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Many flower lovers, having first met clematis, consider them too difficult and capricious to grow. But this does not always correspond to the truth. There are varieties, as if specially created for novice florists. For example, clematis Polish Spirit, despite its rather considerable age, does not lose popularity. And all thanks to its amazing adaptability to almost any environmental conditions, as well as long and abundant flowering.
Description of clematis Polish Spirit
The name of this clematis variety already speaks of the pride of its creator for his creation. It translates from English as "Polish spirit" or "Spirit of Poland". The variety was obtained back in 1984 by the famous Polish breeder Stefan Franchik, and in 1990 it was presented to the public by Raymond Evison. The British Royal Floric Society awarded Clematis Polish Spirit with high marks - its creator received the Medal of Merit in Horticulture. Indeed, from those times to the present day, this variety of clematis is best known for its unpretentiousness and abundance of long flowering. This variety is especially popular in Japan, the USA and European countries.
Clematis Polish Spirit is distinguished by its extraordinary vigor of growth and flowering, this is clearly seen in the above photo:
In height, the liana can reach 3.5-4 m, and in width the bush can grow up to 80-100 cm. Moreover, clematis of this variety can reach similar sizes in favorable conditions as early as 2-3 years of development.
The variety belongs to the group of large-flowered clematis. The diameter of the flowers reaches 12-16 cm. The flowers are not double, wide open, with flat, slightly corrugated petals at the edges. Petals in the amount of 4 to 6 pieces are spaced from each other at a decent distance. The color is dark purple with a slight purple tint in the center of the petals. In the descriptions of clematis flowers of Polish Spirit from several reviews of florists, lighter stripes are sometimes present on the petals. Apparently, this may depend on the composition of the soil on which the vine lives.
Pronounced reddish stamens with a white base give the flower additional showiness. Fruits that form after flowering are achenes up to 8 mm long, squeezed from both sides.
Clematis Polish Spirit is usually attributed to the Viticella group, but recently in some circles of flower growers it is more likely to be attributed to the Jacquemann group (that is, to large-flowered late-flowering varieties). But this opinion is still not well-established and rather controversial, and most flower growers habitually attribute it to the Viticella group.
The flowering time of this clematis variety is really quite late, but very long in time. The appearance of the first flowers is possible at the end of June, but then the flowering waves last one after another, without interruption until the middle or end of October.Moreover, the abundance and duration of flowering of the Polish Spirit variety practically does not depend on weather conditions and is possible even in cloudy or rainy weather.
Despite the fact that, according to the description, the clematis variety Polish Spirit is well adapted for growing in regions with cold winters, in the first years after planting in the northern regions, the root zone will still require shelter as in the photo.
In this form, it is able to withstand frosts down to -34 ° C.
In addition, clematis is characterized by excellent resistance to a variety of diseases. Especially if you choose the right place for planting and comply with all growing rules.
Clematis trimming group Polish Spirit
Clematis of the Polish Spirit variety forms flowers only on the shoots of the current season, which means that it can be safely attributed to the third pruning group (strong).
Optimal growing conditions
Clematis Polish Spirit belongs to varieties that are unusually adapted to any of the most difficult climatic conditions. But, of course, he will feel best of all at not too hot, but always warm summer temperatures. It can tolerate short-term drought, but the most abundant flowering will be observed under the condition of constant and moderate moisture. Of course, like all members of his family, Polish Spirit disapproves of drafts and strong winds. Therefore, it is usually planted under the protection of either some kind of structure, or in a place where strong gusts of wind are rarely observed.
Since it does not have special requirements for lighting, it will feel good near trees with a not very dense crown.
Planting and caring for clematis Polish Spirit
With the general undemandingness of this variety, for its better survival rate and luxurious flowering, you should still remember about the rules of planting and care that are necessary for each clematis.
Selection and preparation of the landing site
In terms of lighting, only places on the north side of various buildings are clearly not suitable for him. There may not be enough light for clematis. Anywhere else, Polish Spirit will feel great. When planting in southern regions, it is best to take care of shading the bush during the hottest midday hours.
The most important thing that any clematis cannot stand is the constant stagnation of moisture in the root zone. Shrubs of this variety should not be planted in lowlands or places where the water table is quite high.
Clematis Polish Spirit will grow especially well in fertile, not too heavy, loose soil with a neutral or slightly alkaline reaction. If acidic or heavy soils are observed on the site, then the planting pit must be prepared in advance and filled with suitable soil.
Seedling preparation
It is easiest to use a well-developed two-year-old clematis seedling with a closed root system for planting. However, rooted cuttings and small shoots are also quite viable for planting in the spring, but will require special attention in the first year of life. In general, in cold regions, it is recommended to plant clematis in the spring, in April-May. Before planting, it should be kept as cool as possible, pinching the shoots if they begin to develop intensively in the warmth.
In the south, where warm weather often lasts until the end of October-November, it is quite possible to plant clematis in the fall. It is only important to make sure that the plant must have several well-developed vegetative buds. If the Polish Spirit sapling was purchased in the fall, and the soil has already freeze, then it is better to keep it until spring. To do this, sprinkle the roots with a moistened mixture of sand and sawdust and place in a cold place, at a temperature of about + 5 ° C.
The day before planting, the root system of clematis is, in any case, thoroughly moistened with warm water with the addition of growth stimulants.
