Description of clematis variety Purpurea Plena Elegance, cultivation and pruning

A spectacular climbing vine that can decorate any suburban area is the clematis variety Purpurea Plena Elegance. The sophisticated variety of colors and luxurious flowering allow you to create magnificent compositions. Thanks to its unique qualities and ease of cultivation, lush and expressive clematis is ideal for beginning gardeners.

Description and characteristics of the variety

Purpurea Plena Elegans looks like a climbing, luxurious vine, with magnificent double flowers of a dark burgundy color. On one small shoot you can see a great many of them. Lush flowers do not exceed 10 centimeters in size and have no stamens. The plant grows of medium size and reaches four meters in height. Its stems are densely covered with oval leaves. The root system goes deep into the soil.

For lush flowering of this unpretentious vine, good lighting and warmth are required. Under cover, it easily tolerates severe frosts down to -40 °C. Due to its large size, it requires the use of supports. Looks great against the background of gazebos, fences or walls of various buildings.

Breeding history of Purpurea Plena Elegans

The variety was created in France more than 100 years ago, as a result of mixing several different types of clematis.

Advantages and disadvantages

Purpurea Plena Elegance has many advantages and is suitable for experimentation by novice gardeners:

• tolerates even low temperatures;
• resistant to various diseases;
• grows intensively and pleases with active continuous flowering on an annual vine from June to September;
• not fussy to care for.

The variety has practically no disadvantages:

• needs good lighting;
• requires annual heavy pruning; in its absence, weak flowering is observed the next year.

How to plant

After the threat of the last frost has passed and the soil has warmed up sufficiently, on a cloudy and warm day you can begin planting plants in open ground. For each region, planting dates are different. On average, this is the end of May, June.

Selecting a location

To grow clematis Purpurea, choose a sunny area, protected from drafts by a fence, wall or tall trees. Artificial shading during particularly hot midday hours will be an ideal protection against scorching of leaves and elegant flowers.

Selection of planting material

Today you can find cuttings of two varieties on sale:

1. With an open root system, rooted last season. Such cuttings come along with a peat lump, three or more developed roots and several buds.
2. With a closed root system, sold in containers.

When purchasing seedlings, pay attention to the roots. They should be light and elastic. Darkened areas of the root system require removal.

Clematis with buds that have not hatched can be stored in the refrigerator or basement at a temperature not exceeding 5 °C. A seedling with grown roots is immediately planted in a pot, deepening the neck by 2 centimeters.

The pot is placed in a bright place with an air temperature of 8-10 °C.

Soil requirements

Clematis purpurea loves fertile soil. Sandstone or loam with excellent drainage and low acidity of the soil promote active growth and lush flowering.

The root system goes deep into the ground, so nearby groundwater inhibits the development of the plant and causes root rot. When growing in such areas, it is necessary to create artificial mounds or block the root system’s access to groundwater by placing a sheet of iron or slate in the planting hole.

Planting scheme

For intensive development of powerful roots and abundant flowering when planting clematis, you should adhere to a number of rules:

1. A massive root requires a deep planting hole, at least 50 centimeters deep.
2. To prepare the soil you will need: soil, peat and humus in equal proportions. To neutralize acidity, you can add a small amount of ash.
3. A drainage layer is laid at the bottom of the hole, part of the prepared soil mixture is poured out and a small mound is formed. The plant is planted on the mound, carefully straightening the roots.
4. The planting hole is covered with earth so that the root collar of the seedling is buried 10 centimeters into the ground. This deepening contributes to the formation of a healthy, powerful bush. Clematis with a root collar located at ground level is doomed: such a plant practically does not bush, only a few stems are formed on it.
5. To prevent the accumulation of moisture near the root collar and provide the roots with oxygen, the tree trunk circle around the entire perimeter is covered with a layer of mulch made from sawdust, straw or humus.
6. Each plant is intensively watered and a support is installed.
7. The interval between plants should be at least 70 centimeters.

When planting clematis Purpurea with a closed root system, it is carefully removed from the container and placed in a planting hole along with a lump of earth. The formation of a mound is not required for this planting.

Features of care

Clematis is easy to care for. For its active growth and flowering it will be quite enough:

• timely watering;
• loosening the earth around the tree trunk;
• periodic feeding;
• annual pruning;
• protection from pests and various diseases.

