Like every enthusiastic hobby gardener, my Clematis Montana is my pride and joy. It always grew like wild and bloomed profusely. Last year, however, I noticed that it suddenly wasn't producing any new leaf nodes or flower buds. Yes, the clematis is not sprouting and I investigated the cause. This may be the reason why the clematis neither grows nor blooms.
Clematis does not sprout: can the plant still be saved?
The clematis does not form leaf nodes? Plants that are cut back before the start of winter sprout faster and earlier. Conversely - clematis that have not been cut need more time to sprout again. The flower buds appear after the leaf nodes. So if the plant has no flower buds in mid-May, this is not yet a problem.
If neither leaves nor flowers can be seen from mid-May, you can check the shoots. Hold the shoot with your index finger and thumb and try to bend it. If it breaks, then it has dried up.
The final test you can do is to check the roots. If they look dried out, then the plant has died. Otherwise you can still save the clematis.
Possible causes why clematis does not grow and bloom
There are several possible reasons why clematis does not grow or produce flowers. I'll summarize them briefly:
Clematis not growing? Common cutting errors
Did you cut the clematis last year or in spring? Then the late sprouting could be due to a cutting error. When it comes to clematis, it is important that you have some experience with the plants. Otherwise there is a risk of removing shoots that already have flower buds. Basically there are three major pruning mistakes that you can make (I've already made all three, luckily the plant has recovered)
- Cut back too much and the plant will need a lot of time to recover.
- Cut too late (after permanent frost has set in). The plant may partially freeze.
- Cut off the shoots with the flower buds - the plant will not bloom until next year.
Incidentally, the Clematis species are divided into 3 groups. It is therefore crucial whether the respective variety needs pruning at all and whether it sprouts and flowers on new or old wood.
Lack of flowering? 3 examples of incorrect fertilization
If the plant otherwise looks healthy - has plenty of leaves and grows quickly, but doesn't produce flower buds - then it could be the soil composition or the wrong fertilizer.
Nitrogen-rich fertilizers promote growth. The plant puts all its energy into leaf formation and flower production slows down.
Universal fertilizercontain several times more than the dose of nitrogen recommended for clematis. This could have a good effect on foliage plants in the garden, but the clematis will stop producing flowers.
Neighboring plants fertilized incorrectly
It is also entirely possible that you provided the clematis with the right fertilizer. The plant also receives nutrients from other fertilizers in the soil that were used for neighboring plants. It is also possible that after rain the water flows from the neighboring property into your own garden. This means that the neighbor's fertilizer is washed off and ends up in your own garden.
If you haven't used the wrong fertilizer, but the clematis is still growing like crazy - then you should take a soil sample and send it to the laboratory.
Clematis not sprouting? Less than 6 hours of direct light
The clematis can thrive in partial shade without any problems, but it needs at least 6 hours of direct sunlight to thrive. The lighting conditions in the garden are not constant, but are constantly changing. Last year the clematis was in the sun all day long. This year a shrub or tree has gained height and is shading the clematis.
Also read:Which fertilizer for clematis? Naturally healthy climbing plants
The clematis has dried up? Soil too dense or too little water
If the clematis looks dried out, then it could also be due to the quality of the soil. A clay soil makes it difficult to absorb water. Young plants in particular that have not yet developed their roots can suffer from this. In this case, you can counteract this by working some sand into the soil. The calcareous soil proves to be optimal for the clematis.
Lack of water could also be the reason for slow growth. The clematis likes moist feet, so the soil should be moderately fresh to moist and must not dry out.
Clematis no longer looks beautiful - even though everything is right when it comes to care?
If you have done everything right with the care and the clematis still barely grows and does not produce any flowers, then repotting or transplanting can work wonders.
In the case of my clematis, the combination of the wrong fertilizer and the wrong location was actually to blame for the slow growth.
You can figure out how to deal with the wilted flowersread here.
