There are two types of clematis: dead ones and those owned by gardeners who know how to keep them happy through summer. Whichever kind of plant parent you’ve been, you’re here now, so there’s still hope.
We also wrote a guide on spring clematis care so you can get the vine off to a strong start before summer takes over.
1. Mulch the Dirt, Not the Stems
Do not let the July sun bake the soil around your clematis. Hot, dry roots stress the vine fast and slow new growth and flowering.
Spread 2 to 3 inches of shredded bark, compost, or leaf mold over the root zone. Keep it a few inches away from the crown where the stems come out of the dirt.
Quick tip: Skip the heavy flagstone over the plant. Sun-baked rock can hold heat and block fresh shoots. Mulch keeps the soil cooler without sitting on top of the vine like a concrete lid.
2. The Pencil Thickness Rule
Most store-bought wooden trellises are not built for clematis. These vines do not have suction cups or curly grape tendrils; they climb by wrapping their leaf stalks around things like fingers.
The problem is, anything much thicker than about 3/4 inch can be difficult for them to grip. If your trellis has wide slats, attach thin wire mesh, garden twine, or netting over it so the vine has something narrow to grab instead of collapsing into a pile.
And if that trellis still has room, we wrote an article about 12 climbing flowers that add instant color to the garden.
3. Plant the Stems Deep
If you are planting a large-flowered hybrid clematis, don’t automatically leave it at the same depth it sat in the plastic pot. I set the crown about 2 to 3 inches below the soil, without burying any green leaves, so the lowest buds sit safely underground.
Those buried buds are insurance. If wilt, winter damage, or a weed whacker takes out the top growth, they can wake up and push new shoots straight out of the soil.
Quick tip: Check the planting instructions for your particular variety before burying it deeply, as some varieties should sit closer to their original pot depth.
4. Feed the Flowers, Not the Leaves
If the vine is growing strongly in good soil, I leave it alone. For a container clematis or one growing in poor soil that needs a boost after its first flush of flowers, I use a low-nitrogen fertilizer such as 5-10-10, following the label.
Apply it to moist soil, not to a bone-dry or heat-stressed vine. Skip high-nitrogen plant food, or you may end up with a wall of green leaves and fewer flowers.
Quick tip: When I don’t have that on hand, I use a liquid tomato fertilizer instead, but I check the label first. The first number represents nitrogen, so look for one where it is lower than the other two.
We also put together a guide on compact climbers for patio pots and balconies if you’re working with a smaller space.
5. Give Group 2 a Summer Trim
After a Group 2 clematis finishes its first flush of flowers, I shorten some of the flowered stems back to a strong side shoot or a pair of healthy buds just below the blooms.
This works for repeat-flowering varieties such as ‘Nelly Moser’ and ‘The President.’
Do not chop the entire vine down. The goal is to keep its framework while encouraging fresh shoots that may produce another round of flowers later in summer.
Quick tip: If the vine is dry or struggling in the heat, water it first and save the shears for another day.
6. The Slow-drip Hose
A quick sprinkle only wets the top layer of dirt. During summer heat, clematis need a slow, deep soak that reaches the entire root zone.
I place the hose at the base of the vine, turn it down to a slow trickle, and let it run until the soil is moist about 12 inches deep. Do not rely on an exact time; sandy soil drains faster than heavy clay.
Quick tip: Keep the water aimed at the soil instead of spraying the leaves, and let the ground dry slightly between deep waterings to keep it evenly moist rather than keeping it constantly soggy.
7. The Damp Newspaper Trick
When your flowers get ragged holes, don’t immediately blame disease. Go outside after dark with a flashlight. If earwigs are running their midnight operation, you will usually catch them on the plant.
Here’s the workaround. At sunset, loosely roll a damp sheet of newspaper into a tube and tuck it beside the lower stems. The bugs will use the wet paper as a garage to hide from the morning sun.
At dawn, just grab the tube and shake them into a bucket of soapy water. Repeat for a few nights if they keep coming back.
8. Deadhead Group 3 Vines
When a Group 3 clematis finishes a flush of flowers, I cut the spent flower stems back to a healthy pair of leaves or buds, taking only a few inches.
On vigorous varieties such as ‘Jackmanii’ and viticella clematis, that light trim may push fresh side shoots and another round of flowers later in the season.
Some Group 3 clematis flower steadily rather than in separate flushes, so only trim stems that are clearly finished!
Quick tip: If the vine is already struggling in the heat, leave the healthy green growth alone. It needs water, not another haircut.
For a broader look at pruning, watering, feeding, and bloom care, we explain how to keep clematis blooming all season in this guide.
9. Cut the Wilt Out Instantly
There is no cure for clematis wilt, just as there isn’t for stupidity in people. You can only contain it.
Do not waste time or money on fungicides. Because once a stem collapses, nothing will bring that dead growth back.
I take clean, sharp shears and follow the wilted stem downward, cutting until I reach healthy, unstained tissue. If the discoloration runs all the way down, I remove the entire stem at ground level.
Throw the infected stems straight into the garbage. Never compost them, and clean your shears afterward.
Keep caring for the roots because wilt often kills the vine above ground without killing the entire plant. Fresh shoots can still push up from the base. Remember that deep-planting trick in Step 3? This is where it comes in handy.
Pour One Out for the Summer Vine
If I see one more article advising you to love your vine… Your clematis obviously needs more than encouragement. Speak softly, prune carefully, and love your wine.
