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Clematis Alenushka is an ornamental plant that is very popular among gardeners. To evaluate the characteristics of clematis of this variety, you need to study its description and cultivation features.
Description of clematis Alyonushka
Clematis variety Alenushka is a perennial climbing shrub from the group of whole-leaved clematis. As you can see in the photo of clematis Alenushka, outwardly the plant resembles a liana and requires support, it can reach a height of 1.5 m to 2 m, it has thin and flexible shoots. On the shoots, simple or complex leaves are located, composed of several separate leaves.
Basically, clematis Alyonushka is valued for very beautiful flowers - single, similar to large bells, up to 7 cm in length. Flowers of the Alyonushka variety droop to the ground, appear on the shoots at the end of May and have a delicate pink-purple color. A striking feature of the variety is that Alyonushka blooms continuously throughout the summer, until September.
The Alyonushka variety becomes a real decoration of the garden. Thanks to liana-like shoots, the plant often decorates gazebos, balconies, fences and fences. Clematis is also used to cover the soil, if you do not support the shoots with supports, then they will begin to curl along the ground, beautifully intertwining with other plants.
Clematis trimming group Alyonushka
For numerous varieties of clematis, it is customary to distinguish 3 groups of pruning, belonging to a particular category is determined by which shoots the flowers of the plant appear on. The Alyonushka variety belongs to the 3rd pruning group. It means that:
- flowers appear only on young annual shoots, old branches of the plant do not participate in flowering;
- Clematis Alyonushka needs annual pruning, there is simply no point in leaving old shoots, since they do not possess aesthetic appeal, and when growing, they can form large confused "tangles".
Pruning is usually carried out in the spring; it is necessary to trim the shoots up to 3 buds. During the procedure, you can leave intact those shoots that appeared last year, but did not bring flowers.
Growing conditions for botanical clematis Alyonushka
The decorative variety was bred in the 1960s in the southern region of Russia, in the Crimea. But, despite this, a feature of the Alyonushka variety is the increased frost resistance of the plant. Description of the clematis variety Alenushka claims that the shrub is suitable for growing in climatic zones from 4 to 9, in other words, it can tolerate winter frosts down to -30 ° C.
The Alyonushka variety is undemanding to lighting conditions and tolerates places with light shading well. When growing it, you only need to carefully control the level of moisture, stagnant water affects the plant destructively.
Planting and caring for clematis Alyonushka
The whole-leaved clematis Alyonushka does not cause much trouble for gardeners and grows freely in almost any area.But in order for the shrub to be able to fully demonstrate all its beauty, it is recommended to adhere to some rules.
Selection and preparation of the landing site
When choosing a good place to grow the Alyonushka variety, several factors must be taken into account.
- Alyonushka loves light, but perceives slightly shaded areas well, it is only important not to plant clematis in thick shade, where the sun's rays rarely fall.
- The Alyonushka variety does not like waterlogging, so the site must be chosen so that groundwater does not pass close to the earth's surface. Alyonushka grows best on light hills.
- Tall clematis does not tolerate strong winds, even when fixed on a support. Therefore, for Alyonushka, you need to select areas that are protected from gusts of wind.
- Clematis are often planted near fences or near the wall of a house. It is necessary to ensure that a space of at least 30 cm remains between Alyonushka and the wall or fence. In addition, water from the roof should not flow onto clematis from above - this will damage the health of the plant.
The planting of clematis Alyonushka into the ground is carried out both in spring and in autumn. The dimensions of the planting pit for the seedling are usually 60 cm in depth and width; at the bottom of the hole, a drainage layer 15 cm thick from broken brick or crushed stone is organized.
Clematis thrives on well-drained and fertile soils with low alkalinity. If the selected site does not fully meet Alyonushka's requests, it is necessary to additionally enrich the soil before planting the plant. For this purpose, the excavated soil:
- mixed with 2-3 buckets of compost;
- add a bucket of peat and sand;
- 200 g of lime, 150 g of superphosphate mixture and 200 g of ash are introduced into the soil.
Thus, it is possible to enrich even rather heavy and wet soils and in the future simply maintain conditions comfortable for clematis Alyonushka.
Seedling preparation
Clematis seedlings easily take root in the open field. However, before planting, it is recommended to soak the roots of Alyonushka in water for several hours to stimulate them to grow rapidly.
