I am moving this spring and plan to take the clematis that I planted in spring '05 with me. I noticed yesterday some growth buds are just starting to swell. Would this be a good time to dig them? I'm planning to pot them and grow them in containers till I have new homes picked out for them. I have C.montana grandiflora and C.montana 'Rubrum" (those are bigger, and may be kind of tricky), and 7 large flowered varieties, none of which are very big. Any recommendations or problems to be on the lookout for would be greatly appreciated :)
Also, a question about cuttings: I broke all the above ground growth off of 'Haku Ookan' yesterday; will cuttings struck now root? I went ahead and used rooting powder and have them in sand to root since I have nothing to lose by trying.
http://www.gardenvines.com/catalog/clematis-haku-ookan-p-75.html
Thanks in advance for any advice!
Neal
Moving clematis and taking cuttings...?
Neal..I would dig them up now and pot them up in one gallon pots...planting with some bonemeal...keep them moist!!..Then you can plant in your new home when you get there...I wouldn't bother trying to root the old vines off of your clematis that you broke if it was me...Jeanne
Thanks Jeanne, thats just what I was hoping to hear; breathing a sigh of relief that they can be moved successfully that way.
I assume the one I broke off at the ground will come back, but now I'll have to wait till it starts growing to find it and dig it. That is my concern with that one- that digging when growing could harm it, so if any of the cuttings will root I'll at least still have one. Might as well think positively, I may end up with the original and some babies to share :)
Neal;
I don't have experience in clem. cuttings. But if you plan to dig yours up. Be sure to dig deep. These vines have pretty extensive roots system. I have dug up my evergreen Clematis Armandii when I moved, and they did well, I managed to keep the rootball intact was the KEY.
Good lucks.
They are dug and in pots and I'm hoping for the best. My soil here is sandy, so it falls away from the roots. I'm going to give them a dose of root stimulator solution to hopefully counteract any damage I may have done to the roots. A couple were at the base of trees, so the roots had to be detangled from the tree roots.
The cuttings are in a cool, dark place now. I think warm temps may stimulate top growth, so hoping the cool temps will give the roots a chance to take off first. Curious to see :)