Clematis Blue Angel

Clematis Blue Angel is a gentle name for a delicate flower. Today we will tell you about an amazing plant that fully lives up to its name. Clematis flowers have a delicate blue color, like a cloudless high sky. It is thanks to this fabulous color that the plant acquired such a name. When clematis begins to bloom, the bush looks like a delicate cloud, which is why this culture can always decorate your garden plot. In addition, clematis is considered unpretentious, but you still need to familiarize yourself with the rules of agricultural technology before planting this crop. Today we will tell you about the features of planting and care, the pruning group, as well as the conditions for growing the plant. So if you decide to plant Clematis Blue Angel on your site, then this article is a must-read. And if you haven't decided yet, then we will convince you that it is definitely worth doing, and if not this season, then next spring it is a must.

Clematis Blue Angel: variety description

Clematis Blue Angel: photo

Clematis Blue Angel was bred in the last century, in Poland. Clematis blooms late enough. However, the flowers are always beautiful and large. The crown of the bush is spreading, the length of the lianas reaches four meters. However, this shrub is classified as climbing, so its stems spread remarkably along the surface of the earth, forming a beautiful carpet. The shrub's foliage is bright green, the leaves have a beautiful and original shape, its root system is cord-like, voluminous, the roots are quite soft in plants, so do not damage them during gardening. The pride of this plant is its wonderful flowers. They have the color of the sky, up to 6 leaves are formed on each calyx, they are wavy at the edges. The flowers do not grow more than 6 cm in width and length. Plants have yellow stamens. But, unfortunately, the flowers do not have a pleasant aroma, the plant does not smell at all. However, clematis blooms for a very long time, all summer, so this culture will look more than original on your garden plot. Moreover, the plant blooms very profusely, delighting its owners with bright inflorescences. Sometimes flowers remain on the stems even in autumn, so this culture will definitely not disappoint you. The variety is considered frost-resistant, the plant can withstand more than -30 degrees, moreover, clematis is resistant to diseases and pests. Therefore, this plant does not require special care. It is best to plant shrubs in sunny, slightly shaded areas. It is advisable to choose the soil fertile, loose, light. If we talk about acidity, then the soil should be moderately acidic. In order for the plant to sit beautifully on the site, you will need to put props or plant a shrub near tall fruit trees.

Clematis Blue Angel: Pruning

Clematis Blue Angel: photo

You will need to trim Blue Angel clematis quite often. However, you should remember that flowers are formed only on those shoots that have grown quite recently, so if you want to have blooming clematis in your garden, but you will need to form a crown in a timely manner. Therefore, in the fall, plants are pruned quite strongly. To do this, you will need to use either a sharp pruner or a knife. Moreover, it is advisable to disinfect garden tools before work. All shoots are cut quite intensively, no more than twenty cm is left from the surface of the earth.You may think that such pruning will kill the bush, but this is not the case, indeed, the shoots from the plant are cut very strongly, but this is the only way in the future that flowers can form in abundance. Do not be alarmed, in the spring clematis forms new young shoots, which means blue flowers. Sometimes shoots are removed after one. Thus, in addition to beautiful buds, Clematis Blue Angel will have 50% of the green mass, so the flowers will be evenly distributed throughout the bush.

Growing

In order for your Blue Angel to delight you, you will need to adhere to agrotechnical rules. It is advisable to plant the plant on light fertile soil, and on a hill. Plants do not like excessive soil moisture. The place should also be protected from wind and drafts. It is best to plant this shrub in partial shade, the sun's rays negatively affect the development of plants. Unlike many other crops, it is better to plant clematis with an open root system, and this is done both in autumn and spring. If you buy plants with an earthen clod or in a container, then you can plant clematis in open ground even in summer. You will have to water the plants often, clematis loves moisture (but without fanaticism, from an excess of water in the area, the roots begin to rot), but it is not recommended to feed the bushes so often, only a few times a year. In order for the bush to winter well, you will need to cover the plant for the winter. And do not forget about timely pruning, because flowers are formed only on young shoots.

