One of the best ways to make sure your clematis will produce big, beautiful flowers this year is to fertilize it with the nutrients it needs most – and at just the right time in early spring!
Clematis vines are known for their incredible flowers. Whether they are climbing up a trellis, draping over an arbor, or twisting around a fence or post, they can bring a stunning pop of color to any garden. And can their blooms ever be breathtaking. In fact, some varieties producing flowers that grow as large as five to six inches across!
But if you want your clematis to be covered in blooms, you have to help it get off to a strong start. And that means making sure it gets the right nutrients at the right time.
In early spring, clematis starts putting out new growth. It is right at this point when it needs extra energy to create strong vines and lots of buds. But when talking future clematis blooms, the type of energy is very important.
One thing is for sure, not all fertilizers are the same. And selecting the right one can make all the difference in just how many flowers your clematis produces!
How To Fertilize Clematis In Early Spring
The Nutrients Clematis Need To Bloom
One of the biggest reasons clematis plants fail to bloom is because the soil they are growing in doesn’t have the right mix of nutrients.
Like all plants, clematis needs a variety of nutrients to grow well. However, the three most important ones for clematis health and flower production are nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). These three nutrients are found in almost every fertilizer, and when you buy fertilizer, you will see their amounts listed on the label in the form of an N-P-K ratio.
Sometimes, the soil is missing key nutrients that the plant needs to grow strong and produce flowers. Other times, the soil has too much of a certain nutrient, which can actually stop the plant from blooming at all. The good news is that you can easily fix this problem by making sure your clematis gets the right balance of nutrients.
When giving fertilizer to clematis in early spring, success all centers around giving your plants the right ratios of the big three of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium.
While all three nutrients are important, having the right balance is the key to getting the most flowers. If a clematis gets too much nitrogen, it will focus all of its energy on growing leaves and vines instead of making flowers.
That’s why using a fertilizer that has too much nitrogen, such as a general-purpose 10-10-10 or 15-15-15 fertilizer, is never a good idea. These fertilizers encourage too much leafy growth at the expense of blooms. Some nitrogen is good. Too much, however, will cost your plant buds and blooms.
Choosing The Best Fertilizer For Clematis In Early Spring
To help your clematis produce the most flowers, you need to fertilize in early spring with a product that has twice as much phosphorus and potassium as nitrogen. This will give the plant just enough nitrogen to grow strong stems and leaves, but not so much that it stops the plant from blooming.
The extra phosphorus and potassium, meanwhile, will help encourage more buds and flowers to form. As it turns out, fertilizers that are made for flowering plants and bulbs usually have this ideal nutrient balance. Affiliate Link: Lilly Miller Bulb & Bloom Food 4-10-10 4lb
Some also contain bone meal, which is an extra source of phosphorus that helps improve flower production. Last but not least, bulb fertilizers usually come in a granular form. That makes them ideal for sprinkling around the base of your clematis in early spring.
When & How to Fertilize Your Clematis In Early Spring
The timing of the first feeding of your clematis is very important. If you fertilize too late after the plant has already put out lots of leaves and vines, it will simply use the extra energy to grow larger instead of making flowers.
For the best results, aim to fertilize your clematis for the first time in early spring, just as the plant is beginning to wake up from winter dormancy. To fertilize, follow these simple steps:
Begin by sprinkling about ½ to ¾ cup of fertilizer around the base of each clematis plant. If there is mulch covering the soil, gently pull it back to allow the fertilizer to come into direct contact with the soil.
After applying the fertilizer, water it in thoroughly. This will help it soak into the ground and begin feeding the plant. Once the fertilizer has been watered in, replace the mulch to help retain moisture and protect the roots.
After this initial feeding, continue fertilizing every four weeks throughout the growing season. Keep up this routine until mid-summer to promote steady blooming and healthy growth.
When to Stop Fertilizing
Once mid summer arrives, it’s time to end fertilizing. If you continue feeding it too late in the season, the plant may keep growing instead of preparing for colder weather. Late season growth makes the plant weak and more vulnerable to winter damage.
It is also important at this point to deadhead any old flowers before they begin to go to seed. Allowing these to remain steals valuable energy from your plant. Energy that is needed to prepare for winter and for next year’s bloom set.
As fall approaches, the only thing left to do is add a protective layer of mulch around the base of your plant. This will help to insulate the roots from the cold. When spring arrives again, your clematis will be ready to wake up strong and produce another round of beautiful blooms!
Here is to taking the time to fertilize your clematis at the right time in early spring. And to bigger and better blooms! Happy Gardening, Jim & Mary.
Old World Garden Farms
Jim and Mary Competti have been writing gardening, DIY and recipe articles and books for over 15 years from their 46 acre Ohio farm. The two are frequent speakers on all things gardening and love to travel in their spare time.
As always, feel free to email us at thefarm@owgarden.com with comments, questions, or to simply say hello! You can sign up for our free email list in the subscribe now box in the middle of this article. Follow us on Facebook here : OWG Facebook. This article may contain affiliate links.