Vertical gardening allows you to make the landscape design of a suburban area unique and inimitable. Weaving decorative cultures, with which you can effectively decorate the fence, the walls of the gazebo, houses, garden arches, etc., there are many. For example, Clematis is often used for vertical gardening, or, as this plant is also called, Clematis.
What is
There are just a huge number of varieties of Clematis. And all such plants are united by something that differs from other vines: they cling to supports not with the help of antennae, but through flexible leaf petioles.
All Clematis grown today in gardens are classified into two large groups: large-flowered and small-flowered. The first type of plants has a truly luxurious look and looks as impressive and original as possible in the garden. Small-flowered Clematis (Clematis) are not so beautiful, but they are much less whimsical to care for.
In any case, the flowers of Clematis almost always represent a shallow "bowl" with fluffy, as a rule,contrasting in color "spider" of stamens in the middle. The leaves of this plant can be both lobed and whole. In height, such Clematis, depending on the variety, can reach from 0.5 to 5–6 m. The roots of Clematis are both fibrous and taproot.
Lianoid Clematis
Clematis belongs to the Buttercup family. In nature, they are found on all continents except Antarctica. There are Clematis - perennials, shrubs, shrubs. But still, in most cases, these are vine-like weaving plants with flexible shoots.
For vertical gardening, for example, the following varieties of Clematis can be used:
- Vine-leaved. Clematis of this variety can reach a height of up to 6 m. Their main decorative value is represented by large leaves.
- Jacquman. Woody, up to 4 m high, with very large purple or pink flowers.
- Clematis burning. This species can reach a height of up to 5 m. Its main feature is very pleasantly smelling flowers collected in inflorescences.
- Brown. The flowers of this species are goblet-shaped, drooping. Shoots of such Clematis can grow up to a height of 4 m.
- Virginian. A fast-growing species with shoots 6 m long, numerous grayish-white inflorescences and pubescent serrated leaves.
- Manchurian. This variety is a vine up to 3 m tall with wide leaves and fragrant flowers collected in inflorescences.
- Serfed. Clematis, reaching a height of up to 3 m, with drooping bell-shaped flowers.
- Clematis purple, which is a profusely flowering vine with drooping open flowers.
- Mountain clematis. The shoots of this plant can be up to 3 m long. Its flowers are collected in bunches.
- Grey. This profusely flowering clematis can reach a height of 5 m.
Alpine clematis is also often found in gardens. The flowers of this species are bell-shaped drooping. The length of the shoots of such a clematis is no more than 2 m.
Shrub varieties
Sometimes erect Clematis plants can also be used to decorate country house yards:
- borsch;
- straight.
Also, the spectacular Tangut Clematis can be hardly attributed to this group. In the wild, it is in most cases a shrub up to 30 cm high. However, in cultivation, this variety of Clematis can develop into a liana up to 4 m high.
Varieties for middle lane
Clematis of various types can be both frost-resistant and heat-loving. For cultivation in central Russia, Siberia and the Urals, for example, varieties of this plant are suitable:
- Gypsy Queen;
- Blue flame;
- Cloud.
Clematis Gypsy Queen is a large-flowered plant that reaches a height of up to 4 m. This variety is excellent for growing both directly in the ground and in containers. The flowers of Gypsy Queen are dark purple with a diameter of up to 15 cm with redstamens.
The Blue Flame variety was bred by breeders of the Soviet Union. In height, such creepers can reach 4 m. At the same time, their luxurious large flowers have a rich blue color (with a lighter stripe in the middle).
Tuchka variety has purple-purple flowers. The vines of this clematis reach a length of 4 m. It is believed that this variety is best planted on a light background.
Southern varieties
In the warm regions of Russia, of course, not frost-resistant, but very effective varieties of Lomonosov are usually planted. These include, for example:
- Elegy;
- Florida;
- Flower Ball.
A distinctive feature of the Elegia variety is, first of all, very thin shoots. The flowers of this Clematis can reach a diameter of 15 cm. They have a blue-violet hue.
