Transplanting and planting a clematis

14 years ago

I bought a Piilu last year and planted it only to read later on that I was suppose to plant it 3 to 4" deep. Can I dig it up and replant in the same spot but deeper? or is it too late? Also, I special ordered it at the nursery from Monrovia and when it arrived it was a monster! Lush, tall and big! I'd say that it was about 3 or 4' tall. I know that it blooms on old and new wood but now I also know that I am suppose to prune it all the way back the first couple of years. Should I prune it back even though it has lot of canes from the bottom and seems really lush?

Also, I am buying from Monrovia a Nelly Moser this spring and want to make sure that I plant it correctly :) After I plant it 3 to 4" deep do I immediately prune it down to 6" or do I wait to do that in the Spring? I know that you aren't suppost to cut it back after the third year but I am wondering about the first and second year.

Thanks!

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Comments (5)

greenhavenrdgarden
14 years ago
This morning I transplanted 2 clematis that I had bought and planted last fall (I changed my mind about location). I was surprised to find 8 brand new stems on my Julia Correvon just beneath the surface ready to poke through. I carefully moved it and I am sure she's ok. If you need to replant (and it sounds like you do), the sooner the better. Good luck!
mnwsgal
14 years ago
Go ahead and dig it up and replant it while it is still dormant this spring. You may lose early spring blooms but the plant should give you some blooms later in the summer/fall.

Even with a large root system in the pot those roots still need to get established in the garden. I would prune it back hard the first year and if it is lush with multiple canes the next year would prune it according to its regular pruning requirements the next time.

You do not need to prune your Nelly Moser right away after planting. Many of us won't give up seeing the buds turn into blooms and wait to cut our newly planted clematis until after the first flush of blooms.
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melaroma
Original Author
14 years ago
We have been having a really warm winter (mostly in the 40s) and my Piilu already has new growth on the top. I think that between the warm winter and the fact that it is planted next to the foundation of the house it is thinking that it is already spring. Can I still move it or should I wait until this fall? I was so looking forward to the double blooms in Spring and I would hate to jeopardize that.

Do you think that I would loose the first set of blooms if I move it now? What if I take a Huge chunk of dirt with it? I could try to dig a moat around it and then carefully start digging under it with out disturbing the roots as much as possible to try and bring it down bit by bit since it will be placed back into the same spot... Amazing the things that we do for blooms.

I also think that I planted it in August or September so the roots might not have spread much....

Thanks.
mnwsgal
14 years ago
I would move it now. You might lose the first set of blooms but you might not. Good luck.
buyorsell888
14 years ago
I would move it now.

Clematis are not instant gratification plants. It is best to do all you can in the beginning to get them off to a good start for the future. They are capable of living many years. You do not want a scraggly Clemmie with few vines. You want to plant the deeper and cut them back often to encourage as many vines as possible. You aren't going to get maximum flowers for several years anyway.