I replanted my 4 new Bluestone babies into 1+ gallon pots and hard pruned them at the same time. All 4 are doing great. In fact, they all are doing better than 2 Clematis I purchased from the Silver Star Vinery.

I bought two before the sale and 3 more on the sale. I potted up all of them since they were small. I didn't prune any of them yet. None are "taking off", but all look healthy and have some small amounts of growth. Bought Venosa Violetta, Princess Diana, Jackmani, Huldine & Multi Blue.

I bought a Triternata Rubromarginata from Silver Star earlier this spring. It didn't look happy in the ground where I had it, so I took it out and put it in a pot. I figure I will over winter it, and then plant it when I get a proper, clay free bed built for it. But right now it's going gangbusters.

When you prune them it is common for them to sit a bit before pushing out new growth. You will find that they push out more stems than they had before which is the whole point.

Patience ladies..remember they sleep first..then creep and then leap in the 3rd year..yours are babies and are sleeping whilest they let their roots grow...Jeanne

Here here to what both BorS and Jeanne said. Let the plants concentrate on root growth. What I have seen of Bluestone's plants from previous purchases is that the plant needs to develop the root system before expecting much top growth.

I bought 5 clem during their May sale, and one has already bloomed (Duchess of Albany). Gravetye Beauty is growing like crazy, and Huldine, Mme Julia, and Venosa Violeacea are just sitting there thinking about growing. I also bought a Palette clem from Silver Star and planted it in the same bed as Duchess. It's not doing much compared to Duchess--it's definitely no where near blooming. I am absolutely pleased with my Bluestone buy and totally wish I had bought more!

There is always this fall grnthumber. Duchess of Albany is a very vigorous grower in my garden so I am not surprised by its growth. Wait until it has been in the ground for a year or two and you will be surprised.

I'm planning on adding 5 more clem this fall, and I'm definitely going with Bluestone's. Any chance they have a fall sale as good as their spring sale?

As far as I remember, Bluestone does not have fall sale for their Clematis.
My Bluestone babies are still doing much better than 2 Clematis from Silver Star Vinery I planted at the same time (2 months ago).

Alina, what do you mean by doing much better? If you are judging doing better by meaning putting on a lot of top growth, that is not a good way to measure and it sure isn't what I would want my newly planted clematis to do. I would want newly planted clematis to minimize top growth and concentrate on their roots getting settled in and developed. That in the long run is going to give you a bigger more vigorous plant than one that concentrates a lot of its energy putting out rampant top growth.

How do you get them to do what you want, Miguel, yell at them?
lol

Keep them cut back so they branch constantly and thereby limit their vertical growth Janet.

Janet, I just give them a very stern look and a 'talking to' They generally comply!

Are you telling me that you keep cutting back your vines? How long do you do this?

For young clematis that are tiny to begin with, I grow them out in a one gallon pot. If I didn't continually pinch them back until they were planted in the ground, I would have to put one long stake in the pot! :0

For older clematis in the ground(and when I have the time), I like pinching out the growing tips after each stem has developed 3 to 5 sets of leaves. I normally do this until the plant is 4 feet tall or so and then it is allowed to do its thing. I am fickle though and am not fanatical about it. You know how spring intentions are! You start out swearing you will do this or that, things come up, and you deal with the ambiguity.

For young clematis potted up to grow out, I generally let the clematis get 6 to 8 inches or so tall and then I pinch out the growing tips after the stems have 1 to 2 leaf sets. Makes for a more compact clematis that doesn't require a super long stake and allows the plant to develop more roots. For the ones I have done this to, I generally have started them with this regime in the spring and they are ready to plant out in the fall.

I have been trying to keep all of mine pinched back as they grow too. I'm very happy with the results. I refuse to have long scraggly vines with few flowers again.

BorS, I guess no matter how many times we both say prune, prune, prune, people still must think we are joking!!

I'll tell you what made a believer out of me, last year I cut a type II clematis (Lemon Chiffon) down to the ground in August, I was sick of the nasty looking leaves and was going to dig it up. Lo and behold, before I could get around to digging it up, it put out a ton of new growth, climbed right back up it's trellis and was blooming into December! Now I whack them with abandon :-)

Carol

Glad you are singing in the same choir Carol!

Jennie, I've been afraid to get stern with my clematis, although I did threaten the Multi Blue this year. It actually listened.

Miguel, I don't think anyone thinks you are joking, it's just that sometimes, with all that pinching and cutting we are suppose to do, it's hard to image having vines at all. I know that is not true, but sometimes taking a clippers to them gives a person the shakes. lol

I bought 6 of them in may. I have been pinching them back a couple of them are really full. a couple of them have only put out new grown on 1 or 2 stems. I have not gotten any new shoots like I was hoping. I also have a clematis firework that when I pruned it back after the first flush and only 1 stem out of 5 put off any new growth. This one has never done well for me. I am thinking about replacing it with a viticella, but I hate to give up on it.

