The first time I saw a clematis vine, I thought it was fake - until I touched it. The flowers were huge as dinner plates, a flashy shade of purple, and extremely showy. Given the impressive and elegant flowers and the vine’s multigenerational life span, it’s really not surprising that clematis is called the “queen of the vines.”

Growing clematis will add a sense of the spectacular to any garden in its range, USDA zones 4-9. Large flower vines can grow to 20 feet (6.5m) long and entirely cover a structure or trellis. With over 300 species in this genus, you will have many different choices in terms of size and flower color, as well as bloom time. Some clematis vines bloom in spring, some in summer or fall, and some flower multiple times.

April clematis care depends in part on what type of clematis you have. We’ll explain the differences as we describe the care.

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1. Start Watering

Clematis goes dormant in winter and ceases to grow. As April rolls out the red carpet for spring, the Queen of the Vines starts growing again. It needs water for healthy growth.

How can you tell if your clematis needs water in April? It’s easy, and the same for all species of clematis. To figure out whether the vine needs water, just poke a finger into the soil around the plant up to the first knuckle. If the top inch is dry, the vine needs water.

Like so many plants, clematis needs regular water. It grows best when the soil around its roots is moist. Don’t mistake moist for waterlogged. Wet soil will kill the plant faster than you think, rotting out the roots. But dry soil is a big no-no as well. The vine cannot uptake water and nutrients in dry soil, and its roots cannot grow.

If your plant’s top inch of soil is dry in April, deep water the plant so that the water sinks into the soil. This supports the new spurt of growth that is about to arrive. If the plant is new to your garden, water twice or three times a week. Otherwise, for established plants, provide 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water per week if a good rain doesn’t take care of it.

2. Pile on the Mulch

Keeping the soil most between waterings provides consistent hydration to your vine, allowing it to shoot up and flower profusely. But the sun and wind can dry out the soil quickly. April is the perfect time to bring in the big guns in the form of mulch. Mulch not only prevents the moisture in the soil from evaporating, but it also keeps weeds down and creates a healthy environment for your plant’s roots.

I like to use organic compost for mulch, but there are many other choices. Both wood chips and shredded leaves can be organic and both work well for this vine in April, keeping the soil moist and the roots cool. Just apply a layer of mulch around the base of the plant without allowing it to touch the vine. Above all, do not form a pyramid with the mulch around the stem.

April Clematis Essentials

3. Support Your Vine

Yes, you can go out and cheer your clematis’s growth if you like, but that’s not what we mean by clematis support. These vines like to grow on a support structure, like a trellis, a fence, or a post, which allows its pollinator fans (hummers, bees, and butterflies) easy access to the flowers. And it’s in your interests to give the clematis the structure it wants, since without something to climb, the long vine will create a sprawling mess across the ground.

In April you can provide a structure, or, if one is already in place, repair or replace it. For new-to-the-world plants, a simple stake is sufficient for initial support. But over time, change this out for a trellis, arbor or fence since these climbing plants need something to grow on.

4. Get Pruning... Unless!

It’s easy enough to advise pruning a clematis vine in order to promote flowering. It’s a bit more difficult to be specific, as the three different kinds of clematis each have their own pruning rules. The first job is to determine which kind you have. Here are the three types of clematis:

• Woody-stemmed plants that bloom in early spring on the prior year’s stems.
• Double flowering clematis that bloom first in late spring on prior wood and again in fall on new wood.
• Vines with large, showy flowers that abloom both in summer and fall on current growth.

Of these three groups, only the latter should be pruned in April. The first two groups of clematis (woody-stemmed and double-flowering) should only be pruned to remove deadwood after the vine flowers and the blooms fade.

The third group should be pruned back severely in April if you didn’t do so in late winter. And we mean severely. Take off the entire vine, leaving only two pairs of buds on each stem.

5. Fertilize

Clematis vines benefit from a feeding in April. Use either a top-quality fertilizer for roses like this one from Amazon. Be sure the product contains all three essential nutrients. Nitrogen helps with growth but clematis needs both phosphorus and potassium to encourage blooming. Continue fertilizing the vine every month until fall arrives in September.