What size pot is the clematis in now? I had gallon sized type III Clems reach 7' their first seasons after hard pruning when planted. They were sparse but that tall and I pinched too.

If your plant is in a two inch or four inch pot it will likely take longer....

It is now planted in a 22 inch diameter pot (deep too) with the crown about 3 inches down, and at a 45 degree angle :) Should do well in that pot.

Here she is just planted

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I need to figure out a way to attach something thinner on the umbrella trellis that she can climb on. I think the trellis structure is too wide for her to grasp?

I forgot to mention that she came from Joy Creek in a gallon sized pot.

Be very careful and mindfull that with that type of trellis and by being in a pot if a wind storm should come up once she gets to growing and climbing the trellis can without have any kind of support turn over due to high winds, the trellis can pull right up and out of the pot along with breaking every stem on the Clematis OFF. Don't ask me how I know this? I really do not like reliving that moment. Sandy

Yes, that trellis looks too thick for her to climb easily.

I never thought about that Sandyl! What sort of trellis should I look for? Maybe just let her climb the big oak tree near her? Probably a better idea!

buyorsell, that's what I thought too. Oh well, maybe I'll find some use for that trellis someday lol.

Well I'm not sure what kind of pot you have her in by the picture, don't know if it is concrete, plastic or other, but if that pot has a big enough hole in the bottom I would be included to get a piece of rebar, maybe a four or five foot section of rebar and drive maybe 2 feet of the rebar in the ground if the hole in the center of the pot was big enough and then slide the pot down over the rebar as support and leave a as much of the rebar as possible going up the center of the trellis and you then could support the trellis to the rebar. If the pot is big enough and is 22" inches across the top, well that size pot should hold close to 2 or 3 or more five gal buckets of soil,that would substain your clematis for a long time. But if the pot only has one hole and is concrete please make sure you don't plug that up with the rebar, the pot needs to drain for sure. If the pot is plastic you can drill more holes in the bottom for drainage with a drill and you can also make the center hole big enough for the rebar.

It's fiberglass and I drilled several more holes in the bottom before I planted it.

Well, I found a whiskey barrel so MJC is now planted in that. That one won't blow over! The trellis will come out before that'll happen lol.
She'll have much more room to grow in too.

For my clematis' in these circular type trellis, I take 1 or 2 long Buddleia stalks from my cut back shrub pile and shove them into the pot in the middle of the trellis. The clems climb the branchlets and in time obscure the stalks.

Paula, I've used thin branches I've found around the yard to stake up some of my newer mini roses. Works like a charm and don't have to spend a dime! :)

36" structure can't hold many clematis vertically..that is only 3 feet tall..My MJC gets about 11 feet tall...maybe one of Evison's patio clematis but not most...I have clematis on the larger Umbrella Trellis from J&P and they do just fine...Jeanne