Blooming lianas are a favorite of designers and are used to decorate landscapes. Clematis Multi Blue, fascinating with lush forms of flowers, was loved even by apartment residents because of the opportunity to grow a plant on the balcony. An ornamental bushy variety belongs to the Patens group. The plant is compact. Vine shoots grow up to a maximum of 2 m in length. Young whips are quite flexible, but very fragile. This must be taken into account when laying the vines with your hands on the trellis. Shoots are gaining strength by the end of the season.
Considering clematis Multi Blue, photo and description, let's first get acquainted with the characteristics of the variety:
- In many clematis, the root system goes deeper. A feature of the variety is the superficial arrangement of the roots. Moreover, they are so shallowly buried that around the bush it is impossible to loosen the soil with a hoe. Damage to the roots threatens the rapid death of the vine. They get rid of the formation of a crust on the soil after watering only by mulching.
- The growing season for clematis of the Multi Blue variety begins early. The kidneys wake up with the first warmth. Liana quickly sprouts. Leaves grow narrow, elongated with a sharp tip. The length of the sheet is about 10 cm.
- Clematis Multi Blue Multi Blue blooms throughout the warm season. During the growing season, new buds are constantly being laid on the liana. The flower is terry, blue with a predominance of a purple hue. The lush center is formed from graceful pink stamens. Occasionally they turn red. The flower reaches 18 cm in diameter. On the back of the petals, pubescence is formed.
For its intended purpose, Clematis large-flowered Multi Blue terry blue is recommended for outdoor cultivation. However, enterprising gardeners have learned to plant a vine on the balcony. The plant only needs a large barrel of soil.
The video shows clematis of the Multi Blue variety:
Features of planting creepers
Novice gardeners are primarily interested in the question of Clematis Multi Blue planting and care, photos and other nuances of growing. Let's start from the very beginning. The best time to plant vines is spring, but no later than mid-May. Autumn planting is carried out in September. Even a summer planting of a seedling is allowed, but its root system must be closed. That is, the plant grows in a pot, from where it is carefully removed along with a lump of earth. If the soil crumbled during transplanting and the roots are bare, the seedling may not take root in the summer.
Buying a clematis seedling is better than two years of age. At this time, the plant has already formed up to 6 full-fledged roots about 15 cm long. It is recommended to buy vine seedlings in domestic nurseries, and located closer to the area where clematis will grow.
Nurseries in the markets can export clematis seedlings with exposed roots. The plant is chosen with a large number of dormant buds. It is important to thoroughly examine the roots of the vine. They must be moist, free from mechanical damage and rot.
It is optimal to purchase a clematis seedling in a container. Before disembarking, it is immersed in warm water for about 15 minutes. During this time, the substrate will get wet, and the seedling will be easily removed along with the lump.
Clematis hybrid Multi Blue is planted in the area where the sun hits the longest during the day. Weak partial shade will also not harm the plant. Open areas where strong winds blow are destructive for lianas. The air currents easily break the fragile young shoots of the vine. You can not plant this variety of clematis near a solid metal fence. In the heat, such a fence heats up to a high temperature and burns the foliage of the flower. When planting, vines retreat from a solid fence at least 1 m.
The clematis variety has no special requirements for the composition of the soil. However, in lowlands with constant stagnation of water, the liana dies. A soil with a slightly alkaline reaction of the environment is considered favorable for clematis.
To plant clematis large-flowered Multi Blue, dig a hole 60 cm deep and in diameter.A 15 cm thick drainage layer from a small stone is arranged at the bottom. Further filling of the hole is carried out with a mixture of fertile soil with compost. You can add 400 g of dolomite flour.
The pit is not completely covered with soil, but only most of it. The bottom is formed with a mound, slightly tamped with your hands. A clematis seedling is placed on a hill with roots. The root system of the vines is covered with soil. The next layer will be made of river sand, and it is poured to the depth of the root collar by 8 cm. A thin layer of black soil is organized on top. The final planting of vines is abundant watering of the seedling with warm water.
Deepening of the root collar is necessary for vines to tiller. Young shoots will go from the buds buried in sand. Over time, a strong clematis bush will grow. Considering clematis Multi Blue, photo and description of the variety, it is worth noting that vines look beautiful on hedges, gazebos. However, when planting lianas seedlings in a group, a distance of at least 0.5 m is observed between the plants, which is necessary for the development of the bush.
