Description and varieties of clematis variety Knyazhik, planting and care

Clematis Prince is a unique garden decoration element that will fit perfectly into any design. This original plant is a beautifully flowering vine.

It is worth noting that Knyazhik is considered a “relative” of clematis, differing from it only in the structure of the flower and growth rate.The flowering of Knyazhnik attracts the attention of others. It is used in the design of arches, hedges, or simply to create a bright spot in green compositions.

General characteristics of clematis Knyazhik

Prince is an elegant perennial vine with magnificent flowers. The family to which it belongs is considered to be Ranunculaceae. The natural habitat is the northern regions.

The plant has flexible, woody, highly branched stems, densely covered with carved foliage. The vine is attached to the support by long, twisting petioles. Its buds, formed one by one, resemble bells in their shape. Flowers can be blue, white, pink, purple or bicolor, depending on the variety. The sepals of Knyazhika are quite large, there are from 4 to 8 of them in a cup. The plant blooms in early summer.

Variety varieties

There are several most popular types of clematis Knyazhik:

Advantages and disadvantages of clematis Knyazhika

This culture has practically no disadvantages. Among the advantages of Knyazhik, the first place is, of course, its decorativeness and unpretentiousness. This plant pleases with its appearance even during periods of no flowering. It survives the winter cold well and is ideal for realizing the most daring design ideas.

Features of planting clematis

Site selection and soil preparation

When choosing a place to plant on your site, it is worth remembering that Knyazhik, although considered light-loving, feels better in partial shade. The presence of drafts and sharp gusts of wind is unacceptable. Also, before planting, it is important to think through and prepare the supports on which the vine will be attached.

Knyazhik does not make any special demands on the composition of the soil, however, if you follow some recommendations, the vine will grow more intensively:

• The soil should not be damp or swampy.Otherwise, the root system will be susceptible to rotting.
• The best option would be loamy, slightly alkaline soil.
• Particular attention should be paid to good drainage.
• The soil should be light, loose, well permeable to water and air.

Preparation of planting material

Before planting in the ground, it is recommended to cut the Knyazhik seedling by half in order to speed up rooting and stimulate the growth of new roots. Cut parts of cuttings can also be used for rooting.

Planting process

It is very important to plant Knyazhik in compliance with the basic recommendations:

1. The planting hole should be of suitable size, approximately 70-70-70, and be located next to the future support for the plant. A distance of at least 1 meter must be left between seedlings.
2. The bottom of the hole should be covered with a layer of drainage. For these purposes, gravel or broken brick mixed with sand is perfect.
3. Next, it is recommended to place a layer of horse manure, which serves as an excellent fertilizer.
4. After this, you need to fill the remaining volume with the prepared earthen mixture. It should contain compost, ash, superphosphate, and complex mineral fertilizer. If the soil is highly acidic, it is recommended to add slaked lime.
5. It is important to remember that the root system of Knyazhik is very fragile, so the planting process must be done extremely carefully. If the seedling already has damage in the root system, they need to be removed, after which it is recommended to treat the sections with activated carbon or potassium permanganate.
6. After planting the seedling in the ground, you need to water the plant generously and loosen the soil.
7. Seedlings that have reached two years of age tolerate transplantation best.
8. In order to protect a young plant from diseases, you can fill the top layer of soil around the root collar with river sand mixed with wood ash and add a weak solution of potassium permanganate when watering.

Further care

Watering and loosening

Irrigation rates are determined by ambient temperature. If the summer turns out to be hot, then Knyazhik needs to be watered at least twice a week, especially young plants. At moderate temperatures, one watering per week is sufficient.

Loosening the soil has a beneficial effect on the health of the plant's root system, so it should be done every time before the next watering.

Fertilizer application

Bring in organic and mineral fertilizers It is recommended every two weeks, stopping feeding only during the period of active flowering.

Urea, mullein, chicken droppings or complex mineral fertilizers are excellent for feeding.

Proper pruning

You should know that already in the first year after planting, Knyazhiki produce perennial shoots that cannot be pruned. Therefore, when planting, it is important to take into account the location of the support directly next to the plant. Pruning is done only to remove damaged, unkempt stems.

In order for a young plant to grow stronger and quickly form a root system, it is necessary to promptly pinch the ends of shoots that have reached 20 cm in length.

Shelter for the winter

Since some plant species came to us from the northern regions, Knyazhik is considered a frost-resistant plant and does not need shelter for the winter. Long shoots are not pruned in winter.

Main diseases and pests

It should be noted that Knyazhik is quite susceptible to various diseases and pests. Among the most common diseases are:

• rust - manifested by deformation of shoots, the appearance of orange growths on leaves or shoots. Spraying with Bordeaux mixture will help to cope with it;
• brown spot - characterized by brown spots on the leaves, after which holes appear. In order to prevent large-scale damage to the plant, it is necessary to remove the damaged parts of the plant at the first sign and treat it with copper oxychloride or copper sulfate;
• Overmoistening of the soil often leads to fungal infections of the root system. The only way to save a sick plant is by replanting it in another soil and removing damaged parts of the root system.

The most common pests that attack this vine are snails and slugs. In this case, special traps located around the bush can help. In winter, the root system and stems of Knyazhik can be damaged by mice, so you also need to take care to limit their access to the plant.

Reproduction methods

There are several ways to reproduce Knyazhik:

• cuttings;
• layering;
• division of rhizomes.

An effective way is to plant a new plant by layering. To do this, young stems are bent down and covered with earth in the spring. And exactly one year later they can be separated from the mother bush and transplanted to a permanent place.

Using Knyazhik in landscape design

This amazing plant can decorate any area. By wrapping around a support, they are able to create magnificent compositions. This vine is often planted near gazebos and arches in order to make them decorative. In addition, you can place Knyazhik next to large trees, the trunks of which will serve as natural support.

Some designers plant Knyazhik as ground cover plants.