I think the people we bought our place from about 3 years ago had added a number of new plants to the landscaping to help sell the property, and now I've decided I need to start planning to move some of them. I have a large, unruly clump of 2 different clematis vines that are contantly falling down off the old stump they were planted in front of.
My question is this. Is it safe to chop the vines down, say about a foot from the ground, this fall so I can get a good look at exactly what I'm dealing with? I believe I'll find multiple plants in there and trying to sort out those long, brittle stems will be a nightmare!
Thanks for any help. :-)
Need to relocate some clematis.
have you seenthem thru a bloom season? if you could watch them for a full year before moving them you would have an idea of the vigor, color, habit etc to help you make a good choice of location.
have you considered a support right there for them so you don't have to move them? maybe some shrubs they can grow on as part of a grouping or border?
if all that fails, yes cut them to about 2 feet, move them...digging deeper and wider than you ever have before in a whole even deeper and wider that you have prepared. bottom and back fill with amended soil. before the plant is back filled completely fill the hole up like a swimming pool several times..when it is draining the last time, back fill with the ammeded soil completely , making sure the plant is planted at least an inch, maybe 2 or 3 inches deeper than the soil like was previously on the plant.
now, prune even more removing half the stems at the ground, taking the other ones to a nice cut above a node or leaf axil. keep her wet every other day for a few weeks if you can and then nature will do the rest. best to do this final prune after she is in the new hole.
i am assuming it is a pretty big clematis which is what this advice is based on.
amend soil with sand, perlite or vermiculite,bagged sterile manure based compost and some bone meal if you are a bone meal person. ( i rarely use bone meal) chop up the soil you remove from the hole with these goodies in to a nice mixture.
wish i was there to see them and help. can you post pic of them as they are now if you have not moved them yet?