I bought two clematis this spring, Proteus and John Paul II. Proteus has taken off and grown like a champ, at least 40" tall, and is blooming. After about 7 weeks, John Paul II hasn't grown one single wit, and looks exactly the same as when I put him in the ground. I put him in an area that gets some shade, especially in mid-to-late afternoon intense sun, at the foot of a climbing rose, so they could share a trellis. Does his lack of growth mean he needs more sun? Do I need to give him a fertilizer boost? Everything else I planted in that bed is thriving, well amended soil, wood mulch (kept away from the stem.)
I am a clematis newbie, so any suggestions are welcome! The last time I tried clematis, two years ago, a rabbit ate it off to the ground. It just re-emerged after no sign of it last year at all, and is now almost 5 feet tall, so I guess they must be pretty hardy little plants. Now I just wish I had kept the tag, so I remembered what type I planted then! I keep checking for buds, knowing that I won't know what it is until it blooms!
Trying to figure out where else I could put John Paul, if the consensus is that he needs full sun, not partial shade. . .
Do I need to move my John Paul II to a sunnier spot?
Forgot to include the picture. This is when I planted it, in May, so I guess it hasn't been as long as I thought. It is still this exact same size, though without the blooms now.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/193536/
the pope can go full sun or partial. in partial the blooms have more pastel coloration than when they are in full sun.
the pope is very vigorous, but has a fussy streak and can die back and re grow several times in one season here at my place in zone 5. with the pope, i can never explain what caused the die back, it is not clematis wilt..just a mystery within the plant i think. always different variables to this. that said, it is pretty reliable and can grow 6 to 8 feet in a season with long lasting, meduim sized blooms of up to 6 or 7 inches across.
you mentioned a clematis disappearing..keep the spot marked for at least 18 months, or two seasons. some hardy but not vigorous plants can take awhile to come back.
