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Any person who first saw a flowering wall of clematis will not be able to remain indifferent to these flowers. Despite some finicky care, there are varieties of clematis, the cultivation of which will not bring any difficulties even to a beginner, and the abundance of flowers will stagger anyone’s imagination. These include Clematis Comtess De Bouchot, a description of the variety with numerous photos and reviews of gardeners you can find in this article.
Description
Comtesse de Bouchot deservedly belongs to the masterpieces of the world collection of clematis and has more than a century of history, since it was bred by the French breeder Francis Morel at the end of the XNUMXth century. At one time, this variety of clematis received the award of the Royal Horticultural Society “for merits in the garden.” It was very popular a hundred years ago, and got its name in honor of the Countess de Bouchot, who had a beautiful garden in Chasselay, Rhone district in southeastern France.
Liana has great growth energy, it can reach a height of 3-4 meters. Although in most regions of Our Country, clematis Comtess De Busho shows more modest indicators – about 2-3 meters.
The leaves are dense, complex in shape, consist of five ovate-pointed leaflets. Buds, like flowers, look up. Flowers are formed on long peduncles (up to 18 cm) and, when opened, do not differ in gigantic size (about 10-15 cm in diameter). But they are formed in huge quantities, and in terms of the duration and abundance of the flowering period, clematis Comtess De Bouchot still has no equal, at least in its color group.
The flower is non-double, consists of 6 elliptical sepals with a slight point and slightly wavy edges. The color of the petals is pink with a purple hue traditional for clematis. The petals are slightly corrugated, with a more intense purple veining on them. The anthers are cream colored and the stamens are bright yellow. It can set single seeds, which still do not make sense to use for reproduction. Flowers do not tend to fade.
The flowering of Clematis Cometesse De Bouchot occurs in the traditional time frame from July to September. According to some flower growers, it can begin even in June and last for almost the entire summer period.
One of the unique advantages of the clematis variety Comtess de Bouchot is the fact that its flowering begins almost from the very ground (at a height of 25-30 cm) and spreads along the entire length of the shoots up to 2,5-3 meters. Already in the second year of planting, under favorable conditions, you can observe this amazing sight. And every year the bush will only grow and increase in size, primarily in width. After all, the life span of this clematis is about 20 years.
Landing
The planting of any clematis, even as unpretentious as Comtess De Bouchot, should be taken seriously, because it lives for a long time and it is better not to make mistakes from the very beginning than to correct them later.
Choosing a place and time for landing
In order for Clematis Comtess De Busho to grow well and bloom profusely for its planting, you must choose a place with the following parameters:
- An abundance of sun is desirable for flowering, in extreme cases, there may be a slight penumbra for half a day.
- Protected from drafts and constant winds.
- With a low level of groundwater, otherwise it is necessary to build an artificial embankment, at least 15 cm high.
- There should be at least 50 cm from the wall or fence, and water should not drain from the roof during rains.
Clematis seedlings can be planted in a permanent place both in late spring and early autumn. In the spring, he has more time to get comfortable in a new place and prepare for winter, but it is necessary to act very carefully when planting so as not to damage the fragile young shoots. In autumn, planting clematis is easier, but it is necessary to plant the bushes no later than a month or two before the onset of stable frosts so that they have time to take root.
If a clematis seedling is purchased with a closed root system, then it can be planted even in summer, but only if it is shaded and regularly watered within a month after planting.
Selection of seedlings
The following requirements are imposed on the appearance of clematis seedlings with open roots:
- No mechanical damage or signs of any disease.
- The shoot, about 5 cm long, must have at least two unblown buds.
- The total length of the roots should be about 50 cm, and the number of roots should be at least five.
Soil requirements
Clematis Comtess de Bouchot prefers to grow in breathable, light, but well-fertilized soil. He will not like acidic soils at all, it will be necessary to add lime or at least wood ash. On heavy soils, the introduction of sand and humus or compost is mandatory.