Landing rules
The dimensions of the pit for planting should be approximately 50x50x50 cm. This is especially important in the case of unsuitable land for planting clematis on the site. A drainage layer at the bottom of the planting pit is required. Its height should be at least 15-20 cm so that water never stagnates in the root zone. Chipped bricks, crushed stone, pebbles can be used as drainage.
The planting mixture is made up of:
- 2 pieces of garden land;
- 1 part humus or compost;
- 1 part sand;
- a small amount of wood ash and a handful of complex fertilizer.
The scheme of actions when landing is traditional:
- The bottom of the planting pit is covered by 1/3 with the prepared mixture.
- The roots of clematis are spread on top of it.
- Gradually cover them with earth, making sure that the root collar would not be underground.
- From above, the root zone of the planted plant must be mulched with a mixture of coarse sand and dry grass.
- To protect young clematis from too bright sun, low annuals (calendula, marigolds) or perennials with small roots (irises, chamomile) are planted in the root area.
When planting several clematis bushes, it is advisable to leave a distance of at least 70-80 cm between them.
Watering and feeding
Despite the fact that clematis cannot tolerate stagnant water in the roots, they need regular and fairly abundant watering. Under normal conditions, it is enough to water the plants once a week. For young seedlings, about 10 liters of water are used, adult clematis will need much more - up to 3-4 buckets per bush.
In hot and dry summers, clematis can be watered two or three times a week. It is necessary to ensure that moisture is always present in the soil, but at the same time the soil is not too damp.
In the first year after planting, feeding the young clematis plants is not needed if the necessary fertilizers were used when creating the nutrient mixture.
As for adult plants, the first time they are watered with the addition of nitrogen fertilizers in the spring, when the leaves and shoots bloom. Then, when forming buds, watering is used with the addition of potash dressings. After flowering, phosphate fertilizers are applied.
Mulching and loosening
Loosening is a very useful procedure for saturating the topsoil with oxygen, but in clematis there is a possibility of root damage. Therefore, it is best to mulch the root zone with a good layer (at least 10 cm) of organic material, which is poured under the bush every fall. It is desirable that wood ash and coarse sand are present in the mulch. They protect the roots of clematis from various rot.
Garter
Clematis Polish Spirit is a very powerful liana and for its intensive growth it needs a reliable and strong support. It is installed, as a rule, when planting a bush, so as not to disturb its roots later. When planting near a wall, leave a distance of 30 cm.
It is necessary to tie up all the main shoots of young clematis to the support immediately after planting. In the future, its leaves and shoots easily cling to any auxiliary elements and wrap around fences, pillars, gazebos, creating a real green flowering wall. For the best branching, the top of the vine can be pinched at the beginning of growth.
When planting Clematis Polish Spirit in a specific place, it is important to remember about the dark purple tone of its flowers. It is desirable that the shade of the background on which it grows be light, otherwise the overall picture will turn out to be too bleak.
Pruning
Clematis Polish Spirit belongs to the third pruning group. This means that his flowers are formed only on young shoots of the current season. Old branches will not bloom anyway. For this reason, they can be easily removed in the fall to ensure a trouble-free wintering for the vines.Thus, a few weeks before the onset of stable frosts, clematis of the Polish Spirit variety are cut completely close to ground level, leaving only a few buds for development in the next season. It is from them that the active growth of young shoots will begin in the spring.
When growing the Polish Spirit variety in relatively warm regions, you can try to leave 1-2 shoots for the winter, having previously shortened them. In this case, you can expect them to bloom earlier.
Preparing for winter
Winter hardiness of clematis Polish Spirit is determined, first of all, by its strong pruning. But the root zone in areas with severe frosts must be well insulated, protecting the bushes from damping out.
At the first frost, the bases of the bushes are covered with an additional layer of mulch. After pruning, everything that remains of clematis is covered with dry foliage, and covered with a wooden box on top. From above, you can cover with a small layer of spruce branches so that the shelter is not scattered by a strong wind.
Reproduction
The easiest way to propagate the Polish Spirit variety is by layering or by dividing the bush. The seed method of reproduction is very laborious and is used only in breeding work.
For dividing the bushes, plants are chosen that have reached the age of 5 years. The bushes are carefully dug in the spring, and the rhizome is divided into several pieces with several buds. Each piece is planted in its own place.
In spring, young shoots of clematis with several internodes can also be tilted to the ground and lightly covered with soil. In autumn, the rooted shoots are separated from the mother plant and planted separately.
Diseases and pests
Diseases usually affect clematis plants weakened from improper care. The most common disease affecting clematis is wilt. It is characterized by sudden wilting of leaves and stems. The plant can be difficult to save, the soil must be disinfected with a solution of foundationol.
Diseases such as rust (brown plaque on the leaves) and powdery mildew (white bloom) are treated by spraying with Bordeaux mixture and other fungicides. Damaged leaves are stripped and burned.
Among the pests, there are underground inhabitants that damage the roots of clematis (bears, moles, mice, nematodes) and aerial pests (snails, slugs, aphids). To combat them, specialized toxic substances and baits are used.
Conclusion
Clematis Polish Spirit will be a real gift for a novice grower who wants to decorate his plot with an attractive and abundantly blooming liana.
