Jane, even more so than adding fertilizer, you need to get a ton of organic matter into the soil. If you can get locally made compost, or if you make it yourself, or composted horse manure, add tons of it to the soil. Organic matter will add nutrients to the sand which has very little nutrient value. It will add moisture holding capacity to the sand. You will need to constantly add organic matter to the sand as it is consumed by the plant and microorganisms in the soil. You can even use the compost as mulch and you will leach nutrients into the soil every time it rains or you water the plant.

Some will say that compost in and of itself will be enough nutrition for the plant. I tend to supplement with a wide variety of fertilizers for my clematis. I have used granular slow release general garden fertilizer, grass clippings, alfalfa pellets, alfalfa tea, Miracle Gro applied to the plant itself and the ground (low nitrogen Miracle Gro-not something really high in nitrogen). Others swear by either rose or tomato fertilizer. You ask three different people who grow clematis, you will probably get 3 different answers. But regardless of the fertilizer, composted material of any sort will help you the most until you get the organic content of your soil up.

I give them the same thing I give my roses, compost, manure, alfalfa and Osmokote timed release fertilizer. Seems to work very well.

Carol

i heard there is a home made fertilizer for clematis does anyone know what this is? i would appreciate help.