How To Get Clematis to Bloom Again & Again – All Summer Long!

Aren’t we lucky to have such a cold hardy but exotic looking flowering vine like clematis? And its super bright and colorful floral displays are breathtaking, covering whole pergolas, fences and trellises for months! Actually, this native to the Americas blossoms in two waves, from late spring into early summer, then it usually takes a breath, and then again, from late summer into early fall… What an asset for your garden – if you know how to keep it blooming…

Unfortunately, there is much incorrect information about getting clematis to flower online – lots of urban myths that we need to dispel. And maybe that’s why your vine is not blooming well?

There are a few tricks to make sure that your clematis puts on a massive flowery show, with loads of flower heads, and that its blooming season lasts as long as possible. Do you want to find out?

Let’s Get Some Facts Straight – There’s a Lot of Confusion about Clematis

Now, clematis is quite a complicated plant, because there isn’t one type only. And if you want the wrong kind of clematis to rebloom, it simply won’t.

There are 3 groups of clematis plants:

• Group 1 blossoms in spring, and it won’t rebloom.
• Group 2 blossoms from late spring to early fall, and in two waves.
• Group 3 blossoms in late summer (sometimes into early fall, depending on the climate) but it doesn’t rebloom.

So, we are talking about group 2 clematis here, not 1 for sure, though you can use some of the tips in this article to boost the blooms of group 1 and 3 as well.

1: Keep the Roots of Your Clematis Cool

Despite its super exotic appearance, clematis doesn’t like heat, especially when it comes to her “feet”. Few people know that if the roots get too warm, the vine will stop blooming, or it will reduce the flower heads it produces.

For this reason, it is essential that you keep the roots of your clematis fresh during the summer months, and there are a few ways you can do it.

• Mulching at the base.
• Shading the lower part with other plants and shrubs.
• To add extra freshness, if the lower part of the vine is in shade, place some stones around the base. However, don’t do it if it is in a sunny spot, or it will have the opposite effect.

2: Get Your Clematis to Face the Rising Sun

It’s still a matter of heat, but also of exposure. Clematis performs better in part shade conditions, ideally between 4 to 6 hours of bright sunlight a day. It can manage full Sun in cooler climates, but even there, it prefers cooler afternoons.

So, the ideal exposure for clematis is east facing; this way, it will get lots of bright light in the mornings, but it will stay fresh and shaded in the afternoons, when it’s hotter. If you can’t avoid south, unless you have some trees or buildings in front of it to lower the temperature at peak time.

3: Water Your Clematis Correctly

Clematis is an average drinker, but when it is young, you should water it twice a week, till it gets established.

After that, clematis needs about 1 inch of water a week (2.5 cm). Supply it only if it doesn’t rain, by checking if the top soil is dry. Overwatering can actually negatively affect its blooms.

4: Do NOT Fertilize Clematis When It’s Blooming!

We need to dispel an urban myth here, which is quite popular online. You will read that you need to alternate an NPK 10-10-10 fast-release liquid fertilizer with a 5-10-10 one during the blooming season. DON’T! If you do, the buds and flowers often fail and wilt away! Clematis needs feeding before it blossoms, not while!

Clematis is a heavy feeder, and it needs quite a lot of fertilization to give you its impressive blooms. I’d suggest starting with compost in early spring; that will give your exotic looking flowering vine a good and balanced diet to start off the growing season.

In mid spring, before it blossoms, you want to boost the flowering ability of your clematis with a fast-release liquid fertilizer with NPK 10-30-20! Forget the 10-10-10 at this stage or you will get more foliage than flowers.

At this stage though, there is a tip I have for you: this is the time to feed you clematis a spoonful of Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate).

Then, let your clematis blossom and amaze you!

5: Deadhead Spent Flowers

All through the blooming season (both waves), you need to deadhead all spent flowers; as soon as they look past their time, snip them off with a pruning knife or even kitchen scissors (they are even better than pruning shears or secateurs with clematis – they work better with clematis).

I know the seedheads can be attractive, but if your clematis goes to seed, it stops producing flower buds.

6: Fertilize Your Clematis Between Flowering Waves

Did we say that group 2 clematis varieties take a break in midsummer, to catch her breath from the amazing blooming effort you have enjoyed so much? Well, this is a key time to get them to bloom again! Be very attentive at this stage, because there are two things you must do, and one is feeding the vine again.

Use the same formula as before, a fast-release liquid fertilizer with NPK 10-30-20, and a tablespoon of Epsom salt.

The second…

7: Prune Your Clematis CORRECTLY Between Waves

Here is another mistake that’s been circulating online… You may have read “cut down your clematis to half its size” – WRONG! You need to prune a maximum of 1/3 of the vine, and get the right parts off!

Again, I prefer to use a grafting knife or kitchen scissors, but the key is not the tool. Just follow me…

Check the different stems; if you see new growth (small leaves, buds etc.) at the top, DO NOT cut them!

On the other hand, you should prune stems that are not producing new growth at this stage. Cut them just above a node, where you see two leaves growing.

Now, let your clematis blossom!

8: Change the Diet of Your Clematis After It Has Blossomed

Once all the flowers are spent, your clematis will still need some energy, to “recover” from her massive endeavor… At this stage, usually the leaves get a bit “tired” and a bit “lackluster”. Now is the time to give your vine a balanced fertilizer rich in nitrogen.

However, I wouldn’t suggest a fast-release liquid fertilizer with NPK 10-10-10, unless the foliage looks really bad; your clematis is in no particular hurry now…

At this stage, I would suggest a little layer of compost (1 inch, or 2.5 cm at the base), just to help your clematis get to the end of the season.

And by the way, you can keep the pretty seed heads on at the end of the blooming season; it won’t give you any more flowers at this stage.

9: Aftercare for Your Clematis in Fall

Now your clematis has blossomed into the early days of fall, you want it to blossom next year as well. Apart from the last light meal I suggested before, just look for pests, and remove sick leaves and stems.

It doesn’t need much… and no cutting back at this stage unless the whole vine is sick and it is dying back. Your clematis needs all the energy it can store in the roots to get through winter…

10: Prune Your Clematis When It’s Fully Dormant

Wait till your clematis vine is fully dormant to prune it, which will be in late winter for group 2 varieties.

Good winter pruning is essential for a great flowering season! So, your cycle starts again here…

We wait till late winter for a few reasons:

• The vine is fully dormant.
• You can see what parts have died off in winter (they won’t bother the vine in this season; don’t worry).
• You can already see the new buds!

And here is the last myth to debunk: no, you don’t need to cut back group 2 clematis varieties drastically! If you do, you will set the vine back a few years, and it will flower like a baby…

So, how do you prune a group 2 clematis correctly?

• Use pruning shears, or secateurs at this stage, because the vines are hard and woody now.
• Look along the vines, till you find the first bud. All the parts above it will have dried up.
• Cut just above the first bud.
• Check for dead vines.
• Cut them off.

It is as simple as that! On average you will prune off about 1/3 of the plant, but don’t worry, clematis is really vigorous and it will soon grow back and give you lots of flowers!

Enjoy a Massive and Long Floral Display from Your Group 2 Clematis!

So, we have dispelled some myths, cleared up some confusion, and now you know how to get your group 2 clematis to blossom from late spring to early fall. It’s a rather complicated vine, true, but it’s really worth your time and care!