Clematis Blue Angel: planting and care

Clematis Blue Angel: photo

To plant the Blue Angel clematis in the spring, at least one strong and healthy shoot must form. The planting hole should also be deep, at least half a meter. A drainage layer of broken brick, stones or rubble is lined at the bottom of the hole. For backfill, a fertile mixture is prepared with the addition of compost, sand, humus and peat. Sometimes a lot of superphosphate is also added to the planting pit. The seedling is set in the middle, the root system is well straightened. The root collar should not rise above the ground, it is usually buried. The planting hole should not be filled with soil to the brim; a small depression should remain in the center. After planting the seedlings, the trunk circle is tamped, the plants are watered abundantly, and the soil is mulched. For this, peat or humus is used.

With the arrival of summer, a little earth can be poured into the planting hole, so in the fall it should be filled with earth entirely. If you will plant several bushes, then do not forget about the distance; leave one meter between clematis in rows. In order for the plant to develop normally, it is advisable to immediately install supports in the center of the planting pit. In order for clematis to bloom magnificently, it will need to be watered, fed, cut, processed and prepared for winter in time. It is recommended to loosen and mulch the soil around the trunk, and it is imperative to remove all weeds from the site. Before planting, you should decide on the place of growth. Groundwater should not be poured close to the surface of the earth, the fact is that the root system of clematis penetrates deep into the soil, so the roots can rot if the groundwater is located close to them. If we talk about the level of acidity of the soil, then the soil should preferably be slightly acidic. The soil must be light and loose; these vines do not grow on heavy ground. If your site has a lot of clay, then you can add a little sand to the soil, it loosens the earth well. Clematis is planted in dark places, but the sun's rays should hit the plants. The culture does not like overheating, it is fraught with burns for the shrub.Do not plant plants near any fences, walls, agricultural buildings, where the foliage will often get wet, and in dry summers - dry or overheat. So, clematis near the house is not the best option, step back from the walls at least 2 m.Usually, gardeners plant only healthy and strong plants, each clematis should have at least one shoot, the root system should also be well developed, up to ten cm.

Before you buy Clematis Blue Angel, carefully examine the seedling: there should be no damage or defects on the trunk and shoots of the plant. If the seedling is weak, then it is recommended to grow it before planting in open ground. However, remember that this event takes at least 1 year.

It is better to plant clematis on a cool, not sunny day. It is in such conditions that plants adapt better to a new place, habitat conditions. Quite often, the root system dries up when transported over long distances, so before planting it is best to lower the seedling for a couple of hours in water so that the roots are saturated with moisture. Sometimes gardeners treat the rhizome with a growth stimulant in order for the roots to form more intensively. If you consider yourself a novice gardener, then it is better to buy a Blue Angel clematis seedling in a container or together with an earthen clod, such plants take root better, and very quickly. If you want to protect your plantings from many diseases, then you will need to disinfect the clematis roots with potassium permanganate. So that the shoots are not damaged, they should be tied to supports. In order for the branches to form more intensively, I recommend pinching the top of the plant.

Many gardeners plant other flower crops, for example, marigolds, to protect against overheating next to climax shrubs. It is best to plant plants of this variety on the south side, and in the northern regions, mulch the trunk circle with peat. It will also be necessary to water the plantings regularly, each mature plant usually has 10-20 liters of water. Moreover, watering the plants is recommended every other day. If the summer is dry, then more often. Young seedlings are recommended to be watered less often, once a week. But how do you know when to water the plants and when not? It is easy and simple, if the soil is wet at a depth of 20 cm, then there can be no question of any watering, but if the soil is dry, then it is imperative to moisten the soil. If the plant lacks moisture, then over time the flowers will become smaller, which means that the decorative properties of the plant will be lost, the shrubs will not be so beautiful, pleasant and attractive.

Shrubs are not fed so often, nitrogen fertilizers should be applied to the soil in early spring, during the formation of buds it is good to add potash fertilization to the soil, and when the plant fades - phosphoric. In late autumn, it is also recommended to apply complex mineral fertilizers to the soil, this protects the plants from frost.

