Clematis ‘Stand by Me’Photo courtesy of Walters Gardens
Herbaceous Clematis are not a new phenomenon in the landscape, but may be new to those typically familiar with vining Clematis. ‘Stand by Me’, introduced to the industry at the 2017 California Spring Trials, is a brand new herbaceous Clematis, meaning it dies back to the ground and it does not vine. Rather, it will grow up between plants or requires additional support.
There’s been positive buzz about this unique perennial, and Walters Gardens wants growers to be successful with this plant.
For more information, contact Christa Steenwyk (cjw@waltersgardens.com ) or visit waltersgardens.com
Production ‘Stand by Me’ is only available as a bare root. We recommend growing in a trade 1-gallon container and using a support ring, such as a mum or poinsettia ring. Plant one set of nodes approximately one inch below the soil surface. Get the soil chemistry right: use a well-drained soil mix of bark and peat with a pH of 5.7 to 6.4. Use water soluble fertilizers at a rate of 50-100ppm. Key your EC rate at 1.5-2.5 using the pour-through method. Want beautiful blooms? Vernalization is required. 8-10 weeks is the cold requirement at 40-50°F. Grow at 40-50°F first to promote root growth. After root growth is developed, grow at 55-60°F before holding at 40-50°F again after finishing. The reason for this is because root development in cool temperatures is key to avoid problems with excessive top growth. Keep plants moderately moist. Allow plants to dry slightly between waterings. Keep high light levels during the growing season since this is a full sun plant. Use clear plastic for indoor growing or in direct sunlight outdoors. Overwinter in a minimally heated greenhouse kept slightly above freezing. Alternatively, overwinter outdoors under a heavy frost blanket or in an unheated greenhouse. Leaf spot, powdery mildew, rust, and stem rot can occasionally be found. Growing under ideal conditions will alleviate most of these issues. Clematis is generally pest free, but we recommend scouting on a regular basis. Do NOT apply fungicides containing the active ingredient Etridiazole, trade names Banrot, Terrazole, and Truban. These chemicals will cause severe phototoxicity and most likely plant death. You don’t need to worry about ‘Stand by Me’ growing into its neighbors as much as your vining Clematis would! Give moderate spacing to encourage good airflow. We’ve noticed that ‘Stand by Me’ enjoys rebloom, so shearing back the spent flowers will encourage another round of blooms.