Clematis Florida with double light flowers gives shoots 4 m long. The Ball of Flowers variety grows to a height of no more than 2 meters, it just goes well with white roses. The blue flowers of this Clematis can reach a size of 21 cm. Therefore, the creepers of the Ball of Flowers on the plots look truly luxurious.
Where to plant
Reproduction of Clematis is a relatively simple matter. The technology of planting such plants depends primarily on their variety. Small-flowered Clematis usually propagate simply by seeds. Large-flowered species are sold in specialized stores in the form of seedlings. Also, these Clematis are often propagated by cuttings.
Like most other representatives of the flora, Clematis are light-loving plants. Therefore, it is desirable to plant such a decorative culture in a well-lit area. One of the features of Clematis is, among other things, that they react very poorly to overheating of the soil. Therefore, when choosing a place for such a plant, you need to take care that it is in partial shade in the afternoon.
Clematis also does not like wetlands. Therefore, in areas with clay soil, it is supposed to equip drainage for it.
The place under Clematis, among other things, should also be well protected from the wind. Otherwise, the shoots of this plant will subsequently be very confused, and the flowers will break and wither.
Clematis plants love neutral or slightly alkaline soil. Sometimes the owners of such ornamental crops are interested, for example, in why Clematis does not bloom. Very often this happens precisely because the plant is planted on acidic soil. To remedy the situation, the plant must be moved to a new location, or slaked lime should be added to the hole.
You should try to choose the right place for Lomonos right away. Types of this culture with fibrous roots transplant relatively easily. But Clematis with a tap root system react extremely painfully to this procedure.
Landing
In one place, most varieties of Clematis can grow up to 20 years. Therefore, the seatsfor such plants, you need to prepare as carefully as possible. Most often, pits 60x60x60 cm in size are dug under such creepers. Further, two buckets of rotted manure and 1 each of peat and sand are added to the excavated soil. Also mixed into the substrate:
- superphosphate and bone meal - 100 g each;
- mineral fertilizer, ash and lime - 200g each
At the next stage, crushed stone is poured into the bottom of the pit, drainage is made with a layer of prepared soil and it is carefully compacted. Further, a rigid support is stuck in the middle of the pit. Then a pile of soil mixture is poured, a seedling is installed and its roots are spread over a pile. The plant is covered in such a way that its growth point, as well as the first pair of upper buds, are buried.
When using this planting technology, Clematis will subsequently give a lot of shoots. If the growth point is flush with the ground, the plant will subsequently have no more than 1–2 branches.
The distance between the pits in a row when planting is usually left at 90 cm. But in this case it all depends on the specific variety of clematis. Lush varieties are planted away from each other. Species with a less dense crown are located, respectively, in a row more often.
Water and fertilize
Clematis plants love water very much. Therefore, Clematis planted in the garden will have to be watered quite often. In this case, among other things, it will be necessary to ensure that the roots of the plant are not waterlogged. Otherwise, Clematis will simply get wet. This ornamental culture is watered immediately after the top layer dries in the wells.soil.
Clematis is supposed to be fertilized four times per season. In this case, it is necessary to use complex mineral compositions and infusions of mullein. Best results can be achieved by alternating these two types of dressings.
Cutting
By the type of flowering, all Clematis are divided into three main types:
- on this year's shoots;
- on last year's and new;
- long flowering.
Accordingly, there are three types of Lomonosov crown formation. In the first variety of Clematis, branches are rarely cut. The need for this procedure for such varieties arises only if the vine has been growing on the site for a long time and has a very tangled crown.
The second type of Clematis is periodically pruned, but only slightly. In the third variety of Lomonosov, shoots are removed in autumn in such a way that only fairly short stumps remain. Such plants are supposed to cover for the winter.
Incorrect pruning is very often also the answer to the question of why clematis do not bloom. Such a procedure should be performed in strict accordance with the type of vine.
