I have a very beautfil Clematis that is planted beside my mailbox. When we moved here 7 years ago, it was so scrawny that I almost pulled it up and threw it away. Instead, I clipped it back to the roots, and mulched it very well. Over the years, this plant has absolutely thrived. Actually, it has gotten too big for it's britches!
Several have asked me if they can have 'clippings' from it and/or if I will give them a piece of root.
The roots are huge! I have tried to cut threw them once, but to no avail. Does anyone have ANY advice on how to tackle this? I do not want to completely remove the clematis from it's present location, but it would be nice to transplant some of it's root system. Is this even possible? And when would be the best time to do it? Right now, late May, it is covered with big beautiful pale purple blooms. In years past, I cut it back down to the ground when it finishes blooming and it grows right back. By doing this, the clematis will bloom on into November.
Sorry for the length. Hope I didn't lose anyone. Thanks for any advice.
Dividing an established, very hardy Clematis
hi wrenn
i dont know about root division,but layering is easy and normally works really well for clematis
take a good healthy shoot,and bend until it touches the ground;peg in to place (i use old hairpins)or you can weight it with a stone;make sure the bend in the stem is covered with earth;leave to grow;when rooted,snip it off the parent plant and pot up
hope this helps
Wrenn, one of my issues of Garden Gate also suggested layering starting in late summer; this method is a two-season project:
Dig two shallow (2" deep) trenches extending out away from the plant, one from each side of your plant - be careful not to disturb the roots of your plant.
For the runners, select two vines near the outside edge of the plant, one on each side. Clip off all the leaves and lay them in the trenches, covering with soil.
By next spring, the runners will root and send up new growth wherever there was a leaf node, possibly blooming even that spring.
In late summer/early fall, you can dig up the runners, snipping them into individual plants each with a root and shoot, and transplant them.
If your friends can be patient enough to wait until next fall, they may be rewarded with a transplant that may bloom the very next spring for them. And you'll be able to give away several plants from just two vines of your own plant.
Thank you both so very much!!!! I will definitely try the layering.
Hopefully, someone will come along and help with the 'root' question. This one is so huge now and I wonder if it needs to be divided.
Again thanks!!!!
Wrenn
Karma,
~smile~ Well, I'm not you're normal gardener either. I'm really just getting my feet wet.
Should I wait until the clematis has finished blooming before undergoing this task? I'm going to get the digital camera out today and take a photo of it to post here. It really is gorgeous.
Thanks!
Wrenn
Took me a while, but I have uploaded a photo of my clematis vine. You can get a look at it in the Photos forum or in my Journal.
:)
Wrenn