Flowering vines are a favorite plant among designers, used to decorate the landscape. Even apartment residents fell in love with Clematis Multi Blue, which is fascinating with its lush forms of flowers because of the opportunity to grow the plant on the balcony. The decorative bushy variety belongs to the Patens group. The plant is compact. The shoots of the vine grow to a maximum length of 2 m. Young vines are quite flexible, but very fragile. This must be taken into account when laying vines on the trellis by hand. The shoots gain strength towards 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 deep. A feature of the variety is the superficial location of the roots. Moreover, they are so shallowly buried that it is impossible to loosen the soil around the bush with a hoe. Damage to the roots threatens the rapid death of the vine. They can get rid of crust formation on the soil after watering only by mulching.
- The growing season for clematis variety Multi Blue begins early. The kidneys awaken with the first warmth. Liana quickly sprouts shoots. The leaves grow narrow, elongated with a sharp tip. Leaf length 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 vine.The flower is double, blue with a predominant violet tint. The lush center is formed from graceful pink stamens. Occasionally they turn red. The flower reaches 18 cm in diameter. Pubescence forms on the back side of the petals.
According to its intended purpose, clematis grandiflora Multi Blue blue terry is recommended for growing outdoors. However, enterprising gardeners have learned to plant vines on the balcony. The plant only needs a large barrel of soil.
The video shows clematis variety Multi Blue:
Features of planting vines
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 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 crumbles during transplantation and the roots are exposed, the seedling may not take root in the summer.
It is better to buy a clematis seedling that is two years old. 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, located closer to the area where clematis will grow.
Market nurseries can export bare-rooted clematis seedlings. A plant is chosen with a large number of dormant buds. It is important to conduct a thorough inspection of the vine roots. They must be damp, without mechanical damage or rot.
It is optimal to purchase a clematis seedling in a container. Before planting, it is immersed in warm water for about 15 minutes. During this time, the substrate will become wet, and the seedling can be easily removed along with the lump.
Hybrid clematis Multi Blue is planted in the area where the sun reaches the longest during the day. Weak partial shade will not harm the plant either. Open areas where strong winds blow are destructive for vines. Air currents easily break the fragile young shoots of the vine. This variety of clematis cannot be planted 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 at least 1 m from the solid fence.
The clematis variety has no special requirements for the composition of the soil. However, in lowlands with constant stagnation of water, the vine dies. Soil with a slightly alkaline reaction is considered favorable for clematis.
To plant clematis grandiflora Multi Blue, dig a hole 60 cm deep and 60 cm in diameter. At the bottom, arrange a drainage layer 15 cm thick of small stone. Further filling of the hole is carried out with a mixture of fertile soil and compost. You can add 400 g of dolomite flour.
The hole is not completely filled with soil, but only a large part of it. The bottom is formed into a mound, lightly compacted with your hands. A clematis seedling is placed on a hill with its roots. The root system of the vine is covered with soil. The next layer will be made of river sand, and it will be poured until the root collar is deepened by 8 cm.A thin layer of black soil is placed on top. The final step in planting a vine is to water the seedling abundantly with warm water.
Deepening the root collar is necessary for tillering of the vine. Young shoots will emerge from the buds buried in sand. Over time, a strong clematis bush will grow. Looking at clematis Multi Blue, photos and descriptions of the variety, it is worth noting that the vines look beautiful on hedges and gazebos. However, when planting liana seedlings in groups, a distance of at least 0.5 m is maintained between 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 it has its own nuances. Traditionally, a climbing plant needs support. It can be natural in the form of an old tree or specially made: a trellis, a mesh, a lattice wall. Clematis lashes are directed in different directions along stretched ropes.
Considering the description of the clematis variety Multi Blue, it is worth noting that the plant requires regular watering. In cool weather, moisten the soil every 6–7 days. During drought, water the vines at least three times a week.
According to the European method, the clematis variety is grown together with the arrangement of the lawn. It is believed that the grass on the south side protects the root system of the vine from drying out by the sun. However, domestic gardeners fundamentally disagree with this technique, assuring that lawn grass takes a lot of nutrients from the soil.The clematis variety Multi Blue, bred by domestic nurseries, develops better in the sun, but they are afraid of drought. With timely, abundant watering, you can do without a lawn on the south side of the vine roots.
Continuing the review of clematis Multi Blue - planting and caring for the plant, it is worthwhile to dwell in more detail on feeding. The vine variety responds well to alkaline fertilizer saturated with nitrogen. Gardeners prepare it themselves. The barrel is filled with weeds, filled with water and placed in the sun to cause fermentation. To speed up the process and increase the nutritional value of the solution, manure is added to the barrel. The readiness of the fertilizer will be signaled by the silage smell after about 1–2 weeks. The matured solution is simply watered over the vine.
If it is not possible to prepare fertilizer for clematis yourself, buy ready-made ammonia-based preparations in the store. Preference is given to fertilizers that additionally contain boron and cobalt. Along with store-bought fertilizers, ash is added to the clematis root. 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 vines. There is a threat of burning roots, as well as the development of pests and fungal diseases.
Humid summers with prolonged rains also have a bad effect on the development of clematis. Constant dampness causes young shoots to wither. Arrangement of water drainage from under the bush will improve the situation. To prevent the young stems of the vine from withering, their lower part near the ground is sprinkled with ash.
Wilting of a bush can occur due to the appearance of a soil fungus. The problem usually occurs in June. Autumn and spring preventive spraying with copper sulfate helps prevent the development of the disease. Colloidal sulfur or the drug Topaz saves the flower from powdery mildew.
You can propagate the clematis variety at home in three ways:
- In spring, several old vines are laid out on the ground, partially covered with moist soil. The top of the shoot, 20 cm long, should be visible from the soil. The stems will take root where they are buried. The resulting cuttings are separated from the mother vine bush and transplanted to another place.
- The second method of propagating the clematis variety involves dividing the bush. In early spring, the soil around the rhizome is carefully torn up. Shoots with their own roots are separated from the bush, using them as seedlings.
- Cuttings do not always give positive results, but they are also a way to propagate clematis. In June, cuttings with two nodes are cut from the vine vine. One node is immersed in wet soil, and the other is pressed with dry soil. Before germination and rooting, the cutting is covered with a transparent cap made from a jar or PET bottle.
When self-propagating a clematis variety, it is best to use the first or second method.
It is worth noting that the clematis variety Multi Blue has the highest level of frost resistance. The liana tolerates cold winters well, but is capable of withering away in the 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 will adapt to the climate and it will be possible to remove part of the organic cover: 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 vines are attached to the support.
Pruning rules
For the clematis variety Multi Blue, pruning is performed according to certain rules. There are three groups of vines in which the vines are left uncut, shortened by half or completely to the ground.
For clematis Multi Blue, the second pruning group is suitable. Removal of old shoots is carried out after the end of the first flowering. The procedure is necessary to form new lashes with flowers. For the winter, the bush is cut to half, leaving stems about 1 m long above the ground.
Reviews
At the end of the review, let's read about the clematis variety Multi Blue, reviews from gardeners.
