Well, I got this clematis vine, see? It’s a real beauty, but I gotta tell ya, taking care of it in the fall, that’s a whole different ball game. You gotta know what you’re doing, or you’ll mess it up for next year.
First thing I did, I took a good look at the plant. Checked for any stems that were dead or just looked kinda weak, you know? Those had to go. I got out my trusty pruners and snipped them off. Make sure you clean those pruners good, though. I use a bit of bleach and water, just to be safe. Don’t want any of that nasty fungus spreading around.
Now, some of these clematis, they need a good haircut in the fall. I’m talking about the ones like ‘heracleifolia’, ‘integrifolia’, and ‘recta’. These guys, you chop them right down to near the ground. I did this towards the end of fall, right before the cold really sets in.
Then there’s the whole feeding thing. These plants are hungry, let me tell you. They like a good meal, especially in the spring. So, what I do is, I give them a bit of fertilizer. Nothing too strong, just a little something to keep them happy. I use that 5-10-10 stuff, seems to work just fine.
- Checked for dead or weak stems and removed them.
- Cleaned the pruners with a bleach solution to prevent the spread of fungus.
- Pruned certain types of clematis down to near ground level in late autumn.
- Prepared to feed the clematis with a low-nitrogen fertilizer in the spring.
- Add a layer of mulch to keep the roots shaded and moist.
One more thing, these clematis, they don’t like their roots to be too hot. So, I always make sure to put down a good layer of mulch. Keeps the roots cool and moist, just how they like it. Especially important in the winter, that mulch is. Keeps them from getting too cold. That is all I did to keep my clematis good.
That’s it!
It is not too hard, right? Just do what I did and you will see those pretty flowers next spring for sure!
