What to do with clematis for the winter

Clematis are the most sought-after representatives of liana plants in our gardens. They are able to decorate any unsightly corner of the higher territory, you can form hedges and arches from them. In terms of the splendor and beauty of flowering, clematis are not inferior even to the recognized queens of the garden, climbing roses. However, very often flower growers deny themselves the pleasure of contemplating all the beauty of this plant for the simple reason that there is a high probability that all the work invested in clematis care will not be crowned with success with the arrival of the winter period, which clematis simply will not survive. In this article, we will try to dispel these fears and tell you about what measures to take so that this beautiful clematis winter calmly in your summer cottage, and the next year again pleases with a violent play of colors.

Preparatory activities

The main difficulty in cultivating clematis is that in most of our country (including regions with a temperate climate), clematis cannot survive the winter in the ground without specialized shelter. Moreover, different types of clematis need different types of shelter.

But preparation for the dormant period should begin long before the onset of cold weather, or rather at the end of summer.

So, what needs to be done so that your magnificent pets can properly prepare for the cold season.

• Already at the end of summer, you should not feed the plants with nitrogen-containing fertilizers. Even if the clematis continue to bloom, or have not bloomed at all (this also applies to complex fertilizers, which include nitrogen).
• At the very beginning of autumn, plants need potassium-phosphorus feeding. This will give the plant more energy for the ripening of the shoots, and also form a reserve of strength for wintering.
• Even a month before the onset of the first frost (in extreme cases, 2-3 weeks), when the air temperature drops below + 10 ° C, clematis must be cut off.

The last point deserves special attention, since the scheme of actions will differ for a specific type of clematis for the winter period.

Autumn pruning of clematis

Depending on on which shoots flowers are formed in clematis, it is customary to distinguish three groups of plant pruning.

The first group includes clematis that form flowers on the vines of the previous year. This group includes tall clematis, as well as mountain, alpine, large-cup, golden types of clematis. This group does not require pruning in the fall, only sanitary pruning is carried out in order to prevent thickening and plant diseases.

The second group includes clematis, which are able to give us their flowering twice a season. Such clematis include the overwhelming majority of Lanuginoza groups, Patens, Florida. These vines need partial pruning.

And the third group of pruning includes clematis, which bloom exclusively only on the shoots of the current year. These are the clematis of the group Zhakman, Viticella, Integrifolia. They need complete pruning in anticipation of winter dormancy.

In fairness, it should be noted that sometimes no distinction is made between the first and second group of clematis pruning. This is due to the fact that, firstly, in both groups there are varieties that are exceptions to the general rules in terms of the degree of pruning. And secondly, clematis blooming on the shoots of the last season can also form flowers on the vines of the first year of life, after passing through a period of their kind of ripening (at the end of the summer season). This flowering is not as abundant as on old shoots, but it is still there.

How to prune clematis based on the pruning group

We repeat that the clematis of the first pruning group do not need pruning creepers in the fall in order to preserve the shoots and buds that will bloom in the coming season. Otherwise, you may not be lucky enough to see the bushes blooming, or the flowering will not come at the right time and will not become as abundant as you would like.

However, some shortening of shoots is still necessary for representatives of this group, but it is carried out after the end of the flowering period, and not on the eve of cold weather. During this pruning, those parts of the vines that have already given flowers are cut off. This will stimulate the formation of additional shoots, on which buds will bloom again next summer.

The clematis of the second pruning group (twice flowering), which are always popular with flower growers, are usually pruned at a height of 1-1.5 m., Leaving 2/3 of the length of the vines. But sometimes you can also find recommendations for the so-called wave pruning method, when the bush is pruned after each wave by 1/3 of the size of the vines.

Clematis, which form flowers on fresh shoots, are pruned to almost the entire length of the vines. Keep in mind that clematis from the Viticell and Jacqueman groups are shortened to the first true leaf, one pair of buds remains on the vine. As for the clematis of the Integrifolia group, Texas, six-petal, straight and Manchurian, they are shortened to two pairs of buds.

