Believe it or not, the climbing plants usually have a bad reputation of being invasive and difficult to care for.
Myths that are quickly broken when you discover more about this plant. For example its striking flowers, won’t take over your garden and, is much easier to care for that what many believed.
What you may not know is that, despite its appearance, Clematis is above all a wild plant: native to the English countryside, where it is born in freedom, it is popularly called «Traveler’s Joy» (for its easy natural cultivation, especially in England, and the striking of its flowers) although it also receives the compliment of being considered the flower of dreamers.
It is not for less: its perfume, similar to that of jasmine, makes it a perfect aromatic plant to decorate any space and give it its natural fragrance.
Beyond this, the Clematis is a climbing plant that delights in spring and summer with its flowers to those who decide to include it in their own Nature.
Since it lacks a trunk (although it does have woody stems), it is important to plant it near a tree or something that will be useful for climbing.
It is also possible to grow it in a pot, as long as we have a good size and a backrest whereby the Clematis can climb to grow in conditions (they can reach three meters in height) and flourish.
Because that is its greatest show: waiting for the sunny seasons (spring and summer) to enjoy its flowers (its almost 400 cultivable species offer a beautiful range of colors and shapes).
Delicate beauty, this climbing plant is not demanding in its care although it does need a high degree of humidity.
Something that we can not only solve with moderate and frequent watering but, above all, by planting it near other short plants.
Its need for good drainage (they are not friends with excess water) is essential both for its flowers and for its growth in almost the same way as its location: to enjoy this climbing plant, we will have to find a place of semi-shade. While its flowers are lovers of the sun (especially in the morning, avoiding strong heat hours), its roots must remain in the shade to properly store the much-needed humidity.
Another fundamental aspect: the substrate. In addition to being rich (they need fertile soil to grow), we must nourish it with a mixture of mineral and natural fertilizer.
A wealth of nutrients that, in the case of Clematis, is different depending on its variety.
A good reason to properly inform yourself when buying it to know which soil is the most suitable according to the type of Clematis.
And, if we want to enjoy it year after year, pruning is a fundamental aspect that is also particular according to its variety.
While for some it is only a cleaning pruning (as in the Clematis Alpina or Macropetala), in other cases (as in the Clematis Montana and Orientalis) it will be a full-blown pruning of flowers or even a forceful pruning (as it happens with the ClematisGipsy Queen).
Do not hesitate: if you are looking for a climbing plant with flowers, the Clematis is a real success.
What kind of fertilizer should I use for clematis
For most flower gardeners, a complete fertilizer is necessary to supply plants with the three major elements they require to thrive:
- Nitrogen (N): Promotes healthy foliage
- Phosphorus or Phosphate (P): Stimulates root systems
- Potassium or Potash (K): Aids in flower (and fruit) formation
The fertilizer label will list these nutrients in order (sometimes referencing them as “NPK”) with numbers representing the percentage of a nutrient compared to filler ingredients.
If you are looking for a specific fertilizer for your clematis, this is what we recommend.
For example, 10-10-10 fertilizer contains 10 percent of each nutrient. Filler ingredients are inert materials that add weight and volume, like limestone, sawdust, clay (in powdered formulas), or water (in liquid fertilizers).
Flower fertilizers usually have a larger percentage of phosphorus compared to other ingredients. Healthy flowers start with vigorous root systems, and a phosphate boost can ensure your flowers get a good start.
Natural fertilizers
For flowers, natural fertilizers such as manure and manure do not guarantee sufficient nutrients and those they contain work primarily on other parts of the plant such as the roots.
These take advantage of the fact that the use of fertilizer favors the microbial activity in the soil and, by strengthening, they absorb more nutrients more effectively and in greater quantity, which in the long run could benefit the flowers.
Superphosphate: a very powerful option is a concentrated form of phosphorus fertilizer, which we can use for the flowering of our plants, but only in small amounts since it is more useful in operations on already cut flowers.
Chemical granules
The fertilizers in this group are very easy to apply and guarantee fast effects due to their concentration of nutrients.
They can be found in various formulas, but the most advisable for flower cultivation are those in which their average number, the one corresponding to phosphorus, is equal to or exceeds the other two on the label. .
Likewise, it is recommended to opt for a fertilizer that also integrates other elements such as calcium, manganese and magnesium, useful for the general well-being of plants.
Chemical liquids
Chemical liquids are fertilizers that we can apply the same directly to the soil, around the plant, as a foliar food with which we atomize it.
In this group there are specialized formulas for flowering species, whose initial and final numbers are low and lower than the middle number, which is very high.
However, the most popular chemical liquid fertilizer formulas are labeled 20-20-20 and 15-30-15.
In any case, these fertilizers are powerful flowering plants and their use must be alternated with more balanced and less powerful ones (source: InfoAgro).
Organic granules
These fertilizers have the advantage that they are easier to apply than other natural ones, such as manure and manure, which are also superior in micronutrient availability.
Against them they have their low concentrations in powerful elements for flowering, as evidenced by their most usual formulas (1-1-1 and 2-2-2).
Fish derivatives
Finally, other good fertilizers for flower cultivation are derived from fish, which have been used for a long time for the integral development of the plant.
Examples are emulsion and fishmeal, which as foliar foods provide nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium to crops.
Likewise, another natural product, but processed and that provides good amounts of phosphorus, in the usual 4-12-0 formulas, is bone meal.
This is the result of crushing and mixing of bones and is usually added to the holes in which the flower species are planted.