Madam de veillard, Dr Ruppel, Marcelina, Julia Correvon
and Comtessa de bouchard

They look great! Love that Marcelina.What zone do you live in?

Very nice! Mine are just starting to come out of dormancy.

Do you hard prune all your clematis?

Anna, if you're talking to me.....I don't, but between the weather and rabbits, the end result is most die back to the ground every year.

I would imagine the snow would do some trimming!
I wonder about Sheridragonfly. I doubt she gets snow.

It's not the snow as much as the cold. Plus we have 4 ice storms this past winter and that was super hard on everything.

Ice storms yuck. So dangerous too

Anna
I do hard prune the ones in the group that require it
such as Julia Correvon, Marcelina, all of them in the group that
are to pruned back yearly..


I cut them back on March lst to 15 inches...
I fertilize them at that time too with rose food
and some bone meal and I also add l cup of lime to each one.

Dr Ruppel is barely trimmed after it blooms..that is all I need to do to it yearly..
It is awesome this year from bottom to top full of blooms..

I chose ones in the group to be pruned back yearly to about 15 inches so I could remember to do it!
Dr Ruppel I always knew it was not in that group...that requires pruning back

I have seen snow maybe 3 times in 40 years........and it was delightful..
Rare to see.

We had one snow that fell for 6 hours and the flakes were quarter size about 5 years ago..
I played in the snow and took pictures for hours and I was so sore and muscles hurt for days
from getting wet and cold and lying on the snow taking pictures...

I do not think I will ever do that again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Having fibromyalgia , dystonia and cfs that is not smart to do..

Sheri/sheridragonfly

You have a good system.Easy to remember.Does lime help with root growth? I have used epsom salts as a good boost.
I had a Dr. Ruppel that used to bloom regularly but hasn't even popped a vine for 2 years. I will wait one more year before I try to dig it up.
Who would think some snow would cause so much pain? Gardening (and snow) can be hard on our bodies....too much repetitive motions. What is cfs?

CFS is chronic fatigue illness...

the lime is suppose to enable the fertilizer to work better each spring when you do fertilize..
That is what I read..
Some clematis sellers think so and some say it does not matter..
I know that this year my clematis look like show quality and just awesome
to photograph by me daily ...

I used l cup of lime per clematis and 10 10 10 fertilizer...by each one on March lst..

They all get half day of sunshine..mid day and morning...

Dr Ruppel is out doing himself this year ...
and perhaps it is the right amount of rain so far and lime and the fertilizer..

I do wish I had been able physically to put some cow manure a cup or two
down in the area near the roots this year
the best black compost is Black Kow bought at Lowes in a bag.
It does not burn and is just fluffy , black and great !
I could sell it ...because I know the way it looks , feels and works
around any plant...

I did put it in the hole last year when I planted each clematis after I got them from Joy Creek nursery
out of Portland oregon..where I ordered them
I also put bonemeal in the hole and a little 10 10 10
and lime......

I think it paid off as they are beautiful and this is the 2nd year for them since planting..

What state do you reside?

Sheri

Thanks for all the detail. I add cottonburr compost and expanded shale in my holes and bonemeal if I can find it (somewhere in my garage!!) I get worried about putting "nice" organic smelling fertilizer because my little new dog tends to dig, so I try to water it in right away. I live in Texas and I have many of the vines in full sun. Most of them stop blooming in the summer but some type 3s will keep on blooming 3-4 x in the season.