Clematis Prince Charles: reviews, description, photos

White Clematis Prince Charles is a compact variety native to Japan, characterized by abundant flowering. The shrub is used to decorate arbors, fences and other garden structures, you can also plant a plant as a ground cover crop.

Description of clematis Prince Charles

The height of the shrub can reach 2-2,5 m, the flowers are medium in size, their diameter is on average 6-7 cm. In their appearance, they resemble six-pointed (sometimes four-pointed) white stars with a yellowish core. The petals of Clematis Prince Charles are oval, strongly pointed at the end, with the very tip twisting down, as can be seen in the photo below. The edges of the petals often appear frayed.

From the outside, the flowers of this variety are painted in light pink tones, darkening at the base and smoothly turning into a delicate purple hue. In the middle of the petal sometimes there is a pronounced vein of dark pink color. The leaves of the shrub are mostly solitary, dull, smooth to the touch.

The Prince Charles variety blooms in June-July, flowering is very plentiful. The shrub blooms again in August. As the plant grows, it clings to an artificial or natural support with leaf petioles.

Growing conditions for Clematis Prince Charles

Clematis cannot be called a capricious culture, however, there are still a number of conditions necessary for the full development of the shrub. It is recommended to adhere to the following recommendations when growing a crop of Prince Charles:

1. Clematis is best planted in partial shade or full sun. Strong shading inhibits the growth of the shrub, its flowering becomes less plentiful.
2. Preferred type of soil: loose sandy or loamy soils rich in humus. The acidity of the site for planting should not be high.
3. Clematis is a moisture-loving culture. It does not tolerate drying out of the soil, so the shrub is often watered. For better moisture retention, herbaceous crops are planted under it: marigolds, phloxes, lavender. They shade the lower part of the plant, which slows down the evaporation of moisture. Also, the Prince Charles variety responds well to mulching the trunk circle. To do this, you can use chopped pine bark, wood chips, turf, peat, spruce branches or moss.
4. Despite its moisture-loving nature, this shrub does not tolerate stagnant water in the soil. In order to avoid rotting of the roots of clematis, it is planted in an area with a low level of groundwater – they must pass at a depth of at least 1 m. If they pass higher, clematis is planted on an artificial hill.

Planting and caring for white clematis Prince Charles

Sowing seeds for seedlings is carried out from December to March. Clematis seedlings are planted in open ground either in spring or autumn. Before planting, it is necessary to prepare the soil in advance: the selected area is dug up and humus is introduced into the soil.

The algorithm for planting a crop of Prince Charles variety is as follows:

1. On the prepared site, they dig a hole about 60-70 cm deep and 60 cm wide.
2. A support is installed in the center of the pit, after which a drainage layer of broken brick or crushed stone is laid on the bottom.
3. A soil mixture of the following composition is poured on top of the drainage: the top fertile soil layer dug out of the pit, 2 buckets of humus, 1 bucket of peat, 1 bucket of sand, 100 g of bone meal and 200 g of ash. Fill the hole to the middle, forming a mound.
4. On the resulting earthen hill straighten the roots of clematis. They are sprinkled with earth so that the seedling is deepened by 8-12 cm.
5. Planting is completed by abundant watering and mulching of the trunk circle with peat.

If clematis is planted in the spring, then the planting pit is not covered with soil mixture to the end – it is necessary to leave about 5-7 cm from the surface of the earth. The resulting hole is filled as the shoots become lignified. When planting in the autumn months, the pit is filled up completely and even a little with a slide.

Clematis Prince Charles is fed according to the following scheme:

• during the period of active growth – nitrogen fertilizers;
• during the formation of buds – potash;
• after flowering – phosphorus;
• during flowering, clematis is not fed.

For the growth of creepers, green fertilizers, mullein infusion and horse manure solution are well suited. In the summer months, clematis respond well to complex mineral fertilizers, a weak solution of boric acid and potassium permanganate. In August, it is useful to feed the shrub with a solution of superphosphate – this way you can prolong its flowering. Nitrogen fertilizers should no longer be applied in August.

The bush is watered once a week, the optimal volume of water is 1-20 liters per bush. In hot weather, the interval between waterings is reduced to 25 days. When prolonged rains begin, clematis do not need to be watered.

Preparation for winter

In the south of the country, clematis can not be covered, however, in the middle zone and in the north of Our Country, the culture of the Prince Charles variety must be insulated for the winter.

Bushes cover with the onset of -5-7 ° C, when the soil begins to freeze. In central Our Country, this temperature is set in November. Cropped clematis are sprinkled with dry earth so that a hill about 50 cm high (about 3-4 buckets of earth) forms above the plant. In winter, this hill will be covered with snow, as a result of which a natural warming of the bush is formed, which will protect it from freezing. Additionally, you can overlay an earthen hill with spruce branches if there are severe frosts in the growing region in winter.

In the spring, the shelter is not removed immediately, but gradually.

Reproduction

According to the description of the Prince Charles variety, clematis can be propagated in almost all available ways:

• grafting;
• division of the bush;
• through seeds;
• layering;
• vaccination.

The most troublesome is the seed method of reproduction, it takes a lot of time and effort. Moreover, when grown independently from seeds, clematis may lose its varietal qualities.

Most often, the Prince Charles variety is propagated by cuttings or layering. In the second case, planting material is harvested as follows:

1. In autumn, clematis is cut to the first bud.
2. All cut shoots with a developed bud are removed into a recess with peat, sprinkled with fertile soil and covered with spruce branches. In this form, the segments hibernate.
3. In the spring dug up shoots are watered. When the first shoots appear, the site is mulched with peat.
4. By autumn shoots form fairly strong shoots. Now they can be dug up for placement in a permanent place.

Diseases and pests

Variety Prince Charles is resistant to viral diseases, however, the plant can infect the fungus. Powdery mildew and rust pose the greatest threat to shrubs. The bushes are treated with a solution of “Fundazol”, dry powder “Trichodermin” or a 2% solution of “Azocel”.

If clematis becomes ill with leaf spot, the plant is sprayed with Bordeaux liquid or a 1% solution of copper sulphate.

Conclusion

Clematis Prince Charles is a rather unpretentious and hardy plant, which allows it to be grown in almost all regions of Our Country. It easily tolerates low temperatures and develops well in almost all types of soil. In landscape design, shrubs are used primarily to decorate arbors, arched structures, verandas and fences; you can also create a hedge from clematis.

You can learn more about the features of clematis from the video below:

Clematis reviews Prince Charles