Like every enthusiastic hobby gardener, my Clematis Montana is my pride. It always grew wildly and bloomed profusely. Last year, however, I noticed that she suddenly didn’t form any new leaf nodes or flower buds. Yes, the clematis does not sprout and I have investigated the cause. This can be the reason if the clematis neither grows nor flowers.
Clematis does not sprout: can the plant still be saved?
The clematis does not form leaf knots? Plants pruned back before the start of winter sprout faster and earlier. Conversely, clematis that have not been pruned will take longer to sprout again. The flower buds appear after the leaf nodes. So if the plant has no flower buds by mid-May, this is not yet a problem.
If neither leaves nor flowers can be seen from mid-May, then you can check the shoots. Hold the shoot with your index finger and thumb and try to bend it. If it breaks, then it’s dried up.
The last test you can do is check the roots. If they look dried up, then the plant has died. Otherwise you can still save the clematis.
Clematis not growing and blooming? Possible causes
There are several possible reasons why the clematis is neither growing nor flowering. I summarize them briefly:
Clematis not growing? Common pruning mistakes
Did you cut the clematis last year or in spring? Then the late budding could be due to a pruning error. With clematis, it is important to have some experience with the plants. Otherwise there is a risk of removing shoots that already have flower buds. There are basically three major pruning mistakes that you can make (I have 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 permafrost has set in). The plant can 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. So it has to be decided whether the respective variety needs pruning at all and whether it will sprout and bloom on new or old wood.
Clematis not blooming? 3 examples of incorrect fertilization
If the plant otherwise looks healthy—has plenty of foliage and is growing quickly, but isn’t producing flower buds—then it could be soil composition or the wrong fertilizer.
Nitrogen rich fertilizers
Nitrogen rich fertilizers promote growth. The plant puts all its energy into leaf formation and the formation of flowers decreases.
universal fertilizer contain several times more than the recommended dose of nitrogen for clematis. This could work well for ornamental foliage plants in the garden, but the clematis will stop flowering.
Neighboring plants wrongly fertilized
It is also quite possible that you have provided the clematis with the right fertilizer. However, the plant also gets nutrients from other fertilizers that were used for neighboring plants via the soil. It is also possible that the water flows from the neighboring piece into your own garden after rain. In this way, the neighbor’s manure is also washed off and ends up in your own garden.
If you haven’t used the wrong fertilizer, but the clematis is still growing wildly – then you should take a soil sample and send it to the laboratory.
Clematis not sprouting? Less than 6 hours of direct light
Clematis can easily thrive in partial shade, but needs at least 6 hours of direct sunlight to thrive. The light conditions in the garden are not constant, but constantly changing. Last year the clematis stood in the sun all day long. This year a shrub or tree has grown in height and is shading the clematis.
Clematis looks dried up? Too dense soil or not enough water
If the clematis looks dried up, it can also be due to the soil quality. A clay soil makes it difficult to absorb water. Young plants in particular that have not yet developed their root system 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 the slow growth. The clematis likes damp feet, so the soil should be moderately fresh to damp and must not dry out.
Clematis no longer looks pretty – even though everything is right when it comes to care?
If you have done everything right with the care and the clematis still hardly grows and does not form flowers, then repotting or transplanting can work wonders.
With my clematis, the combination of the wrong fertilizer and the wrong location was actually to blame for the slow growth.