 3) Prune all stems back to 12in from the ground in mid-February.

Due to the milder winters we are now experiencing, clematis are tending to flower earlier. Late large-flowered cultivars and viticellas can be pruned to 3ft. after flowering (don't wait until every single tepal has dropped) and you should be rewarded with another flush in late autumn.