Based on this, it is quite natural that if you purchase clematis for planting in a specialized store, then you should definitely clarify which group of clematis this or that planting material belongs to. It is even better to get clear recommendations on the degree of pruning for each individual variety, because as you can already see, there are some differences even among representatives of the same group.

But there are times when it is not possible to find out the varietal affiliation of a plant planted in your area. Then the best solution would be not to prune clematis at all in the fall. With the onset of spring, you will see what the state of the shoots is on your plant, whether there are "fresh" vines with live buds visible, or if all the shoots are dry. Then it will be possible to decide on the further scheme of action.

Another popular pruning method for clematis of the first and second groups is partial anti-aging pruning, it is also called universal. In the course of its implementation, the shoots are cut one by one to a height of up to 1.5 m, and the other to one pair of buds, and this is done with the whole bush.

Regardless of which pruning group clematis belongs to, they carry out preventive cleaning of the bush in the fall.

It means:

• removal of dry leaves both from the bush itself and from the bush territory, and their further destruction (burning);
• Removal of dried, sick, weakened and deformed shoots;
• Cutting out excess shoots in order to prevent thickening of the bush.

Preventive treatment for diseases before the period of winter rest

As a prophylaxis for various kinds of diseases, in the fall, after the onset of the first frosts, but even before the onset of stable negative temperatures (approximately in October), it is advisable to treat the land in the bust area with a fungicide solution. For example, a foundation is used at the rate of 20 g of the drug per 10 liters of water, and then the earth is sprinkled with ash. These simple activities will help avoid the risk of spreading fungal infections and will greatly simplify your care for clematis in the future.

A few tips for choosing planting material

Now on the market there are a huge number of different varieties of clematis. They differ, among other things, in the degree of resistance to freezing in the winter, and in the type of shelter they need in order to survive the cold.

When buying a particular variety, you should clarify what type of winter hardiness this plant belongs to and what kind of insulation it needs for the winter.

Also important is the condition for the acquisition of planting material in the region in which it is planned to cultivate the plant. This will become a kind of guarantee that the plant is adapted to the climatic conditions in a given territory and will go through the process of adaptation to a new place of growth without any problems.

Keep in mind that the more "cultured" the clematis variety is, the more capricious and less frost-resistant it is. Species clematis are most resistant to low temperatures, and varietal ones, on the contrary, are less hardy. Also, old varieties, as a rule, are more frost-resistant than new ones.

In those territories of our vast Motherland, where the winters are very cold, it is best to grow early-flowering clematis, and for cultivation in regions with a temperate climate, clematis of the third pruning group is the best suited: representatives of the Vititsella, Zhakmana and Integrifolia group. Varieties with double flowers, it is better not to plant. Of course, in the case of organizing optimal conditions and a reliable, dry winter shelter, more “southern” representatives of this vine will be able to grow safely, but when choosing such varieties, be sure to pay attention to the degree of acclimatization of plants.

Types of winter shelter for clematis

The type of winter shelter for clematis is in direct proportion to what type of pruning they belong to.

So, for clematis of the third pruning group, a special shelter is not required, only high hilling is needed. Likewise, no shelter is needed for species clematis.

For clematis of the first and second pruning groups, you need a full-fledged dry shelter, similar to the shelter for climbing roses.

Ultimately, the shelter for clematis is designed not so much to protect the roots of plants from low temperatures, but to protect them from excessive moisture, podoprevanie, ground and melt water, condensation and ice formation as a result of frequent changes in positive and negative temperatures. If, through negligence, moisture got into the roots and the center of tillering, and then froze, the plant is probably doomed to death. Then it literally breaks apart from the inside.

