Clematis: Nelly at WallyWorld - question, 1 by ClematisGuru

ClematisGuru wrote:
don't dig it up, but you do need to make sure the soil is not eroded, or eroding and exposing the crown. i take a 12 to 18 inch diameter nursery pot, cut off the top 3 or 4 inches. place as a collar , or ring around the clem and embed it into the soild 2 or 3 inches. after the sprouts you see are a few inches higher, back fill the collar with enriched soil. good garden soil with some well composted enrichment. don't take a chance on still composting materials. but some composted enriched product like Nias Posy Power or what ever your garden store sells. wait a bit to let these tender shoot you see acclimate and harden off a little. when you put the composted enrichment in, do not pile it up on the stems, push it back slightly from the stems.
in the fall you can completely fill the collar again with the enriched material. you are in effect planting the clem deeper with out moving it. i have most of my clems planted this way. makes it easy to find them, and you can keep the soil level high. watering and other things can erode the soil.
most people have trouble with clems as the ones sold in chains and some general mail order are too small to be put out. if you buy any more, plant them in pots and enjoy them and then carefully put them out in the early fall if they are big enough. or overwinter in a garage with some light and monthly water, then plant them out next fall.
here is a pic of a young plant from spring 08 in the collar described. i have them on about 300 clems. makes care easier as you can locate, isolate, and feed with precision.
in the summer, i put mulch around the whole area, covering the rim of the collar. or you can plant impatiens or other small plants to mask the collar, or sink it further into the ground as the plant establishes.
good luck.