Find Your Ask the Expert: 2clematis grown under apple tree9 (all growth.)
clematis has been watered and fed but no flowers or buds have appeared.Large flower type to flower in summer and montana grandiflaura to flower in spring. All growth but no flowers. bOTH PRUNED AS PR INSTUCTIONS.
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There are a three things can inhibit blooming on a clematis: light, fertilizer, pruning.
Clematis need 5 to 6 hours of light per day. However their roots a little protection from the sun. To shade the roots you can mulch and/or plant ground cover type plants under them. The fact that your are under an apple tree may be the reason they are not blooming. It depends on how much shade they are receiving. If you want the clematis to grow up your tree trunk and bloom make sure that the lower limbs are high enough off the ground to allow sunlight to reach the clematis.
Clematis need a well balanced fertilizer – all three primary nutrients must be present N, P and K. If you used a fertilizer that was very heavy in N (nitrogen) you will get beautiful green growth but it may inhibit blooming. Phosphorous (P) and Potassium (K) are responsible for blooming growth and formation. So it is important to fertilize your clematis twice a year with a balanced water soluble fertilizer like Hi Yield general purpose fertilizer which is a 20-20-20 blend.
Clematis need very little pruning but when you prune it timing is important. Depending on the type of clematis you have will determine the pruning schedule. You said that you prune according to pruning instruction, so I assume that pruning is not a factor. But just to be sure about how to prune them I checked with Donahue’s Clematis (they are the superior clematis grower). Donahue’s recommends pruning the Montana series right after they bloom. The reason for this is they bloom on old stems. So it is extremely critical that pruning occurs as soon as blooming is completed. If you planted your Montana clematis this year, you might not see blooming until next year. For your other clematis it really depends on the variety you have. Some varieties bloom from last year ripened stems and the buds should appear in very early spring. If you have particularly warm weather in the spring and the temperatures then turn very cold, the bud swells can be damage and will not develop fully into blooms. Other clematis bloom on new growth and are usually pruned in February or March as the buds begin to swell. If old dead foliage is allowed to remain on the clematis fungal problems can occur which will inhibit blooming.
With all of that said, I would check to see that the clematis is receiving enough light and that the area was staying moist but not soggy. Since you have pruned and fertilized your clematis according to instructions, light has to be the reason.
Donahue’s Clematis has some great clematis culture information that might shed some more light on the subject. Hope this helps. Good Luck.
I have 6 clematis and all are doing great. They have beautiful blooms. However, this one clematis refuses to bloom. It gets 6+ hours sunlight, the feet are not directly exposed to sun since there are small herbs around it.
S. Kirsh,
Here are a few things that can keep a clematis from blooming:
1. Fertilizer – if your plant is getting too much nitrogen and not enough phosphorous.
2. Not enough sunlight – this shouldn’t be your problem.
3. Age – plant is under two years old.
4. Improper pruning – depending on your clematis variety is might bloom on old growth. If you prune heavily in the early spring you could be cutting off the potential blooms.
Hopefully this information will help you determine the cause.