In order for the root system to develop well, the soil will need to be loosened well. Moreover, loosening should be done both after fertilizing and after watering the crop. However, do not damage the root system of the plants, do not deepen the garden tools too deeply. Sometimes, instead of loosening, the soil is simply mulched using tree bark, peat and sawdust. It also helps the plants to overwinter, the roots under which cover do not freeze. However, it is undesirable to use straw for these purposes, since rodents often breed in such a substrate, which can damage both the roots and stems of the plant. Moisture is retained better under mulch and soil structure is improved. If you mulch the top layer of the soil with pine bark, then this material will serve you for more than 2 years, so for a while you can forget about fertilizing and watering the plants.

Clematis should also be pruned in time.The first time it is done immediately after planting. You will need to leave no more than three active buds on the bottom on each stem, the remaining parts are recommended to be removed. The main pruning is done either in spring or late autumn. All shoots are recommended to be shortened quite strongly, leaving 30 cm from the ground surface. This procedure is repeated in early spring. It is believed that the intensity of flowering of the culture depends on the correct formation of the crown. If you do not remove excess shoots, then the flowers will become very small over time. Do not forget about sanitary pruning; after wintering, it is recommended to remove all diseased and damaged branches. Excess shoots will also need to be cut off so that the plant does not waste its energy in vain.

After you cut off the excess shoots, you needed to prepare the plants for wintering. As you remember, frost is not very terrible for this culture, however, if the root system of the shrubs gets wet, the plant may die. But it is undesirable to cover the trunk circle with sawdust, so that they do not freeze, besides, in the spring they also thaw very slowly. As you remember, plants are pruned very strongly, so it is not difficult to cover such a small bush. For this, spruce branches are suitable, any breathable material, you can sprinkle a bush with fallen leaves on top. The main thing is that moisture does not accumulate under the shelter, otherwise the root system may rot. Plants can be covered with the same material for quite a long time. However, do not forget to remove the artificial blanket in the spring, and this will need to be done in stages, so that the plant gets used to the heat.

Clematis Blue Angel reproduction

Clematis Blue Angel: photo

The easiest way to propagate clematis is through dividing the bush. However, it is possible to divide the root part only in mature plants. The shrub must be over five years old. Moreover, it is not necessary to dig out clematis. To do this, you can make a depression near the root part of the bush, and use a quick pruner or shovel to separate part of the rhizome along with the shoots. After that, you can plant a bush in a new habitat. However, if the root system is very strongly intertwined, then you will have to dig up a whole bush and only then divide the plant into several parts. Make sure that there is a root system and strong shoots on each part. In the future, clematis will need to be planted in the same way as other plants. The care rules are no different.

Diseases and pests

The blue angel has high immunity, however, many diseases sometimes affect shrubs, if you violate the rules of agricultural technology, do not properly care for the plant. Sometimes the foliage of clematis withers, becomes covered with a white bloom, these are signs of powdery mildew. Plants often suffer from ascochitis and alternaria. Therefore, prevention is very important and necessary. But pests almost never appear on the bushes. Sometimes a cobweb can be seen on a plant, which means that a spider mite has settled on the shoots. And so that the rodents do not eat the bark, you can wrap the shoots with a metal mesh from below. However, pests very rarely appear on the site with clematis plantings.

Conclusion

Clematis is considered a very unpretentious plant. Caring for him is easy and simple. And its flowering always pleases gardeners. That is why plants are considered very popular nowadays. Do not forget to water, feed and process the bushes in a timely manner. The blue angel goes well with other varieties of clematis, as well as with other flower crops. Remember, this shrub is classified as climbing, so its stems spread wonderfully along the surface of the ground, forming a beautiful green carpet. The foliage of the shrub is bright, they have a beautiful and original shape, the roots of the Blue Angel clematis are quite soft, so do not damage them during garden work.The pride of clematis Blue Angel - beautiful flowers. They have the color of the sky, so your garden will always be calm and cozy, and besides, taking care of clematis is easy and simple.