Plant Files: Clematis ‘Polish Spirit’
Interestingly, this clematis is often referred to as “blue” but I just don’t see it. It looks perfectly purple to my eye. Photos taken June 23 at Penn State University.
Clematis ‘Polish Spirit’ can be purchased at Wayside Gardens
My vine is not full and lush as these pictures. I will get a bloom from time to time. Any thoughts on what I could be doing wrong? It’s basically in full sun.
Hmmm, well how about I troubleshoot with you? Some things that first come to mind:
–How’s your soil? Clematis prefer rich, well-drained soil that’s not acidic–more close to neutral (a pH around 6.5-7). Have you performed a soil test? Have you amended it with lots of good compost? Does it drain well? (Since your clematis is already planted and they really don’t like to be moved or disturbed, top dressing and letting the earthworms do the rest will help balance and enrich your soil.)
–Are you seeing a lot of leaves but no flowers? Too much nitrogen can cause growth but less flowering. If you fertilize, try using a fertilizer which contains more phosphorus than nitrogen to encourage blooms.
–Are you keeping the roots shaded? Clematis prefer cool roots which can be helped by mulching around the base of the plant.
–Is your clematis getting enough water? This is especially important while it’s getting established.
–Last thing: ‘Polish Spirit’ is a type 3 clematis, meaning that it should be pruned in late winter/early spring down to right above the first set of healthy buds. In other words, it will produce flowers on the new growth, not the previous year’s.
It may be that your plant is still too young and hasn’t yet developed the kind of root system to produce such abundant top growth (like the one seen in these pictures) and just needs time. I hope this info helps!