How is landing
A few weeks before planting clematis, it is best to pre-dig a hole measuring about 60 cm in length, width and depth. The planting mixture is prepared from equal parts of humus and garden soil with the addition of 3-4 kg of sand, 400 g of dolomite flour and 150 g of superphosphate. At the bottom of the pit, a small mound is formed from the planting mixture, the roots of the seedling are straightened on it and carefully covered with the remaining soil mixture.
Supports must be installed before landing. After planting, clematis must be tied to supports for the first time. Later, he himself will be able to cling to them with the bases of the leaves.
Care
The most important procedures for caring for clematis Comtesse De Busho are watering, fertilizing and pruning.
Watering
Clematis respects watering very much, because the lack of moisture makes the flowers smaller and the flowering time is greatly reduced. On average, in hot weather, it is necessary to water the bushes at least 2-3 times a week, preferably with foliage irrigation. But you need to do this only after sunset.
Additional fertilizing
If you applied the correct amount of organic matter and mineral fertilizers when planting clematis, then in the first year after planting it is possible not to feed it at all. But from the second year, abundant flowering can be achieved only by alternating organic and mineral top dressing 1-2 times a month during the entire warm season. Top dressing (especially nitrogen) can be stopped only by the end of summer.
Mulching
Watering can be somewhat reduced if the root zone of clematis is carefully mulched with a thick layer of organic material. In addition, the roots of clematis, unlike the plants themselves, cannot stand the sun and heat, so shading with mulch will also have a positive effect on the viability of the plants as a whole.
Trimming
During the summer and autumn, dry, wilted or damaged shoots must be removed from clematis. But in the fall, clematis Comtess De Bouchot is cut off completely at a level of about 20-30 cm from the soil level, so that two to four buds remain on each shoot.
Shelter for the winter
The timing of pruning and shelter for the winter of clematis coincides with those that are usually determined for roses. After pruning, the entire root zone is completely covered with humus or peat, covered with a wooden or plastic container, a box. From above, they still fall asleep with dry leaves or sawdust and cover everything together with non-woven material, fixing it well so that the wind does not blow it away.
In the spring, it is important to choose the right timing in order to remove the shelter in time and Clematis Comtess De Bouchot did not suffer from dampness, which is more dangerous for him than frost. It is best to do this gradually over several weeks, first removing all artificial shelters, and then lightly freeing the bush from the mulch.
Fighting diseases and pests
Of the diseases, the most dangerous for clematis is wilt or wilting.
But it appears mainly when landing rules are not followed and in the wrong place. For prevention, it is recommended to sprinkle the roots of clematis with a mixture of wood ash and sand, fix the plants well on supports and spray them several times with Fitosporin.
Reproduction
The seed method of propagation of clematis can only be used for specific natural forms, since the rest do not retain the properties of the mother plant.
The vegetative method of reproduction includes:
- Division of the bush – it is best to divide clematis bushes aged 5 to 7 years. In spring or autumn, just dig and separate part of the bush.
- Layering – fully matured shoots are placed in grooves to a depth of 8-10 cm and covered with earth, leaving 20-25 cm of the tip of the shoot on the surface. The next season, a new plant is separated.
- Cutting – the easiest way to get a large number of new plants. In 3-4-year-old clematis bushes, before flowering, cut cuttings 6 cm long with two or three buds from the middle of the bush. After treating the cut with Kornevin, plant it in a mixture of sand and peat and constantly moisten.
- Grafting clematis – Only used by professionals.
Application in landscape design
Clematis Comtess De Busho, due to its beauty and unpretentiousness, can be used in any vertical gardening: arches, arbors, fences, fences, walls of buildings, as well as decorating old trees.
Reviews
Gardeners have long appreciated the clematis variety Comtess De Bouchot and the reviews about it are always excellent.
Conclusion
In terms of abundance and duration of flowering, the Comtess de Bouchot variety seems to have no equal, at least among pink clematis. And at the same time, the variety is distinguished by relative unpretentiousness to growing conditions and resistance to diseases.
