Okay, even though I've seen y'all comment about how hard it is to establish clematis from bare root plants, I caved in yesterday and bought a box at Sam's Club. It was only $14 for 5 plants - a mix of Belle of Woking and Multi-Blue - both varieties I already wanted. I figured for $14 it was worth a try!
So, now I come to you for tips on how to get these clemmies growing! The instructions on the box just say to plant in a pot or in the ground and water, etc. I looked online and the only other tip I found was to soak the roots before planting - one place said an hour, another said 24 hours.
Does anyone have any tips or experience to relate on how to get these plants going? My plan is to put them into pots, at least for now, so I can monitor them and get roots established before putting them into the ground.
Any help would be appreciated!
Valerie
Growing clematis from bare roots
Valerie..valerie..valerie..LOL..girl..I know now tempting it is..been there and done that..Ok..many years ago when I didn't know squat about growing clematis..My first endeavor was a bare root....dingy me put all three in the ground (and yes soak them overnight)..ONLY one made it...BUT, I planted it two inches from the bubbler in that bed from my sprinkler system..what dumb luck!!You will need to soak overnight..then plant in a small pot (not even a one gallon) with some bonemeal in the there..keep moist..the only problem with bare roots is you get your leap year in year 4 maybe 5...and hopefully they send you viable roots..some companies send some that are deader than a doornail..I wish you luck hon and keep us abreast of how they do...If they flourish in the new pot and you see roots starting to come out of the bottom..I'd repot into a one gallon and grow them out in that before attempting to plant into your gardens...Jeanne
This message was edited Apr 2, 2008 11:02 AM
Thanks Jeanne! I knew I could count on you. What can I say? The addiction is taking over....I've got 2 new ones being delivered from Silver Star this week, just got those 5 in a box last night and I'm STILL browsing the online shops and drooling! lol. It's bad. Very, very bad. :D
I know it'll be hard, but for $14 for 5 plants, it's worth the try. It's okay if it takes a while - if even one makes it, it would have cost me more than that to order it online. The box says they are guaranteed to grow, although I don't know if I'd go to the bother of trying to collect if they don't. lol.
So, let me make sure I've got this right:
1. Soak roots overnight - just plain water? Or anything special?
2. Plant in a small pot with potting soil and bone meal
3. Keep moist
3. Transplant to gallon pot when roots come out of the bottom
4. Transplant to garden when roots grow out of gallon pot
Right?
If they do okay in the small pot, do you think they'd be moving to a larger pot this year, or will it take over a year to get them into a larger pot? Just wondering, so I have a gauge for appropriate progress.
Yes...just soak in plain ole water..it's quite possible they can be repotted from the little pot to the one gallon by this fall...and if so ..I would dig a hole in my garden and drop the one gallon pot in and pull the soil around and let rest there over winter...You've understood my directions purrrrfectly...Jeanne
Thank you!! I'll keep my fingers crossed and hopefully will be posting pics of growing little plants in the future!
Too funny- my mom just came home with the same pack of clematis from Sam's (only she got the President). So I strolled over to the clematis forum to see if I could find information about how to grow them from bare roots. So thank you for asking Valerie!! And thank you for answering so thoroughly Jeanne. :)
Lol. It's going around.... ;)
Be sure to post pics of hers as well!
I've bought them that way from BJ's, another big box company, and they all lived and thrived, maybe too well. Good luck with them. You might want to contact Zarebeth on the cow pot co-op thread and see if you can buy 25 four inch pots so you could start them in those pots (made of processed manure and, no, they don't stink!) indoors for a time and outdoors for summer, moving them on to a gallon pot when the roots escape the cow pots. I have mine growing now in the basement from a deal too good to resist at Home Depot. At $4.97 I'm happy with them and they've grown new shoots in 4 days time, under lights. I'll take photos and post them later.
I opened the box this evening and this is what they look like. I'm assuming the white part is the root, is that right? Should I soak the whole thing or just the root? Will it hurt it if I just put the whole thing in water?
Soak the root.
Soak in water and then plant in a 1 gallon container with well amended potting soil. Also, add in a handful of bone meal to encourage root development.
Yep - got that part. My question is, is the white part the root, or is the brown, dried up looking part the root? I'm guessing the white part, but just would like clarification.
Also, is it important to *only* soak the root part, or can I just plunk the whole thing in a bowl and call it good?
The white is the new sprout, the brown is the root.
Edited to add: When the sprout is white like that, if you put it in direct sunlight, it will shrivel and burn, it needs shade to adjust, and turn green.
This message was edited Apr 3, 2008 10:46 AM
2zeus is right.
Ahh! See? That's why I come to y'all.
Thank you for the info. I'll start soaking tonight and potting tomorrow night!
I'm glad someone told you the white wasn't the root!!!! I bought Clematis from Wayside about 5 years ago. Let me tell you, they were expensive and what I got wasn't any better than what you have. They are still alive tho!!! But if it hadn't been for Daves they wouldn't be looking good now. I never hard pruned the group 2's and just had little wimpy fines. Now they're growing multible vines and this year, for the first time since I've been on Daves I pruned the 2's as 2's and should have some great flowers this year!
Anyone who knows, correct me if I'm wrong, but would it benifit her babies to prune them back during the summer and just keep em short to encourage more roots?
Debbie
Yes! It would encourage a fuller clematis.
Yes Debbie..You are correct...pinch out the tops on her bare root clematis leaving just a few leaves will encourage her new babies to focus on growing their roots and not vines..you have learned well..Obi One Kanobi!!..Jeanne
Lol. Thanks for the additional info. I got them soaking last night, and even managed to find a container where they wouldn't soak the tops, just the roots. I'll pot them up tonight (with some bone meal, of course).
I'm thinking of putting them outside on my front porch, in the shaded, protected area (kind of a doorwell area) so they can start acclimating to being outside, but not getting any direct sun or real weather yet.
Let me know if anybody sees any problems with that plan! I can try to keep them indoors, but if I do that, they have to stay in a room with no windows, otherwise the cats will trash them, so they wouldn't get any natural light at all.
You plan sounds Perfect!!
I couldn't help but crack up when reading this post!!! Hahaha - Obi One Kanobi!!!
This forum is so great and has so many helpful people!
Yes, all of us Paduan Learners come here for help from the Jedi Masters!! They know the ways of the force well. ;)
Oops. I think my geekiness is showing....
Quick update - the bare root clems are doing well. All of their little white vines have started greening up and one has even sprouted some leaves!
Great!