Many gardeners prefer to remove the old earthen clod at the roots of the seedling. But it is better to plant clematis along with the remnants of the old land. Alyonushka's root system is fragile, and thin roots are very easy to damage when removing an earthen coma.
Landing rules
In general, the planting algorithm for clematis Alenushka looks about the same for both spring and autumn planting.
- In the center of the hole, a support is placed for long shoots of clematis, and then half the hole is covered with prepared soil, pouring a small mound in the center.
- The seedling is carefully lowered in the center of the hole, allowing its roots to lie freely on the mound, and fill the hole with soil to the end.
- Immediately after planting, the plant is watered and the covered hole is mulched with dry foliage.
It is important to take into account that Alyonushka needs to be buried; the variety cannot be planted flush with the ground. For a young plant, the deepening should be at least 8 cm. In this state, the planting hole should be left until the shoots of Alyonushka begin to lignify, after which the upper part of the hole can be filled up to the end.
Watering and feeding
Clematis Alyonushka does not tolerate stagnation of moisture, but she loves water very much, so you need to water the plant regularly. On average, 10-20 liters of water is applied to the root zone once a week, and in dry weather, the frequency of watering should be increased to 2 times a week.
It is possible and necessary to feed clematis Alyonushka; with regular fertilization, the plant demonstrates maximum decorative effect. Fertilize as follows:
- complex fertilizers are applied to the planting pit before planting the shrub, this top dressing for clematis will be enough for the whole next year;
- subsequently, the plant is fed 3-4 times during the season, it is best to alternate organic matter with mineral fertilizers.
From organic feeding, clematis Alyonushka accepts a mullein diluted in water, from minerals potash fertilizers in early spring and a solution of boric acid 1 time per season will benefit the plant.
Mulching and loosening
Mulching for clematis of the Alyonushka variety is recommended once a season. If you neglect this procedure, then moisture from the soil will evaporate too quickly, and weeds will appear at the roots of the plant, taking away nutrients.
Along with mulching, it is necessary to carry out regular loosening, without it, the soil will no longer pass enough oxygen. The soil is also loosened once a season, after removing the old layer of mulch, this improves the composition of the soil and additionally prevents the growth of weeds.
Support for clematis Alyonushka
Since clematis of this variety has very long, but thin stems, it is not able to grow vertically upward without support. At the same time, the plant cannot drag along the support either, clematis Alyonushka must be tied to a wall, fence or gazebo, or carefully laid on a support. The perennial grows quite quickly, so a garter or shifting of stems is required for it several times a season.
Pruning
A perennial dwarf shrub grows very quickly and requires annual pruning. Since this variety belongs to the 3rd pruning group, during the cutting process, old shoots can be radically removed - flowers are formed only on young stems of the current year.
In autumn, the aerial part of clematis is cut very strongly - up to 2-3 buds or completely, so that the plant only slightly rises above ground level. The procedure does not harm clematis, but, on the contrary, is of great benefit; after pruning, the plant tolerates winter better and gives larger flowers in the new season.
Preparing for winter
One of the main advantages of clematis is its high frost resistance. Alyonushka tolerates severe winters well in almost all regions of Russia, and at the same time, it is almost not required to carry out complex preparations for the winter.
Since in autumn clematis is cut to the very root, the plant does not freeze during the cold period. The only thing that can be done for additional protection of the plant from frost is to cover it on top with a layer of peat before the onset of cold weather. The material will not only serve as an additional top dressing, but will also help keep the roots of the shrub warm, thanks to which clematis will give healthy young shoots in the spring.
Reproduction
Clematis can be propagated in several ways, most often it is done using seeds, cuttings or cuttings.
Seed propagation of a plant is carried out as follows:
- seeds are collected from adult plants 1.5-2 months after the beginning of flowering, they remain viable for several years, but it is better to plant seeds a few months after collection, in February;
- immediately before planting, the seeds are soaked in water for 10 days, while every 4-5 days the water is replaced with fresh water;
- nutrient soil is prepared in small containers; for this, peat and sand must be mixed in equal amounts and moistened;
- seeds are laid out on the surface of the soil mixture and lightly sprinkled with sand;
- the containers are covered with glass or plastic wrap and placed in a warm room, the temperature in which is kept at a level of at least 25 ° C.
