Clematis

[blackfish]

I bought 4 summer flowering clematis last year and had about 2 large blooms on each,I thought they would be lovely this year but only had 2 small blooms on one and nothing on the others but plenty of leaves.How can i encourage blooms for next year please

[welshlibranr]

no expert, but I love clematis and grow lots of them, I would prune them back hard this Autumn, the first year they don't do so well, they need to get established, next year they should bloom well, feeding them in Spring will help lots..............

[SlackAlice]

Same advice as welshlibranr. Must admit even my long established clematis (all types) have flowered poorly this year, combination of cold wet spring I think.

[nungate]

One of mine has fared poorly this summer, it's only recently bloomed and the flowers are small. The one that flowered in early summer was fabulous! Huge flowers and plenty of them, I think it depends on the type of clematis and when it was intended to flower and so forth. There are some that need to be cut back after flowering and others that you leave alone, since I can't remember which is which in my garden I leave them to their own devices and give them a feed in the Spring.

[tamborine]

Plants flower & seed in drought (to protect species). Next summer let them dry out, to flower; dead head for autumn show.

[ferlew]

Clematis need to be planted so the roots are shaded, roof tiles, bricks,, anything.......and the heads in the sun.