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I need some advice regarding Clematis, the vine. I've got it growing up my rear deck, and while there are some flowers, the vine is spindly. The vine comes out of the ground, and is bare, with no leaves, until it gets about 2 feet up my deck. Maybe it's planted in the wrong place? It gets little sun there, and is shaded by pine trees. Now, I can't think of the name of it......Jackmanii ? is that it? It has deep purple flowers. Should I dig it up now and move it to a more sunny place?
Clematis is one of those plants that needs cool roots -- not wet, but cool -- and lots of sunshine in order to keep blooming. Mine struggled until I read that somewhere. Plant other annuals or perennials at the base of the clematis, with similar water requirements, at least until the clematis thickens-up some and can shade its own lower half.
Mine was at the mailbox, and I would just carry my little snippers out with me when I went to get the mail, and would cut back the dead blooms. Study the vine to see where to snip. Dead-heading encourages more blooms. About mid-summer, you can give it a little boost with some plant food.
I don't think my clematis did much to make me 'proud' until about its third year, either. I love the stuff, though, and have seen it just go wild in the right location with the right conditions.
That is what I was going to say (RDSLOTS). It took a few years for mine to start really taking off. Yours must be realtively new. Yes.. they like cool feet. Mine does pretty well even in more shade than it should have.
How does it transplant? I put one in last year. It bloomed once this year, and gets good afternoon sun, but reading the comments here leads me to think that it may need a different location. I'd like to move it in late fall, if it will transplant well. What do you think?
I always whack mine way back in early spring..down to about a foot or less from the bottom. It's now growing big and bushy and is full of buds. It is in a semi-shady area.
You can transplant clematis, southward bound, but I would wait until cool weather in the Fall. Cut the vine back, considerably, and then move it.
You can keep its roots cool with other perennials and annuals planted at its feet, and keeping a good, thick layer of mulch around it. Mound the mulch, though, like you would around the base of a tree, however, keeping it slightly away from the vine's contact with the ground. Mine stayed cool enough with other plants shading its base -- zinnias, some salvia, sage, and some vincas.
When you move the clematis, it will be like starting over again, with a new vine. They seem to take at least a summer to establish themselves, so don't be too disappointed, especially if it hasn't been in its present location for more than a year. I have seen them go absolutely wild as they get older -- those are the vines I think people see, ooh and ah over, plant, and then wonder what's wrong with theirs. It just takes awhile.
[quote=RDSLOTS;3880922 I have seen them go absolutely wild as they get older -- those are the vines I think people see, ooh and ah over, plant, and then wonder what's wrong with theirs. It just takes awhile.[/quote]
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That's a bummer! I want mine to be think, lush, and loaded with huge flowers.....NOW....instead of this little spindly thing I've got. I think I'm moving mine tomorrow, and taking my lumps.
The first Clematis I ever bought and planted, I put on a trellis. It gets afternoon sun for about 7 hours. The roots were mulched and I allowed the horrible Creeping Charlie to sort of mound around it. We had a huge landscaping project going on and I had planted a bazillion things and sort of neglected this Clematis. It was roughly 2.5 feet tall when it was planted.
Well the next week, the bun-buns ravaged the entire thing. Ate it all the way to the roots. I thought it was toast. About 2 weeks later there was more growth and it began to climb the trellis. ANOTHER bunny attack that same season took it back to the roots again.
Last year, the same thing happened to it. It was mowed down three times. Twice by rabbits, once by me in the fall after the freeze.
This year, it is the thickest, fullest Clematis I've ever seen! I have Liquid Fence all over it and still keep it mulched at the roots. It has not been attacked by rabbits and it is going to be a profuse bloomer.
I think the reason it got this way was by cutting it back (either by me or rabbits) its first two years. This allowed the root system to explode.
I would make sure yours is getting a lot of sun. And as others have said, keep roots cool!
Good luck!
Last edited by Sarah Maske; 05-26-2008 at 08:04 AM..
Reason: typo!
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I want mine to be think, lush, and loaded with huge flowers.....NOW....instead of this little spindly thing I've got. I think I'm moving mine tomorrow, and taking my lumps. 
