Guv's Gardens
Photo: Jolly Janner, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade (keep roots cool and shaded)
- Soil
- Fertile, moist but well-drained; plant deep
- Soil pH
- Around neutral; tolerates slightly acid to alkaline soils (about pH 5.5 upwards)
- Water
- Keep roots cool and moist
- Hardiness
- Most are fully hardy; hardiness varies by species and group
- Height and spread
- From about 75cm (herbaceous types) through around 3m (most climbers) to 10m or more for vigorous C. montana (5-12m)
Guv's tipPlant clematis deep and keep the roots cool and shaded. Deep planting even helps it recover from clematis wilt. Old trick, that.
Through the year
When to plant
Plant in late spring or early autumn; avoid winter
Harvest or flowering
Flowers possible year-round depending on group
Pruning
Prune annually according to pruning group 1, 2 or 3
Making more plants
Cuttings, layering or seed
Watch out for
Aphids
Look for: Colonies of small green/black insects on shoot tips, sticky honeydew, distorted leaves
What to do: Squash or wash off, encourage ladybirds and other predators; insecticidal soap if severe
Capsid bugs
Look for: Small ragged holes in young leaves, distorted flowers
What to do: Usually tolerated; clear debris in winter
Earwigs
Look for: Ragged holes in petals and leaves
What to do: Straw-stuffed pot traps
Slugs and snails
Look for: Irregular holes in leaves, slime trails, seedlings eaten
What to do: Hand-pick at night, barriers, beer traps, encourage predators; ferric phosphate pellets sparingly
Vine weevil
Look for: Notched leaf edges (adults); C-shaped grubs eat roots, plants wilt and collapse
What to do: Nematode drench (Steinernema kraussei) in late summer/autumn, pick off adults at night
Clematis wilt
Calophoma clematidinaLook for: Leaves and shoots wilt rapidly
What to do: Cut out affected stems to healthy growth; deep planting helps recovery
Powdery mildew
Various (Erysiphales)Look for: White powdery coating on leaves
What to do: Water in dry spells, mulch, improve air flow, resistant cultivars
Always read and follow the label on any treatment, and check it is approved for use where you live.
Safety and spread
Pets and people: Toxic to dogs, cats and horses (protoanemonin), causing salivation, vomiting and diarrhoea, according to the ASPCA. Sap can cause contact dermatitis. High poison severity
Weed risk: None known (the native C. vitalba is a wild plant)
The Plant Doctor and the Guv's book
Printable pest and disease charts with real photographs, and all 50 UK plants in one book.
