Northeast Gardening: Clematis, 1 by victorgardener

victorgardener wrote:
I wouldn't go crazy over all these 'rules'. I have acidic soil, don't use lime and have not had any problem. As for the 'feet in the shade', that really has more to do with preventing the plant from drying out than anything else. Clematis need water. A normal covering of mulch has worked fine for me. I don't shade any part of the stem that is above ground - at least not intentionally. Sometimes other plants just grow around the area. I am sure that even if you planted a clematis in full sun and left the ground bare - no mulch or anything - but kept it well-watered, it would do fine. I am not recommending this of course. Any plant that needs average to above average moisture should always be mulched or protected by a groundcover. I plant mine in full sun (except for some shade tolerant ones), deep, at a 45 degree angle and mulch. I water when there has not been enough rain - especially for plants less than 2 or 3 years old. When I remember, I use a time release fertilizer. I also use a bit of triple phosphate when planting - I use that with just about everything I plant.

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