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Clematis are unusually beautiful vines used in the design of garden areas. There are many varieties of this plant. Clematis Bill Mackenzie was developed in New Zealand. It belongs to the species with medium flowers and leaves. Lovers of yellow flowers will appreciate this fragrant clematis.
Description of clematis Bill McKenzie
The variety was bred in 1968. Bill McKenzie was the result of crossing Clematis Tangut and the Orange Peel variety. This interspecific hybrid has won two awards and the hearts of flower lovers. Clematis belongs to the Tangutica group, the distinctive feature of which is very long vines (from 4 to 6 m).
The description of clematis by Bill McKenzie (shown in the photo) states that the variety forms long branches. The length of the shoots can reach 5 m, so the support should be selected accordingly.
This type of clematis blooms with medium-sized flowers, the diameter of which can range from 6 to 8 cm. The yellow flowers of the plant have 4 sepals. The length of the sepal reaches 3.5-4 cm, and the width is half as much - no more than 2 cm.The filaments are reddish-brown and the anthers are beige. Initially, the flowers resemble bells, but after the sepals open, they acquire a flat shape. The variety has a long flowering period: from May-June until autumn.
The fruits of the Bill McKenzie variety are nuts collected in fruit clusters. They, like flowers, look very decorative and decorate the bush in the autumn.
The frost resistance zone of the plant is 4-9, i.e. the crop is quite resistant to frost and is suitable for growing in the conditions of the Moscow region.
Growing conditions for clematis Bill McKenzie
It is advisable to grow the Bill McKenzie variety in an area open to the sun but without wind. The crop has no soil requirements, so it can grow on any soil. The plant feels best on loose, humus-rich, sandy and loamy soils that are not waterlogged by groundwater. Soil acidity can range from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline.
The plant is frost-resistant, but it cannot be done without pruning and shelter. This will help protect the flower buds from freezing, and the clematis will bloom profusely.
Planting and caring for clematis Bill McKenzie
For planting, you need to prepare a hole. The average size of the planting hole is 60 cm in diameter and 55-70 cm in depth. The depth depends on the size of the root system of the seedling and the quality of the soil. If the groundwater is located too close to the surface, the hole is dug deeper to fill the bottom with a layer of drainage (15-20 cm). To do this, use available materials: broken brick, expanded clay, gravel, sand.
Prepare the soil for the seedling by mixing the soil from the pit with compost, humus and sand in a 1:1:1 ratio.
If the acidity of the soil is increased, then additional dolomite flour or slaked lime is added to the planting hole.
It is best to use mineral compounds as fertilizers for seedlings.
Planting technology:
- The seedling is carefully removed from the packaging and the roots are straightened.
- The prepared nutrient mixture is poured into the planting hole in a mound.
- Clematis is installed vertically on the top of an earthen mound, deepening it into the ground by about 10-15 cm.
- The roots are evenly distributed over the ground.
- The planting hole is filled with soil, carefully compacted by hand.
- A clematis seedling is watered.
- To protect against overheating, the soil is covered with mulching material. It prevents the rapid evaporation of moisture and prevents weeds from growing.
- Additional shade in the root circle can be created using flowering annual and perennial plants with a shallow root system (marigolds, daisies, petunias).
The best time to plant clematis is spring and autumn. If a seedling is purchased in the summer, it must have a closed root system. You can plant it using the same technology as indicated above.
If the purchased seedling has open roots and signs of drying are visible, then before planting they are soaked in Epin's solution. You can place the seedling in a bucket of cool water for several hours (at least 6 hours).
In the first year, the seedling is especially vulnerable and therefore needs careful care. In order for the root system to form correctly, clematis is fertilized three times a season with mineral fertilizers. If a flower tries to release buds, they must be cut off so as not to burden the plant weakened by transplantation.
Proper care allows you to grow beautiful and healthy clematis bushes that will delight the eye with their flowering every year.
Clematis Bill McKenzie requires periodic watering. In hot weather, watering is done at least 2-3 times a week. At the same time, not only the soil, but also the foliage is moistened. This is done in the evening hours after sunset so as not to burn the leaves. Insufficient watering is indicated by small flowers and their insufficient quantity. In this case, it is advisable to feed the plant and water it a little more often.
Fertilizing is carried out in spring and summer, alternating mineral and organic compositions. The procedure is carried out no more than twice a month. In the first year after planting, clematis Bill McKenzie does not need to be fed; the seedling needs enough fertilizer applied to the planting hole.
Preparing for winter
Preparing for winter involves pruning and covering clematis bushes. The timing of shelter for the winter depends on the region, but it is advisable to carry out work in dry weather, before the onset of frost. A big problem with clematis is the danger of damping off. In spring, it is necessary to open the seedlings immediately after the threat of frost has passed.
Clematis pruning group Bill McKenzie - 3 (heavy pruning). In order for the bushes to bloom luxuriantly in the summer, severe pruning is necessary. Clematis are pruned at a level of 2-3 nodes from the ground. In addition, damaged and diseased shoots are completely removed. Dead shoots can also be pruned in the spring.
Reproduction
Clematis Bill McKenzie is propagated in various ways:
- seeds;
- layering;
- cuttings;
- dividing the bush.
Seeds for planting must be fully ripe, so they are collected no earlier than mid-September.The seed material of hybrids does not always produce seedlings with parental characteristics, so cuttings and layering methods are more often used. To divide the bush, you can use two methods: complete or partial digging of the roots.
Diseases and pests
Violation of the rules of agricultural technology leads to the fact that clematis Bill McKenzie can get sick and even die from various diseases:
- withering;
- gray rot;
- rust;
- powdery mildew.
Increased soil moisture and heavy rainfall lead to the spread of fungal infections. To combat wilting, use a solution of foundationazole. 0.2% composition is watered 2-3 times on the soil in the tree trunk circle. The drug helps slow down the development of fungal diseases, but if the roots are severely damaged, the plant is dug up from the garden bed and destroyed.
Fungal diseases can be cured with the help of copper-containing products: Oxychom, Bordeaux mixture. They treat foliage and shoots.
Viral pathologies are very rare in clematis. Sucking pests contribute to the spread of yellow mosaic. There are no effective drugs for this pathology, so at the first symptoms of the disease, the plant is dug up and destroyed.
The appearance of nematodes on clematis also leads to the death of the plant. If, when digging up rotten bushes, signs of infection of the plant with a root-knot nematode are revealed, it is not recommended to grow clematis in this place for several more years.
Conclusion
Clematis Bill McKenzie is a common variety with yellow, fragrant inflorescences. The liana blooms from June to September. If you follow the rules of agricultural technology, you rarely get sick.
