blooming clematis

My first clematis is still blooming. We have had many nights at freezing or below and cold days, yet this plant is still booming. I have heavily mulched the plant. I also have been covering it with a sheet on the cold nights because she has been blooming all Fall. I don't want to lose my flowers. I don't see any new buds, but I do see new growth..

Is this normal? It's a NOID purple that sometimes throws six petals and sometimes throws eight. It bloomed in the Spring and then again in the Fall. How do you prune this in the spring? The pic below was taken in Oct. The blossom on it now is not as brilliant a color, but pretty none the less.

That is VERY normal for clematis growers in our warmer zones..I still have some spitting out blooms here and there but I don't cover them...the leaves are turning brown and soon mine will totally go to sleep for the winter..It's good for them to have their winter nap,be it short or long...Your Dr. Ruppel is very beautiful...thanks for sharing...Jeanne

It's a DR. Ruppel? I have a name for it. Thanks. Ok. so I should stop covering it even with it's new growth and let it rest? I want to do what is best even though it hurts to watch new growth get frost bit.

I posted this clematis back in Oct or so because it wasn't doing anything. I fertilized it and it came to life and performed beautifully. I'm looking forward to it's blooms and growth this year. Must feed the poor things.

Jeanne

Jeanne, I just went to plant files and looked at this plant. It says to prune after blooming. Surely not, especially now with the cold weather. When should I prune it?

Don't do anything to your Clematis this year...pruning any plant this late in the year will leave an open wound which invites disease...You should prune and fertilize your clematis the same time you do your Roses..which for me is around Valentine's day...Feb. 14th.."Dr. Ruppel" is a pruning group 2 BUT with any newly planted clematis you should hard prune next year like you do your pruning group 3's to force your clematis to focus on growing stronger roots instead of vining...this also causes forking of the vine and more new vines will emerge from below the soil...more vines...more BLOOMS!!..You'll really enjoy the "Dr." as he matures for he will have a big flush of blooms in late Spring and again in late Summer/early Fall..and he loves to spit out blooms intermittantly between flushes...The reason it says to prune AFTER it's first BLOOM period is because you ONLY prune pruning group 2's to KEEP IN BOUNDS or to shape...so in 2010 you'll only prune after it blooms ONLY IF you think it needs it to shape or contain it....I love this one so much that I have 3 of him..enjoy and Merry Christmas...

This message was edited Dec 22, 2008 8:32 AM

Thanks, Jeanne. Dr. Ruppel has been in the ground for two years. This is his second winter in the ground. He just didn't do much the first year because I was so busy with updating the house, breaking my foot, then my ankle..... So I started fertilizing him in Sept. and he took off. Beautiful big blooms. He has several vines coming from the ground. I left him uncovered last night so he could start "resting". He is heavily mulched as are my new clematis (3) that I planted in Oct. One is a Pink Flamingo, one Blue Light and a NOID I got at Lowes. It had no blossoms so I have no idea what it will be. The price was so good I couldn't resist.

I will leave DR. alone then, and fertilize him in late Feb. I appreciate your advice and will take it.

Well done!!..Also remember that year three is magical for Clematis as the first year planted they "Sleep"..second year they "Creep" and third year they come into their own and really "LEAP"..fertilizing each year with either Rose or Tomato fertilizer is essential..as Clematis are hungry little buggers and will show you their appreciation by blooming their little heads off..remember to fertilize a few weeks later when your soil has warmed up or you see the first signs of green appearing..NEVER fertilize once you see your clematis start to set their flowerbuds as that will only rush their bloom period..a wonderful 6+ weeks of bloom period can be cut down to a quick 2 weeks if fertilized once they set buds...enjoy!!...and Merry Christmas...Jeanne
ps...next year share us a pic of your "noid" and we will try to give them a name

Merry Christmas to you and yours. I will post a pic most definately as you ID'd Dr. Ruppel for me. I knew about the sleep, creep, and leap and look forward to several of my plants taking off this year. I won't fertilize after buds appear. I can hardly wait now to see what happens with my clematis this year.