How to Get a Clematis to Thrive

Grow the clematis in an area that provides at least six hours of full sun a day. In hot regions, provide light shade in the afternoon to protect the color of red and blue cultivars.

Provide adequate air circulation around the clematis. Cut down low-hanging branches from trees in the area and move plants out of a three-foot radius around the clematis. Air circulation helps cut down on fungal disease.

Test the soil's pH. Clematis requires a neutral pH, which is 7.0. A soil that is too alkaline or acidic prohibits the vine from absorbing nutrients from the soil.

Provide a support structure for the clematis if you don't want it climbing trees or covering other garden features. The support should be sturdy as the vine may become quite heavy.

Topdress the soil around the base of the clematis with a two-inch layer of mulch. One of the peculiarities of clematis care is that it thrives with its foliage and flowers in the sun and its roots in the shade. The mulch helps insulate the soil, keeping the roots cool. Replace the mulch each spring.

Irrigate the newly planted clematis with one inch of water per week. To determine how long to water to provide an inch, set a cat food or tuna can on the soil near the vine when you run the sprinklers and time how long it takes to fill it halfway. After establishment, water the clematis to a depth of six inches once a week during periods without rain.

Fertilize clematis in the spring by applying 1/2 pound of a 15-5-5 fertilizer on the soil within a 50-square-foot radius around the base of the vine. Water to a depth of six inches after fertilizing.

Prune the clematis depending upon the type you are growing. Prune the spring-blooming clematis after it finishes blooming but before late July. Cut off all stems that produced blooms the previous season. June bloomers -- the large flowered hybrids -- may be pruned in February or March. Remove dead growth and any spindly stems. Cut the rest of the stems back until you come to a large green bud. Prune clematis that bloom late in the season -- such as jackmanii -- in February or March. Cut all stems to two to three feet in height.

Check the plant for signs of wilt. These signs include stem collapse just as the flowers are ready to open and stems and leaves that turn black. Remove diseased stems by cutting them back several inches below the infected portion.