Two clematis to switch places

18 years ago

Hi, I have an issue: I need two of my clemies to switch places:

One is "Pink Fantasy", type 3, was planted 3 months ago, grew about 4 vines and about 5 foot tall, now is setting buds and open blooms, is behind a little rose bush ( Sea Foam) and between roots of a darn mulberry tree growing outside the yard. She's tied up to the fence by an intricate network of ropes that I create as she's growing up. If I move her, she will surely get all broken.

The other, planted about 3 weeks ago, purchased reduced and out of pity, the tag says: Warsaw Nike/Miss Curie, so possibly two clems there. This one was pitiful and I didn't think of trying to separate the plants, I don't know if I could, as there were about 6 very short vines, some growing tall but all broken. I put her at the base of the house. She is now putting out new little green leaves/sprouts, seems to have came back to life.

Problem is, Pink Fantasy gets afternoon sun, and the flowers ( pink) fade to dirty white and look bad.

Warsaw Nike ? Miss V. Curie seems to be a purple, also sets a bud now, Might be two clems in one hole, gets morning sun, purple will look bad against the dark red brick wall of the house.

So I would like to dig them both up to switch places.

I read controversial posts about spring/fall being the best time to move clems....

I expect rain in the next week, temps no higher than mid twenties ( celssius). I was thinking to dig them out and switch places now, before they get too established.

I am particularly concerned about Pink Fantasy, growing big and among roots of trees. She will be a pain to dig out, was a pain to dig in too, with all the roots that I encountered..... She's 3 month old in the ground now.... I don't know what to do.... she's a vigurous grower, but she really doesn't look too good where she is.

The other one had many big roots coming out of pot ( maybe because two clems?) but obviously mishandled and badly neglected on the shelf at the store.... Also the leafes coming out, on one vine they are singles, on another vine they are three-lobed. The rest of the vines don't have leaves,they are just starting to get green now.

Could I dig them out now? should I wait for later in the summer? next spring? Will the moving set them back another year? I dont know what to do, but sure this arrangement will not work out, color wise.

Sorry for the long post, and please advise me if you can,

thank you!

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Comments (7)

buyorsell888
18 years ago
If you think you can keep them thoroughly moist you can do it now. I have found that moving them did set them back but sometimes it has to be done.

I had to move Hagley Hybrid because the fading flowers looked awful.
charlottev
18 years ago
I have moved plenty of clems and I can tell you that they all get set back at least a year. Some don't make it at all. I moved Hagley Hybrid to a shadier spot and it took 3 years before she was completely happy. The other one I moved died. What I do now if I have to move them is that I dig them up, put them in gallon pots and pamper them. I overwinter them in the vegetable garden and I might do this for two years, making sure to fertilize them with tomato fertilizer in the spring. I moved clematis Miss Bateman 3 years ago and she still only sends out 2 to 3 shoots and never flowers. I keep thinking next year will be better, but it never is. This fall I am going to replace her with something else as it is just too frustrating. I replaced 3 clems this spring and I am glad I did. The replacements are thriving and blooming well. sometimes no matter what you do, the clems just don't produce and unless it is a very rare one, I will get rid of it.

Charlotte
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adiro
Original Author
18 years ago
Thank you for answering me! Charlotte, I was impatient and after seeing only the reply from Buyorsell888 I decided to give it a try.
I started with the one that was two clems in one hole , planted only three weeks ago at the base of the house. Dig it out, separated the roots: what I found ( I put this here for others searching the forum, maybe it's not of interest, but anyway): One of the two mixed in the same galon pot, and initially planted together, was strong, with 4 vines and good roots. One was weak, one stem that I also broke, and a horrible tangle of pink worms in between all her roots. No wonder it didn't grow.... I don't know if they were earth worms or something else, they were all very squirmy when I removed them. Gross!

I decided I woun't get too sentimentally attached to this clems, and just planted them again. Not at the base of the house, where I also found that the depth of the earth was very shallow.

I started but didn't have the heart to go on and dig Pink Fantasy out. She's 3 month in the ground, 5 foot tall, lots of vines and now quite a few buds. She seemed too established to disturb, I just put some manure in the hole I dig around her....When I started digging, I encountered some of her roots far away from the centre point... so she stays where she is, I can't muster enough courage to move her now... maybe next year. But after reading the reply above, I don't know if I want to kill her just because I don't like her color too much, where she is...

So frustrating, I've never done gardening before, and now that I started, I picked up on the most difficult plants: clematis and roses.....maybe I should have stayed with some cheerful annuals and that's it...
janetpetiole
18 years ago
I wouldn't worry about killing your clematis - there is no way of knowing if it will die or not, and besides, why have it if you can't enjoy it? Your reason for moving it is a good one.
opheliathornvt zone 5
18 years ago
I would go ahead and move the Pink Fantasy first thing in the spring. It sounds like it's fairly large and healthy at 5', and in the spring, they're raring to go, so I think you have a good chance to get it out without losing it. And as Janet says, you have a good reason to move it.
daisy735
18 years ago
I agree that clems really could be moved just about anytime you need to and have the energy for the digging. With luck and special attention the transplants should make it. They have lots of roots which incidently you may not get all of. I moved a blue H.F. YOUNG and replaced it with a cream colored GUERNSEY QUEEN. 2 years later I have both colors in the same space. Roots I transfered away are a huge vine now and roots I didn't completely remove have also become a good sized vine again. Actually its a good surprise because the off white vine blooms and then rests, and the blue takes over. Just that I didn't consider that happening. If you have many roots, Pink Fantasy may insist on staying put!
adiro
Original Author
18 years ago
Charming answer, Daisy735, your story sounds so encouraging! I'll follow Ophelia's advice, and move her next spring, then I'll have reason to cut her off the support anyway, due to pruning.... Until then I'll let her grow big and live with it. Funny, Pink Fantasy is described as a compact container variety, but for some reason in my yard it's the biggest growing clematis ( they are all newly planted). Thank you all for your help!