Planting Notes

Clematis are long lived perennial vines that will give years of pleasure if planted with care.

#1. Dig a hole 24" wide and 18" deep. Soil should be rich and well drained - lots of compost, manure and moist peat. It wouldn't hurt to add a good handful of organic fertilizer and lime.

#2. Remove the clematis from the pot being careful to not disturb the crown. Set into the hole with the crown a good 3" below the surface. Backfill the hole and water thoroughly but gently.

#3. Mulch well and remember to water deeply once a week. It might be a good idea to add Soil Moist when planting if you live in a town that has watering restrictions during the summer.

Large flowering clematis should be planted in a location protected from the wind. Stems broken from the wind can result in clematis wilt.

Pruning Notes

According to the growers of our clematis - Donahue's in Minnesota - all clematis except Montanas (Z6/7), should be pruned back to 10-12" in early spring - mid-March to mid-April. This promotes multi-stems, which is what you want for a healthy, robust plant.

Fertilizing Notes

We recommend a good handful of organic granular fertilizer in early May, then for the clematis that bloom later or rebloom in September, an application every other week.