Trimming group

Proper pruning guarantees abundant annual flowering of clematis. It contributes to the formation of a powerful plant. If you miss timely pruning, next year there will be weak flowering or no flowers at all.

Purpurea Plena belongs to the third group of pruning, since the color is formed on fresh shoots that grow in the spring. The plant requires drastic pruning at a height of 10-15 centimeters. Two or three buds are left on young shoots.

Pruning is done in the fall. With the arrival of warm days and the restoration of intensive sap flow, with such pruning, the plant becomes more active and grows, without putting nutritious juices into old unnecessary branches. Deep pruning also increases the winter hardiness of the plant and prevents roots from freezing during prolonged subzero temperatures.

Watering

Lack and excess of moisture negatively affects the growth and development of clematis Purpurea, reducing the period and intensity of flowering. When growing it, avoid severe drying out of the soil. Watering should be moderate and regular. During periods of prolonged drought, the plant needs abundant watering.

It is advisable to water Clematis Purpurea late in the evening. During the cool night, moisture will have time to absorb into the soil and saturate the plant. When watering in the morning, a large amount of moisture evaporates and does not reach the roots.

Top dressing

Clematis is fed in small portions, alternating organic and mineral fertilizers. Fertilizers are applied no more than four times per season. During the flowering period, Clematis is not fertilized.

Shelter for the winter

In regions with cold winters, clematis requires reliable shelter. With the arrival of the first frost, the base of the plant is covered with humus, peat, sawdust or dry leaves. The plant is covered with lutrasil or any other covering material.

Protection from spring waters

Drainage grooves laid along the trunk circle and filled with sand or crushed stone, as well as drainage furrows, will help to reliably protect vines from spring floods. At the base of the plant, to protect it from water, you can form small mounds of peat or humus.

Support

The height and heavy weight of the vine require the use of reliable supports. For this use:

• fences;
• walls of buildings;
• garden gazebos;
• metal arches:
• wooden mesh;
• openwork pergolas;
• chain-link mesh;
• racks.

Whatever support is used on the summer cottage, Purpurea Plena is elegant and beautiful in any form.

Mulching and loosening the soil

For the development of a powerful root system and the plant as a whole, free access to oxygen is necessary. Clematis needs periodic loosening of the soil. Loosening is especially important after heavy watering or a period of prolonged rains.

Mulching the tree trunk circle will help to avoid loosening, retain moisture and prevent the formation of weeds. For this you can use compost, sawdust, straw, dry leaves and even pine cones..

Diseases and pests

Clematis is resistant to most types of diseases, but some of them are still dangerous for the vine.

Rot

A change in the green color of the leaves to a brown and whitish coating indicates developing gray rot. The reason is excess moisture. The affected areas are cut off and burned, and the plant is treated with a solution of foundationazole or azocene.

Powdery mildew

A whitish coating on shoots and leaves indicates powdery mildew. For treatment, the plant is treated with foundationazole, azocene or topaz.

Harmful insects

Clematis loves:

• aphid;
• mole cricket;
• spider mite;
• slugs

Timely treatment with chemicals will help save the plant from serious damage and death.

Rodents

To protect clematis Purpurea from rodents in winter, various baits are placed around the trunk.

Reproduction

Purpurea Plena can be easily propagated using seeds, dividing the bush, cuttings and layering.

Dividing bushes

To propagate clematis by division, dig up a plant no older than seven years and carefully divide it into parts. Each formed bush is planted in a prepared planting hole, having treated the root system with a rooting agent.

By layering

In early spring, healthy young shoots are bent down and covered with earth. After the roots appear, the cuttings are cut off from the mother bush and replanted.

Cuttings

With the onset of warm spring days, you can start propagation of clematis purpurea by cuttings. To do this, cut off the middle part of the young shoot and place it in a damp mixture of humus and sand for rooting. The rooted cuttings are transplanted into open ground.

Use in landscape design

Clematis Purpurea is ideal for growing in the garden, terrace or veranda. It will effectively decorate:

• wall of a garage or shed;
• fences and similar barriers;
• house facade;
• arches and pergolas.

Reviews

According to the owners, Purpurea Plena Elegance needs careful care. It's not easy to work with, but it's worth it.