Clematis – Brother Stefan^® – Clematis sp.

Dead-Heading Not Necessary

Fun Facts Brother Stefan™ clematis is named for Stefan Franczak, a Jesuit monk and noted horticulturist in Poland who developed many excellent clematis varieties.

Long Blooming

Vine

Maintenance Notes
"Head in the sun, feet in the shade" - that's the old adage for success with clematis. They thrive when the vine itself gets plenty of sunshine, while the base of the plant and roots enjoy cool, shady conditions. You can accomplish this with mulch, by planting it where the root zone is sheltered by a neighboring shrub, or with some slate or rocks, which mimics how clematis grow in nature. Brother Stefan is a summer bloomer on old wood and on new wood. In early spring, prune it back to about 3' (.9 m) high.

Needs Good Drainage

Maintenance Category Easy

Water Category Average

Blooms On New Wood, Old Wood

Bloom Time

Flower Form Border Plant, Container, Good for Screening, Specimen or Focal Point

pH B - pH 5.8 - 6.2

EC (2:1 Extraction Method) 0.6 - 0.9

Fertilization 100 - 150

Light Requirements High

Water Requirements Moderate to Moist

Rooting Out Temperature 62 - 66° Fahrenheit

Growing On Temperature 58 - 62° Fahrenheit

Holding Temperature 40 - 50° Fahrenheit

Planting and Timing Information
2 1/4" finishes to 1 gallon in 10-12 weeks, Quick Turn finishes to 2-3 gallon in 14-18 weeks.

Grower Tips
Grow plants cool early in the season to prevent top growth from outpacing root development, which complicates maintenance later. Lower fertility also helps with this issue. Should be grown in larger, rather than smaller, pots, with a bamboo trellis or similar structure placed in the soil. Use a light, fast-draining growing media.  Pinch/prune 2-3 times to encourage branching and minimize plants growing into each other. Plants benefit from manual training of vines onto support structure, which results is less maintenance and a more appealing plant at retail. Once flower buds have set, grow plants drier to prevent clematis wilt. Spray with thiophanate-methyl fungicide as a preventative. Top-dress with rice hulls or something similar to minimize weeds, algae, liverwort, etc., since leaf coverage of soil is minimal. Should be last plants to be moved outdoors. Potting a 2 ¼” liner directly to a 3 gallon can is not recommended. Additional notes on Happy Jack® Purple and 'Diamond Ball': One of the easiest varieties to ship in bud and bloom. Additional notes on 'Sweet Summer Love': Late bloom makes shipping flowering plants tricky. Being pot-bound seems to encourage blooming on this variety.