Jody

Sometimes I wonder if you can just get a "bad" clematis. I have one NOID that has never had but one cane. I cut it back, the one cane comes back up and blooms. Very aggravating. I grow roses and I have had plants that were wimpy, ill looking plants and never got any better. I replaced them with another plant of the very same rose and it did beautifully. Wonder if it is the same in the clematis world??

Carol

I have Fireworks and Crystal Fountain both only with one vine from the crown. Both planted deep on an angle. Both hard pruned twice this year and pinched in between. Both branching like crazy off of that one vine but still only one vine from the crown bothers me.

they were both gallons when I bought them but only one vine sprouted after last summer's drought and winter.

Be brave and just do it Janet. The plant will appreciate it. LOL

Patience is the key bleudolphin. If they are plants you purchased just this spring, they may be concentrating on root development and not top growth. I think you are expecting too much too soon. Give them time.

Could be Carol. If the plant that was used for the vegetative propagation was somewhat wimpy, if the grower did not treat it right while it was growing up, or if the plant doesn't like your garden site, it may never be as big and full as one that didn't have the three strikes against it.

BorS, how long have you had these plants? Again, perhaps they are getting acclimated to your garden and time will change things. Also try watering with alfalfa tea since it contains stimulants that will supposedly induce more stem development from the crown. Last year's drought and winter may also have had a negative impact on them. Time will tell.

I bought them both last summer. I'm sure over time they will put up additional stems. I'll have to try the alfalfa tea.

BorS, give the alfalfa tea a try and report back. It is supposed to be chocked full of nutrients and vitamins so it can't hurt.

Will do

I got 3 clems inthe May sale. I potted them in gallon pots and placed them under the branches of my Miss Huff lantana. They are very happy there and are very slowly branching and leafing out. I was told , when I asked on this forum, to winter them in the pots and plant in the spring. I think I will do that as they seem so happy. I hope I don't mess up when I try to "plant" a gallon pot. Do I pinch /cut them back before I it frosts ? Or wait til they look brown. Thanks , Caroline

Caroline, if the plants' roots are coming out of the bottom of the pots or are at least visible in the bottom holes by this fall, I would go ahead and plant them then instead of waiting until spring. Each clematis is going to grow at different rates and you can't really predict what size any clematis will get over the course of the growing season--too many factors come into play.

Fall planted clematis tend to do better in the warmer zones because the plants get acclimated and settled in during the cooler days of autumn and then are ready to go and get growing the following spring. Spring planted clematis don't have as much time to get acclimated prior to the arrival of hot weather. If this year is any indication of how hot and dry it can get, that is another reason to get them in the ground in the fall if they are large enough to survive there rather than waiting until spring.

There is no way to mess up planting a one gallon sized pot versus planting a smaller sized plant. The planting rules/guidelines are the same.

As for your pinching back question, I am unsure of what type of pruning back you are referring to. Do you mean when should you quit pruning/pinching back to encourage branching this fall or are you referring to the cutting back of your clematis that most people do in the late winter/early spring?

As far as pinching back and pruning clematis, I think there is an exception (from my experience)for clematis in deep shade. I cannot cut or prune clematis in my backyard shady forest area without killing them. :-) They DON'T grow back.
I killed a Sweet Autumn Clematis by pruning it fairly moderately 2 years in a row. In a shady spot, it could not recover sufficiently to generate growth.
I think the severe pruning and pinching may work in very sunny conditions only...not sure....just a supposition. I just know it does not work here in a deciduous forest site at a high elevation.

Weird. Most of my Clematis are not in full sun and every one I've pruned severely has come back just fine. I don't really have full sun. My yard is surrounded by huge fir trees (60-80'tall) and arborvitae hedges (15-20' tall)

Some of my clematis get morning sun only and have never had an issue with pinching back. I think something else is at play with your clematis Tom--perhaps too much root competition from the surrounding wooded area resulting in the plants not getting enough water and nutrients. I cannot imagine that shade alone is causing the issue.

Hey Nick..I have been out of town so just checking back. I just wondered if I should decrease the vining that has taken place on these babies before the frost/freeze kills it or just put them in the ground as is? They have about 12 in of greenery on each plant. I have not checked for exposed roots on the bottom yet. They have sure shown that they can take the heat though. Thanks for all the great help you give. Caroline

Caroline, I would plant them as is. No need to prune back any of the top growth unless it has gotten tangled up into a knot or is intertwined with nearby plants. If the root system has been able to support the top growth that it currently has in the hot weather that our neck of the woods has been experiencing, then I am sure they will be able to do so in the ground!