Harry..Nice to see you over here!!(Love your Roses and always enjoy your postings)..Your Clematis "Betty Corning" is of the viticella group which is pruning group 3..Hard Prune..they rarely succumb to wilt..Usually any tiny clematis are recommended to be potted up in a one gallon with some bonemeal and babied till the roots come out of the bottom before planting in your garden..but I have had success just planting them out directly like you did...your other clematis is probably suffering from lack of water..clematis LOVE to have their roots stay moist (to ensure this..always plant your new clematis 2-4 inches deeper than the pot they came in) and that is critical especially for a baby clematis with so much ground around them..also, sun can be the culprit..I would recommend watering more ....Jeanne

Small clems same as babies needs lots of time and attention.
More shade, less water, more compacted soil- anything could make the difference. And small clems actually seems to prefer small pots where roots can get bound and twisted- somehow it makes them stronger- and no, I did not discover it myself but found on Donahue website and can confirm by my practical experience. Also I use technic to repot them several times in bigger pots and at same time I bury them deeper and deeper which produces more stems as they grow and ready to be planted out.
I would agree, water them well, feed them well- clems are heavy feeders. As much as you might like your first bloom- cut it off and let plant to send more energy into roots.

It is definitely not for lack of water. I check them daily and they are heavily mulched. Both are planted in a mixture of sifted soil, peat humus and composted manure. With a little lime mixed in. The planting holes were 18 x 18 and the original soil was great loam to start with. They couldn't be any happier in a pot.

It is hard to identify a reason because there are 2 in identical conditions. Just 36" apart, one is growing while the other is just sitting there. Maybe the seven straight days of rain we are experiencing will jump start the reluctant one.

Hi!
I also have two baby clematis, but since I've never grown clematis before, I apparently didn't do the right thing with them. Instructions that came with the plants said to go ahead and put them in the ground. They were in 1" pots. So...I am probably going to dig them up and repot them in 1 gallon containers. When I do this, what kind of soil should I use? For my potted annuals, I normally use something like a Miracle Grow slow release fertilizer potting soil. Would this work for Clematis? Also, I see that some people say they put their clematis in a basement/garage during the winter. Since I live in the deep south, should I still try to put them in the garage/basement or would they be better off staying outside? Even though it is the deep south, we do get freezing temperatures...rarely, but it would be my luck that this upcoming winter is the one that ends up actually requiring us to wear a heavy overcoat! Another question is how long does it normally take a baby to produce enough roots in a 1 gallon pot to be considered ready for transplant.

My plants are Clematis Moonlight (white) and Crimson Star (red).

Thanks a heap!
Beverly

Beverly..yes, you should plant your baby clematis in a one gallon pot and plant them 2-4 inches deeper than what you had them in the ground or that one inch pot..put a handful of Bonemeal in with the baby clematis (Your Miracle Grow Potting soil will be just great to use!!)...Clematis roots need to stay moist...you are only one zone colder than me and your clematis can survive outside...what I did last year was dig a hole and dropped my one gallon pot into the ground and let it spend the winter there...then next Spring it was "Grown-up" enough to be planted directly into my gardens..the way you can tell a clematis is ready to leave the one gallon pot is when you see roots starting to come out of the bottom..you just take a screwdriver and stick in the holes on the side/bottom of the pot and loosen to take the clematis out..where ever you sink your one gallon pot with your clematis in it..make sure and don't forget to water...come spring..it should be a happy chappy and grow beautifully for you!!

Beverly,
If you will use the Miracle-Gro mixture, use the one with moisture control. Clems like to stay moist. This mixture + mulch work really well for my potted babies.

Thanks!
I just feel so badly for those poor little guys since I feel I didn't give them a good enough start from the beginning. I wish I had found this forum before I planted them, but at least now I know what to do thanks to all of you. I'll be sure to get the moisture control mix, too.

Again, Thanks!
Beverly