In my climate fall is ideal. I'm not familiar with colder climates, spring may be better. Someone who lives colder may have a better answer.

Moving them as soon as they break ground in spring works well, but if they have too much top growth it seems to set them back. I have moved and planted clematis right before the first snow and that doesn't seem to have any affect on them at all, which makes sense because they are dormant.

We have had the perfect growing year. There isn't a plant in my garden that is drought or heat stressed; I haven't had to water since May. I move some hosta, a few shrubs and a tree the other day and nothing showed any transplant shock, actually, the hosta look better since loosening the soilball around them.

Because of the weather as been so stellar this year, I am going to rearrange some clematis in a couple of weeks or as soon as I get a few other areas rearranged. I might even bareroot a clematis or two as a test. Then I'll fertilize everything with root-stimulator.

If you have had similar weather, I wouldn't be afraid to do it now, but fall works too.

I'm dealing with the same issue. I meant to move a couple of clematis this spring, but didn't get a chance to. The same thing will happen next spring, probably, since that's when I get really busy at work. So I'd like to move them either now or this fall--but to do so, I'll have to cut off a lot of their top growth. But...if I cut off a good amount of top growth, either now or in the fall, will they put too much energy into growing up, instead of settling into their new home? One is Polish Spirit, the other is Henryi. I planted them my first year gardening before I realized there were different types of clematis, and they are too close: Henryi is being swallowed by Polish Spirit and needs to be moved to have a fighting chance, and Polish Spirit is getting too big for where it's at, anyway.

Hi, I live fairly north and have planted some of the younger ones in late August and early September with good results. My thought would be to only remove the top growth necessary to detach it from it's supports. Replant slightly deeper and to mulch the crown well and water deeply on a regular basis to acclimate it to it's new home. Since the roots are already large and healthy they should have little trouble getting used to their new home without ill-affect before going dormant when the cold hits. It takes a while for the earth to become cold deep in the ground so I don't see why it shouldn't do well with the extra blanket of mulch.

I have around 100 clematis and over the years have found that moving them during the growing season is somehow better that late winter/early spring, though it doesn't immediately make intuitive sense. I keep thinking that moving them in April when they're dormant would be easier on them, but it takes them so long to adjust for me. The ones I move between July and November, though they don't perform much that year, always come back much stronger the next year than the ones moved while dormant in the late winter/

My thought here is that they then have more time for the roots to adjust to their new area and develop some strength before going dormant, giving them a burst of strength in the spring.

tracyvine and michael_in_chicago, thank you both! I will go ahead and move my two clematis soon then, rather than waiting.

Now that you mention it, Michael, of all the clematis I moved or planted last year, the ones that were planted earlier in the year grew far better this year than the ones planted later or moved this spring. Actually, the clematis I planted late showed little to no root growth when I moved them out of the holding bed this spring.

Even though the end of July sounds like a bad time of year to move plants to gardeners in warmer climates, it's a good time for those of us in the northern part of the country. Six weeks from now will be the middle of September.

Janet, I guess I'm thinking of developed clematis rather than smaller ones. They have the root system energy to reestablish and I know I'll keep them watered until fall. I think there's just more time to grow the roots, even into the cool fall and early winter, then they go dormant for that big push of growth. It does seem to work better.

Maybe being 4 hours north of you makes a difference, I don't know, but the clematis I put into the holding bed late last year didn't grow roots to any noticeable degree. That's why I want to move everything now - I will still get the warm weather growth.

I take it you pot up your small clematis and plant them in the ground in spring?

I am planning to do the samething. We are in the process of changing some of the gardens. How deep do I need to dig to get the roots? The one I am planning to move has been in the ground around 10 years or so. I have it growing on a 5 ft triapod. Can I dig it around and leave it on the support while I move it? My husband is home on vacation today so that would give me 2 more hands for the move.

You might be able to do that, or you could cut it down first to make it easier to handle. I only have gone down the depth of my shovel when I've moved clematis. You leave some roots, but that's never been a problem for me, except that I tend to get a new clematis in the old spot, as the roots regrow vines.

I have moved clematis in all seasons and they always have a set back, no matter how careful I am. We slighlty moved Warsaw Nike last fall and it is only a weak, smaller version of itself this year. It did bloom, but even the blooms were smaller. This was a huge clematis, so I am hoping that next year it will have recovered enough. Some I replanted, just didn't thrive so out they went. I mean, how long can you wait for these things to do something!!! I have about 45 at home, some do well from the start and others never do. Depending on the location, I may leave for various reasons, others are compost. I just replanted Mr. President yesterday. I dug him up 2 years ago, put him in a pot for a year and have just replanted him, so I hope he makes it. Otherwise, more compost. With clematis being on sale everywhere these days, I am getting too old to play with them and baby them. I give them 3 years and if nothing too much happens, COMPOST. There are so many new varieties to try, so I am never sad. I just dumped Miss Bateman and never again.

Charlotte