The specific time at which you need to cover clematis depends on the ambient temperature. Preparatory procedures for shelter begin immediately after the night air temperature for the first time dropped below 0 ° C. At this point, the bushes are spud 10-15cm. Further, when the temperature drops to about -5 ° C and the soil begins to freeze, clematis is completely covered. In standard fall weather conditions, plants do not begin to cover until November at the earliest. It should be borne in mind that the shelter of clematis should be carried out exclusively in dry weather.

If clematis are provided with comfortable, dry wintering conditions, then the plants are able to survive the temperature drop down to -45 ° C. And if after the winter period your plants show no signs of life, do not rush to dig them up. There are cases when dormant vegetative buds on clematis come to life even years after damage or freezing.

How to prepare clematis of the third pruning group for winter

A few words about the fact that this group of clematis does not need shelter, but they need hilling, have already been said earlier. Now let's talk about how exactly this hilling should be done. The fact is that it should be not just hilling, like adding earth to potatoes, but creating a whole mini-pyramid from the ground. The height of this pyramid must be at least 60cm.Therefore, about 4 buckets of garden soil or peat, always dry, are poured onto each plant. For the purpose of "backfilling", you can use humus or compost, but the best option would be a fairly loose substance, which is the least likely to get podoprevat.

With the onset of winter, on such a "earthen" shelter in the absence of a sufficient amount of snow cover, it is also necessary to add additional snow. And if the winter turned out to be completely snowless, coniferous branches are also suitable as additional protection.

If the variety of the third group of clematis you have chosen has a low frost resistance, or you only planted clematis this season, you can cover the plant with a box, sprinkle leaves on top, and then wrap it with foil, roofing material or other similar material. Thus, you create a dry air shelter around the plant and provide it with reliable wintering.

Shelter for clematis of the first and second pruning group

In order to build a reliable winter shelter for clematis such as Patens, Florida and Lanugino, the following steps must be taken:

1. The plant is huddled by adding dry soil (peat, humus, etc.). As well as for clematis of the third pruning group, we build a kind of pyramid around the bush.
2. To avoid damage to plants by rodents, set traps around the perimeter of the bush
3. We spread around a dry base for shelter. Coniferous or any other branches, polystyrene, a layer of leaves about 6 cm thick are suitable.
4. Lianas are folded and placed on a prepared base.
5. Next, wooden sheets or boxes are laid on the vines, vine wattle fences, reed and reed mats are suitable.
6. The next layer is insulating, it is created using non-woven material, film, roofing material. Be sure to leave ventilation openings after you have securely reinforced the material.
7. Further, snow will work on you as an additional cover. And if the winter turned out to be poor on snow, you will have to put more coniferous or other branches, earth or peat on top of the film.

Another perfectly acceptable wintering option for clematis looks like this.

1. Vines are wrapped in non-woven fabric
2. A base is made of wood or branches and wrapped vines are placed on it
3. Reed mats, boards, slate or roofing material are placed on top of the vines
4. Boxes are placed around the perimeter of the bush, or a frame is made on which covering material could be placed (for example, the same roofing material)

If in the middle of winter there are periods of long above-zero temperatures, the shelter of clematis must be ventilated.

When and how to take shelter in spring

They begin to rid the clematis of their "winter clothes" after the daytime air temperature readings have become positive, even if it is still freezing at night. Once again, we will make a reservation that the main danger for clematis lies not in freezing, but in the harmful effect of moisture, therefore it is important to establish air circulation in the roots of the plant in a timely manner.

They open the shelter in stages, giving the plant the opportunity to calmly acclimatize. This process usually begins in April. At the beginning, the ventilation holes are freed, and when the snow cover melts and the night frosts cease to be strong, they remove the film and the upper shelter. Wooden sheets are removed after another 7 days. That is, in an average spring, the complete release of clematis ends around May.

The earthen pyramid near the bush is also not immediately removed. First, let the plant get used to the open air and sunlight again, then fill in 2/3 of the earth, and remove the rest after the probability of recurrent frosts disappears.