As the soil dries up, the seeds need to be moistened, and it is better to pour water into the pan from the bottom so as not to disturb the soil layer over the seeds. It is also necessary to regularly wipe off the condensation that accumulates on the inner surface of the film or glass.Soon, clematis will give its first shoots, and during this period it will need to provide more daylight, but it is not necessary to expose containers in direct sunlight.
After the leaves appear on individual shoots, they can be transplanted in a larger container and left in this state for the next 2-3 years. In the southern regions, it is often practiced to land directly in open ground, but in a temporary area, in a shaded and protected from the wind place. After the plant reaches 2-3 years old and grows shoots up to 15 cm long, it can be transplanted to a permanent site in the usual way.
Clematis seeds are not propagated too often, it turns out to be less decorative and not as strong as the mother plant. Cutting is much more popular, it is easy to carry out, and besides, the method allows you to preserve all the beauty of a varietal plant.
- Cuttings for propagation are cut from the lateral shoots of the plant. The lower part of the cutting is cut with a sharp knife at an angle of 45 °, and the upper cut is placed 2 cm above the node on the shoot.
- In a small container, prepare a standard substrate consisting of peat and sand in a 1 to 1 ratio.
- The stalk is lowered into the ground, pre-treated with a solution that stimulates root growth. The knot on the shoot must be buried 1 cm into the soil, immediately after planting, the cutting is watered and sprayed.
For successful growth, clematis cuttings Alyonushka need high humidity and fresh air. Therefore, it is easiest to cover the container with the shoot with plastic wrap and remove it from time to time for airing. The temperature in the room where clematis is grown must be at least 18 ° C.
On average, rooting takes about 2 months. After clematis takes root, it can be transplanted - directly into the ground or into a more spacious container for further growth. In the middle lane and cold regions up to 2-3 years, Alyonushka clematis is often grown indoors so that the plant grows as strong as possible before planting in a permanent place.
Another breeding method for the Alyonushka variety is designed to increase the clematis population directly on the site. For this purpose, layering is used - long shoots of the main plant with nodules on the stem. The way looks very simple:
- next to an adult clematis bush, small grooves are prepared no more than 10 cm deep;
- overwintered shoots of plants are placed in these grooves, sprinkled with earth on top and fixed with staples for reliability - otherwise the shoot may straighten;
- the tip of the shoot is left above the surface of the soil and subsequently pinched to stimulate the growth of roots from the nodule on the stem.
During the summer, the cuttings are watered regularly. By the end of the season, the underground part of the shoots should already give roots, however, in the first year, it is recommended to leave the layers for the winter still associated with the parent plant. With the onset of spring, the layers can be separated from the main bush and carefully transplanted to a permanent place.
Diseases and pests
A beautiful and unpretentious perennial for growing conditions is susceptible to certain diseases. Especially often clematis Alenushka is affected by the following ailments:
- rust - fungal disease is characterized by the appearance of rusty "pads" on the leaves, which subsequently curl and wither;
- powdery mildew - a fungal disease leads to the fact that clematis is abundantly covered with a white powdery bloom, stops growing and dies;
- gray rot - the fungus appears as brown spots on the leaves of clematis, while a slight whitish pubescence can be seen on the surface of the spots;
- verticillary wilting - the fungus enters the clematis tissue through the wounds in the roots and eventually clogs the vessels of the plant, as a result of which the entire shrub darkens and fades.
Fungal diseases of clematis are treated with standard fungicidal and antiseptic agents - foundationol, Bordeaux liquid and others. In order to avoid diseases, you need to carry out high-quality prevention, cut clematis in time in autumn and spring, monitor the cleanliness of the soil around the shrub.
Of the pests for clematis, Alyonushka is especially dangerous a nematode that parasitizes on the roots, bears and a spider mite, entangling the plant with a thin web that interferes with the processes of photosynthesis and growth. In addition, clematis often infects aphids, it can be seen on the lower part of the plant's leaves.
Pest control is carried out with insecticidal solutions. Severely affected areas of the plant are best removed and burned. For prevention, it is recommended to carry out insecticidal treatment at least once a season, even if no signs of pests are observed.
Conclusion
Clematis Alenushka is a very beautiful perennial plant, resistant to growing conditions. Clematis maintenance is minimal, but with the help of a climbing plant, you can truly transform the site and give it a sophisticated look.
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