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Although Clematis Beautyful Bride was introduced relatively recently, in 2011, he won the hearts of gardeners around the world – thanks to his amazingly beautiful flowers. It may seem that such a fragile, at first glance, plant is difficult to grow, but with the right approach, even novice gardeners can do it.
Description of Clematis Beautyful Bride
Beauty Bride translated from English means “beautiful bride”, which fully justifies the poetic name of clematis. It has very large snow-white flowers with a diameter of 20 – 25 cm, which cover the bush from the base to the top, creating the illusion of a magnificent wedding dress. The largest flowers, at the same time, grow near the ground, where the branches are older. A conceived bush grows no higher than 1,5 m, but in some cases it can reach a height of 2 – 3 m.
The Clematis flower of the Beauty Bride variety itself has wide petals with wavy edges, which gradually taper towards the end, as you can see in the photo. Flowering plants can be divided into 2 stages:
- previously;
- later.
Earlier flowering is short-lived and occurs at the end of May – beginning of June. At this time, flowers appear on last year’s shoots and look larger.
Late flowering covers the period from mid-summer to late September. Flowers are formed on young shoots and are characterized by a slightly smaller size, but their number increases significantly.
Growing conditions for Clematis Beautyful Bride
Clematis Beautyful Bride, despite its delicate appearance, is considered a rather unpretentious plant. It is not too picky about the composition of the soil and grows well both in open ground and in large planting containers. This variety is often used for vertical gardening of various fences, arbors and garden supports located apart.
To create optimal conditions for growing Clematis Cultiful Bride, you should give preference to slightly shaded areas and make sure that the plant is not exposed to direct sunlight. In addition, the variety must, if possible, be protected from drafts. Otherwise, the process of growing this variety of clematis will not cause much trouble to the gardener.
Planting and caring for hybrid clematis Beautyful Bride
Since Clematis of the Beauty Bride variety can grow in one place for 20 to 25 years, you should carefully consider the choice of planting site. So, the most favorable soil for this plant will be a mixture of fertile sandy and loose loamy soils. At the same time, the acidity of the soil can vary from 6 to 7 pH.
Having decided on the location of the seat, you can start planting the plant:
- The size of the landing pit should be at least 60×60 cm.
- Clematis should be placed at a distance of 70 – 100 cm from other plants.
- Gravel or other drainage should be placed at the bottom of the recess, and then sprinkled with a layer of humus and compost.
- Upon completion of planting, the soil must be plentifully watered and loosened. It will not be superfluous to carry out its mulching with peat or sawdust.
Care for the Beauty Bride variety, as in the case of other clematis, comes down to periodic watering, weeding and top dressing.
Watering clematis is traditionally carried out as the earthen coma dries out, paying attention to the level of soil moisture around the plant. Beauty Bride and similar varieties do not take root very well in very wet and very damp soils.
Plants are fertilized 2 to 3 times per season, alternating organic and mineral fertilizers. The first top dressing, as a rule, is organized in early spring, before the start of the growing season. The second top dressing falls on the budding period, before the first flowers appear. The third top dressing is carried out optionally before re-blooming, so that the flowers are larger.
Special mention requires pruning clematis. Clematis large-flowered Beautiful Bride belongs to the plants of the second pruning group, due to the fact that the plant has two flowering periods. The first time the plant is pruned at the very beginning of summer. During the procedure, last year’s shoots are removed from it. During the second pruning, which is carried out in the fall, already young branches are shortened. Cut them about 1/4 in such a way as to remove only wilted flowers. This will allow the plant to recover faster after wintering and bloom more magnificently next year.
Preparation for winter
Clematis of the Beauty Bride variety has moderate frost resistance and is quite capable of wintering just under the snow, but in the climate of central Our Country it is still worth thinking about sheltering the plant.
The first step is to eliminate the risk of flooding the plant during thaws. This problem can be prevented by placing an additional 35 – 40 cm layer of earth under the bush, which will not allow excess water to reach the roots.
To create a shelter, lutrasil or other covering material is well suited. Shoots of clematis Beautyful Bride are wrapped in it, laid on needles and covered with fallen leaves or spruce branches. As additional protection, you can use pieces of slate.
Reproduction
Reproduction of Clematis Beautyful Bride can be carried out in various ways, which include:
- reproduction by layering;
- dividing the bush;
- reproduction by seeds;
- cuttings.
The latter method is the most popular among gardeners, as it has the highest rooting rates.
Cuttings for the Beautyful Bride variety are harvested during the budding period, namely, in late May – early June. For this:
- Cut out the middle part of the shoot with two buds in the leaf axils so that a distance of 1-2 cm remains above the internode and 3-4 cm below it.
- For the soil, vegetable humus and sand are used in a ratio of 2: 1. Often it is replaced with vermiculite.
- As a container for disembarkation, you can use plastic cups with a drainage hole. The cutting is immersed in abundantly watered soil so that the internode is half in the soil. Then they build a film greenhouse and provide seedlings with watering 2-3 times a day.
- The first roots of the cuttings appear after 30-45 days, after which they begin to ventilate. Landing in the ground becomes possible after another 30 days.
Diseases and pests
Although Clematis Beautyful Bride has a fairly high resistance to various diseases, from time to time it can still be affected by certain diseases and pests, including:
- powdery mildew;
- wilt;
- aphid.
When infected with powdery mildew, a characteristic white coating appears on the flowers and leaves of the Beauty Bride variety. Without timely treatment, plant tissues begin to darken and dry, which is why clematis subsequently dies. Therefore, it is advisable to treat powdery mildew at an early stage in the development of the disease. A diseased plant must be destroyed by burning, and healthy bushes should be sprayed with a 0,1% solution of foundationazole or 0,4% soda ash.
Wilt is also a rather insidious disease, as it tends to infect plants that are at their peak of growth. In infected clematis, the ground part dries up completely in a short time. This is due to a special fungal organism that actively multiplies in the root system of the plant, completely blocking the flow of nutrients from the soil. To combat this disease, it is worth cutting the remains of the plant to its base and burning it. The soil at the landing site should be treated with Fundazol, a solution of potassium permanganate or a mixture of copper sulphate with a soapy solution.
As for aphids, this clematis pest Beautyful Bride is much more successfully fought with the help of folk remedies. Onion-garlic infusion showed its effectiveness against these insects at the rate of 1/3 tbsp. for 1 liter of water. The treatment of the plant is carried out at least 3 times with a break of 5-7 days.
Conclusion
Clematis Beautyful Bride is a surprisingly spectacular flower that is not whimsical. If you follow the recommendations for care, then the plant will be able to please the gardener’s eye for decades.
