How to Fertilize Evergreen Clematis

You can count on vining Clematis armandii, or the evergreen clematis, to dependably fill your yard with heady fragrance when it begins blooming prolifically in the spring. These beauties are incredibly undemanding and require very little fertilizing although they do respond well to a little extra nutrition. As with all varieties of clematis, too little in the feeding department is always preferable to too much. None of the clematis like being over-fed.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You’ll Need

• Organic compost or well-rotted manure
• 5-10-10 or 5-10-5 fertilizer
• Organic mulch such as leaves, straw or bark

1. Spread a thick layer of organic compost or well-rotted manure 3 or 4 inches deep over the root zone of your evergreen clematis in early spring.
2. Feed your established armandii a commercial 5-10-10 or 5-10-5 fertilizer once monthly throughout the growing season. Follow the instructions carefully. Give the newly-planted evergreen clematis a couple of months to establish itself before you begin to feed it.
3. Apply several inches of organic mulch to the armandii’s root area. Use leaves, straw or bark. These plants love cool feet, and the mulch will provide that for your clematis. It will also keep the area relatively free of weeds and slowly add valuable nutrients to the soil as it decomposes.