Kitten..very good~~..You do know that clematis are the 1st Year they "Sleep"...2nd year they "Creep" and then their 3rd year they really go nuts and "LEAP"..so yours sounds like it is doing just fine..you are correct...she is a pruning group 2...fertilizer her now and after she has finished blooming for you...Never fertilize a clematis ONCE she has set flower buds or you will only rush her bloom cycle...give her either some 13-13-13 which is Tomato Fertilizer..I buy mine at Sam's for 12 bucks for this huge bag or just give her some Rose Fertilizer ..that is the one with the higher middle number "P" on the N-P-K ratio..and Welcome to the FORUM!!...Jeanne

Jeanne, just an FYI, but any fertilizer with all three numbers the same is considered a balanced or all-purpose fertilizer. Can be used for pretty much anything :-) Generally, tomato or veggie fertilizer will have higher P and K percentages than N - much like rose fertilizer - to encourage flowering and fruit set.

And if one uses an organic fertilizer, there is no concern about when to apply or how late in the bloom season. They are all by nature slow release and do not provide any extraordinary flush of blooms or promote rapid, lush growth.

It's helpful to look at the NPK ratio by this little descriptor: the first letter relates to above the ground (leaf and stem growth), the second to below the ground (root development) and the third to all around the plant - flowering, fruiting, seed development and general well-being.

And I always recommend complimenting my early season fertilizing of clematis - about the only plants outside of container plantings I do fertilize - with a nice thick layer of compost or other organic mulch. This will help shield the roots and conserve soil moisture and is a great source of all kinds of necessary plant nutrients.

Thank you very much! I will get the 13-13-13 fertilizer. I appreciate you mentioning about not fertilizing when there are buds - that would never have occured to me.

This is my first shot at clematis and I am feeling encouraged by the spring growth. Hopefully, its good health will continue, as I continue to learn.

Cathy

Oops! I posted before I saw Gardengal48's reply.

Thanks for the additional information.

Cathy

"Jeanne, just an FYI, but any fertilizer with all three numbers the same is considered a balanced or all-purpose fertilizer. Can be used for pretty much anything :-) Generally, tomato or veggie fertilizer will have higher P and K percentages than N - much like rose fertilizer - to encourage flowering and fruit set. "
Gardengal..Yes I know that..I have been alternating both and getting great results...glad you corrected me!!..Thanks...Jeanne

Gardengal, what natural fertilizer can I use for root growth?

flowergirl, I prefer a blended organic fertilizer - one that has all three NPK ingredients - but I realize those types of organic products are not as readily available in other parts of the country as they here in the very organically-minded NW :-) I use an organic rose fertilizer (4-6-2), but you can get natural phosphorus from bone meal, fish bone meal (no worries about prions), bat guano or rock phosphate.