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Cultivation in pots on patios and balconies
Clematis
Many varieties of clematis are excellent for growing in containers on balconies, patios, lodges and such like. As a container you can use a large flowerpot, a bucket, a wooden box etc. It should have more than 40 cm in height and 30 cm in diameter, and large draining holes. A layer of smashed clay pots and gravel at the bottom will provide good drainage.
When planting, fill a container with a mixture of humus soil, and compost or manure. If rich, fertile soil is unavailable, you can prepare the foundation by mixing equal amounts of peat and well frittered pine bark, and adding 2-6 g of ground lime and 4-5 g of a slow release fertilizer (e.g. Osmocote 5-6 M) for every liter of the base. The pH of potting soil should be around 5,5-6, which is lower than in the case of cultivation in the ground. A plant should be put to the ground 5-10 cm deeper than it used to grow, with the root ball in the center. Fill a container with potting soil leaving the top 5 centimeters empty to facilitate watering. Insufficient supplying with water is the most popular mistake made when cultivating clematis in container so make sure that after the watering the soil is thoroughly saturated.
In order to get well growing and abundantly flowering plants, special care must be given to choosing the right variety and ensuring proper growing conditions, such as annual feeding with a slow-release food, best done at the end of April, or regular supplying with a solution of traditional fertilizers, between April and July. Preventing the pot from heating, avoiding strong blasts of wind and providing the right support are other important factors to be taken into account.
In winter, move the pot to a cold cellar (0 - 5oC) or dig it in the garden so that the base of the plant would be 5 cm under the ground level. Clematis cultivated on balconies can be safeguarded by putting them on a thick panel of Styrofoam, and surrounding the container with Styrofoam panels, plywood or cardboard. Cover thus prepared containers with frittered Styrofoam or other impermeable material. Isolation layer should be at least 10 cm thick and have a water repellent protection from above. Leaving unprotected clematis on a balcony throughout the winter may cause the roots to freeze.
Varieties ideally suited to container growth are e.g.:
'Błękitny Anioł',
'Comtesse de Bouchaud',
'Dr Ruppel',
'Etoile Violette',
'Generał Sikorski',
'Hagley Hybrid',
'Jackmanii',
'Kardynał Wyszyński',
'Madame Julia Correvon',
'Madame Le Coultre',
'Monte Cassino',
'Mrs. Cholmondeley',
'Multi Blue',
'Nelly Moser',
'Niobe',
'Polish Spirit',
'Rouge Cardinal',
'Royalty',
'Snow Queen',
'The President',
'Ville de Lyon',
'Vino',
'Warszawska Nike,
'William Kennet' and all cultivars from
the Atragene Group and the Viticella Group.
Other climbers
A majority of climbers can be successfully cultivated in containers on terraces and balconies. Parthenocissus quinquefolia is ideally suited for this purpose. Plants ought to be planted in sufficiently large containers (min. 10-30 l). It's vital to remember that plants require regular, often intensive watering.
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