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Clematis early sensation

ShennyShenny Posts: 127
in Problem solving
Hello
I have a clematis early sensation which will be 3 years old this year. I know it is group 1 which means you don’t prune. It will give lovely pretty white flowers any time now. 
The plant has grown profusely but the flower buds this year are few and mainly clustered near the top of the stems. 
Is there anything I can do this season  to encourage more flowers everywhere next year?
the leaves from last year are evergreen and still on the plant. Should I be removing these especially where I can see new growth? ( photo included)
I have also put in a photo of the flower buds ready to open soon. 
Any advice as always much appreciated

Posts

  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    It's not too late to give the clematis some fertiliser if you havn't already done so. Tomato feed will do as it has a high concentration of potash which promotes flowering. Also, if it has been very dry wherever you are, a couple of watering cans full would be beneficial. You don't need to remove old leaves, they should soon drop off anyway.
    in my experience this particular clematis seems only to flower at the top. You could try training any lower stems more horizontally which sometimes results in more flowers.
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • AthelasAthelas Posts: 946
    edited April 2021
    A couple of possible reasons from here: https://empressofdirt.net/clematis-not-blooming/
    • Is it getting 6+ hours of sun a day? (with roots in shade)
    • Are you using a specialist clematis fertiliser, or low nitrogen fertiliser? All-purpose fertilisers are often too high in nitrogen for flower production
    I’ve also heard of (but not tried) tying stems in horizontally to encourage side shoots to grow and flower: https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/281363/clematis/p1... also in the link check out @Stevedaylilly’s advice on page 2

    Cambridgeshire, UK
  • ShennyShenny Posts: 127
    Hi
    Thank you for the advice and information. I have clicked on the links and they were also useful. I’m glad I don’t have to worry about taking off the old leaves. I fed with rose feed a few weeks ago as it is planted alongside a climbing rose. I will feed it with tomato feed soon and continue to do so throughout the season. 
    Thanks again. 
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