Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Clematis 'The President' bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called The President clematis, blue-purple clematis (Clematis 'The President').

More about clematis 'the president'

About Clematis 'The President'

Clematis 'The President' · also called The President clematis, blue-purple clematis · flowering

Clematis 'The President' is a vigorous large-flowered climber bearing rich purple-blue blooms up to 15 cm across with silvery undersides and contrasting reddish anthers, flowering in early summer and again in late summer. A dependable Group 2 clematis needing only light spring pruning, it is excellent on walls, trellis and obelisks in sun or part shade.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Clematis wilt: Large-flowered clematis can suddenly wilt from fungal infection. Plant the crown 5-8 cm deep so it can regrow, cut affected stems back to healthy tissue, and keep it watered and fed.

The reasons clematis 'the president' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming clematis 'the president' traces back to one of these, roughly in order of how common they are:

Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.
Too much nitrogen feed, driving lush foliage at the expense of flowers (very common with general or lawn feeds).
The plant has not been deadheaded, so it stops flowering once it sets seed.
Irregular watering — drought or waterlogging at the budding stage makes buds abort.
It is still too young or was checked by a transplant and is rebuilding before flowering.

Feeding clematis 'the president' a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.

The fix — how to get clematis 'the president' to flower

Maximise sun. Give clematis 'the president' the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers.
Switch the feed. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.
Deadhead regularly. Remove spent flowers often to keep it producing more rather than stopping to set seed.
Water consistently. Keep moisture even through budding and flowering — drought-then-flood swings make buds drop.

Light and feeding do most of the heavy lifting here. Dial in the spot with the light guide for clematis 'the president' and get the feeding right with the clematis 'the president' fertilising schedule — the wrong feed (too much nitrogen) is one of the most common silent reasons a healthy plant makes leaves instead of flowers.

Bloom season and what to expect

Clematis 'The President' flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.

Post-bloom care so it flowers again

Deadhead, keep feeding lightly, and many will rebloom; collect seed from the best plants at the end of the season if you want to grow them again.

For everything else this plant needs day to day, see the full clematis 'the president' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Clematis 'The President' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my clematis 'the president' flower?

Clematis 'The President' blooms on the season's growth given enough sun, warmth and the right feed — there is no cold or photoperiod trick, just good growing conditions and a bloom-leaning feed. The most common reason it is not happening: Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.

How do I make clematis 'the president' bloom?

Give clematis 'the president' the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.

When does clematis 'the president' normally bloom?