Clematis: Clematis beginner needs advice, 1 by jlp222

jlp222 wrote:
There are alot more experienced Clematis fans here than I. Here is whatI usually do:

Buy clem. If it is a few years old, or already very well established, I put it outside.

If not (from a box store) I pot it up and put it in a window for the first year. I keep the vine trimmed back to get the roots going. Make sure when you water you do not get the vine wet, just the soil. You may want to bury the root/plant system a few inches deep so that if there is any breakage, you still have some of the vine under the soil. The next year, I plant the clem, usually in February or so. Being in 8b (as I am) this is a good time.

I did this with a Ms. Bateman last year. They were put into a contianer in February this year, with a trellis.

On the other hand, my first year gardening, I bought a Niobe from WalMart and dropped it directly into the soil next to my house. No amendments, nothing. Here is it it's 3rd year.

This message was edited Mar 26, 2009 6:10 PM