Clematis is one of the few perennial vines that grow really well indoors, provided that they get enough sun. Clematis tend to grow relatively fast compared to houseplants, they will provide you with beautiful and long lasting blooms in addition to vertical interest.
To grow Clematis indoors make sure to use a clay or terracotta pot, and place it right next to a well lit window. When the first buds appear you should start fertilizing with a foliar fertilizer, once it flowers you can deadhead the spent flowers for longer blooms. You can overwinter the Clematis indoors, although the winter growth has to be cut off when spring comes, as it will be too weak to survive the summer sun.
If you are growing your Clematis indoors then my personal recommendation is to use a garden trellis that can be used for pots as well Click here to check it out on Amazon.com
Although Clematis does definitely prefer being planted outside, it can still grow relatively well indoors, just keep in mind that you will need to fertilize it from time to time as it tends to be a rather hungry plant. One of the great benefits of growing Clematis indoors is that pests will not be a problem, and you can easily make it grow up a trellis or a wall, blooms will also last a lot longer as they will not be damaged by the elements.
If you have a balcony then this would be the ideal place to grow the Clematis, during the winter you can leave it outside as it is a perennial plant. If you want to grow more than one Clematis in the same pot, then check out my recent article Two Clematis In One Container ( In 6 Steps ).
How To Grow Clematis Indoors
Growing clematis indoors can be a rewarding experience, although it requires careful attention to the plant’s needs. Start by choosing a suitable clematis variety that is well-suited for indoor cultivation. Select a large container with good drainage, and use a well-draining potting mix. Place the container in a location that receives bright, indirect light. Provide support for the vine to climb, such as a trellis or stake. Maintain consistent moisture in the soil, watering when the top inch of soil feels dry. Fertilize the clematis regularly with a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer. Prune the plant in early spring to promote healthy growth and control its size. Additionally, monitor the indoor environment for pests and diseases, providing appropriate care to prevent and address any issues.
Choose The Right Pot When Growing Clematis Indoors
Your first step if you want to grow Clematis indoors is to choose the correct pot, not all pots are good for growing Clematis. As Clematis needs full sun in order to grow it needs a pot that doesn’t absorb heat. Plastic pots are notoriously bad for plants that are in full sun, not only do they absorb a lot of heat but they will dry out the soil. Clematis should be planted in clay or terracotta pots, as these pots do not absorb heat, and they also allow the roots to breathe.
As Clematis tends to have rather shallow roots, there is no point in using tall pots. If you want to know why the Clematis leaves are turning purple then check out my recent article Clematis Leaves Turning Purple ( Top 3 Reasons ).
Place The Clematis Next To A Well Lit Window
As a general rule, Clematis has to be placed next to a window that gets direct sunlight for most of the day. While some types of Clematis can grow in partial shade as well, but they tend to get leggy and have shorter blooms. Once you bring home the Clematis and place it next to a well lit window, some of its leaves will turn brown and dry out. No need to panic, Clematis are gown in optimal conditions, and once you change their location they will try to adapt.
In the first couple of weeks, try not to reposition the Clematis, even if it loses most of its leaves. It is only a matter of time until you will start seeing new growth from the stems, and these will not fall off. If the leaves of the Clematis are turning brown right after flowering then check out my recent article Clematis Brown Leaves After Flowering ( 6 Main Reasons ).
Use A High Quality Potting Mix
What kind of potting mix you use for the Clematis, will determine how well it grows. The wrong kind of potting mix can strunt or even kill the Clematis. There are thousands of different potting mixes on the market, and most of them are the same quality just with different packaging. When choosing a good potting mix for the Clematis, all you need to remember is that these plants do not like to have their roots constantly wet.
How many nutrients and minerals the potting mix has doesn’t really matter, as Clematis can be easily fertilized with foliar fertilizer which I definitely recommend. As long as the potting mix doesn’t retain too much water, and doesn’t clump up and dry out, you should be good.
Fertilizing The Clematis Indoors
Clematis can be hungry plants especially when they are in flower, if you feed them well then they are going to repay you with massive flowers and long lasting blooms. You can use slow release fertilizer and foliar fertilizer as well, although I do highly recommend you to use foliar fertilizer. Most plants tend to absorb nutrients far better through their leaves than their roots, and this is the same case with Clematis as well.
Just a word of caution, use the foliar spray in the evening, if you spray it in the middle of the day then the foliar fertilizer in combination with the direct sun can damage the leaves.
Watering The Clematis Indoors
There is no strict schedule that you have to follow when it comes to watering the Clematis indoors. Mostly because it depends on the indoor humidity, the local weather, and even the size of the pot. As a general rule, you should stick one of your fingers into the soil, and if the top inch is dry, then it is time to water it. Usually, during the summer this means watering the Clematis 2-3 times per week, although you might need to do it more or less often depending on your circumstances.
Deadhead The Clematis Indoors
Usually, the Clematis will flower in the first year, now it is up to you if you allow it to do so or not. Usually, their first flowers are rather small, and if you cut off the flower buds before they open you will force the plant to grow stronger roots, which will result in bigger flowers next year. Most types of Clematis will bloom for a relatively long time, all you need to do is to deadhead the spent flowers, this way you force it to grow new ones, which will result in an even longer blooming period.
Overwintering The Clematis Indoors
Clematis are perennial plants, and most of them will survive the winter. If you have been growing your Clematis indoors, you can simply put them outside during the winter. If you do not have the option to overwinter them outside then you can do it indoors as well. If the temperatures do not drop significantly the Clematis will not go dormant and will continue to grow. The problem is that as the sun is fairly weak during the winter, this will result in tall and leggy Clematis plants.
In some cases, the leaves that are growing in the winter will be pale white. When spring comes, you will have to cut the winter growth off, these leaves will not survive direct sun in the middle of summer, so it is better to get rid of them. Just keep in mind that if you are overwintering your Clematis indoors they still need to be watered, around once or twice per week. What usually tends to kill the Clematis indoors during the winter is the dry heat, so make sure you do not allow it to dry out completely.
Key Takeaways
- To grow Clematis indoors choose a large enough pot, place it next to a well lit window, use a high quality potting mix, fertilize, water, deadhead, and overwinter it correctly.
- You can even use companion plants with Clematis, especially annuals.
- The leaves of the Clematis might fall off if this is the first time it is growing indoors, no need to panic, it is normal.