Liana care
Clematis Multi Blue requires traditional care, like all other varieties of vines, but there are some nuances. Traditionally, a climbing plant needs support. It can be natural in the form of an old tree or specially made: trellis, mesh, lattice wall. The scourges of clematis are directed in different directions along the stretched ropes.
Considering the description of the Multi Blue variety of clematis, it is worth noting the plant's demand for regular watering. In cold weather, the soil is moistened every 6-7 days. During a drought, the vines are watered at least three times a week.
According to the European method, the clematis variety is grown along with the arrangement of the lawn. It is believed that the grass on the south side protects the vine's root system from drying out by the sun. However, domestic gardeners fundamentally disagree with this technique, claiming that the lawn grass takes a lot of nutrients from the soil. Bred by domestic nurseries clematis varieties Multi Blues develop better in the sun, and they are afraid of drought. With timely abundant watering, you can do without a lawn on the south side of the roots of the vine.
Continuing the review of Clematis Multi Blue, planting and caring for a plant, it is worth dwelling in more detail on feeding. The vine variety responds well to an alkaline fertilizer saturated with nitrogen. Gardeners prepare it themselves. The barrel is filled with weed, filled with water and placed in the sun to induce fermentation. To speed up the process and increase the nutritional value of the solution, manure is added to the barrel. The silage odor will signal the readiness of the fertilizer in about 1–2 weeks. The ripe solution is simply poured over the vine.
If it is not possible to independently prepare fertilizer for clematis, ready-made preparations based on ammonia are bought in the store.Preference is given to dressings, which additionally contain boron and cobalt. Together with store-bought fertilizers, ash is added under the root of clematis. When watering, dolomite flour is added to the water.
During the season, the clematis variety is fed 3 times. Fertilizers are applied only in the second year from the moment the seedling is planted in the ground. Fresh manure cannot be used to feed the vines. There is a threat of root burning, as well as the development of pests and fungal diseases.
Wet summers with lingering rains are also bad for the development of clematis. From constant dampness, the wilting of young shoots begins. The arrangement of the water drain from under the bush will improve the situation. So that the young stems of the creeper do not wither, the lower part of them near the very ground is sprinkled with ashes.
The wilting of the bush can occur due to the appearance of soil fungus. The problem usually occurs in June. Autumn and spring preventive spraying with copper sulfate help prevent the development of the disease. The flower is saved from powdery mildew by colloidal sulfur or Topaz.
You can propagate a variety of clematis at home in three ways:
- In the spring, several old lianas are spread to the ground, partially sprinkled with moist soil. The top of the shoot with a length of 20 cm should peep out of the soil. In the place of the digging, the stems will take root. The resulting layers are separated from the mother bush of the vines and transplanted to another place.
- The second method for breeding the clematis variety involves dividing the bush. In early spring, the soil is carefully torn around the rhizome. Shoots with their own roots are separated from the bush, using them as seedlings.
- Cutting does not always give positive results, but it is also a way of breeding clematis. In June, cuttings with two knots are cut from a liana liana. One node is immersed in wet soil, and the other is pressed against dry soil. Before germination and rooting, the cuttings are covered with a transparent cap from a jar or PET bottle.
When self-propagating the clematis variety, it is best to use the first or second method.
It is worth noting that the Multi Blue variety of clematis has frost resistance at the highest level. Liana tolerates cold winters well, but is able to resist in spring, if the shelter is not removed in time. In early April, film, agrofibre or other artificial materials are removed. After 3-5 days, the root system of the vine adapts to the climate and it will already be possible to remove part of the organic shelter: spruce branches, straw. At the end of April, with the full onset of warmth, the remains of the organic shelter are removed. Last year's liana lashes are attached to the support.
Pruning rules
For the Multi Blue variety of clematis, pruning is performed according to certain rules. There are three groups of vines, in which the lashes are left uncircumcised, shortened in half or completely to the ground.
For clematis Multi Blue, the second trimming group is suitable. Removal of old shoots is performed after the end of the first flowering. The procedure is needed to form new lashes with flowers. For the winter, the bush is cut to half, leaving stems about 1 m long above the ground.
Testimonials
At the end of the review, let's read reviews of gardeners about the Multi Blue variety of clematis.