I don't see anything in your pictures to indicate that you are doing anything wrong. You actually seem to have a lot of growth and flowers on first year plants. Clematis are notoriously slow to get going.

Clematis often react badly to transplanting. They also often get brown and crispy in summer. They often wilt all the way down too.

The rocks you've placed on all of their root zones are not necessary and may even radiate heat rather than keeping the root zone cool which really means moist.

Did you plant them deep? They should be planted 2-4" deeper in the ground than they are in the nursery pot.

I always cut mine way back when I plant them too. I let them bloom in the pots and then whack and plant. It may be too late in your zone to prune hard, I don't know. I just hard pruned a couple of mine to six inches yesterday that had a lot of fungus.

I thought I read that it was a good idea to shade the root area with rock or something like it. I did plant them a couple inches deeper then the pot when I planted them. The big blue one has really done well and it only gets about 2 hours of full afternoon sun. The three in the front of the house get several hours of afternoon sun and I am concerned that it may be too intense for them since one is wilting and the other is dry and crispy. I wondered if I should prune them all back after they get done blooming. Thank you for your response.

I do not know if there is still time in your zone to prune them all down after they are done blooming. I know there is in mine but I have no experience with a colder zone.

You may have read about using a rock to shade the root area but the consensus on this forum is that that advice is misguided. Someone, long ago said they found wild Clematis growing with their heads in the sun and their feet in the shade and then the rumor started. Clematis just need to be kept moist, not shaded. They are considered full sun plants.

Wiling and drying are common to newly planted Clematis and usually it does not mean they get too much sun.

BoS, I need a little advice re new plants too. I planted a whole bunch of clems from Dan, in the spring of this year. All but one, is 6 to 8 ft tall and blooming like crazy. Admittedly, they are treated like royalty in my garden, but I have never had such strong growth from first season plants. Should I be cutting them back, and not letting them get so tall, am I setting them up to fail?
TIA, Kat

Clematis wilt!

I experienced this two weeks before our son's wedding in our garden when out of the blue one morning the previously thriving white clematis over an arbor was black and crispy. Not planning a "goth" wedding I phoned my local nursery who bailed me out with some mature plants.

That was three years ago and it seems to have recovered (now that I don't care). It is apparently one of those things that happens to the most careful of gardeners.

Here is a link that might be useful: About Clematis Wilt

I agree with BorS - you seem to have done very well with first year clems and I don't think the few little issues you are seeing now are of any concern and are really somewhat expected ;-) There is NO sign of wilt and I really don't see any need to hard prune now at this time although you could......when is not so much the issue as that it get done at some point. If not now, then in late winter as most clematis gardeners practice.

I know a number of growers that like to hardprune first year plants right after they bloom (in ground or not) or when first planting and an equally large number who do not follow this practice. I've done both and I'm not sure it makes any difference either way. It IS of benefit to hardprune any clem after its first season for various reasons but the timing IMO is very flexible - just get it done before the start of the next season.

Thanks to all of you for the great information. I can hardly wait until next season to see how these plants do. I planted some last year at my old house and chose to leave them behind rather then trying to move them. The house is vacant and the clems are growing all over the lawn in the yard since I took my trellis with me.

I was also wondering if anyone can tell me what each of my plants are by looking at the pictures? Thank you!
Roudy

Kat, I would not worry, just hard prune them in February.

Roudy, the first one looks like Crystal Fountain. Can't tell on the others until they bloom. The reddish purple one is difficult since there are so many that color.

To alilbrat: Can you still go back to your former house to dig the clems? If so, they move just fine. Moved all of mine in late Sept almost 3 years ago, all returned the next spring on schedule.

The house sold last week and although it is still empty the new owners are there every day working around the house so I don't think I could get away with going back and digging them up. It looks like they mowed over them when they mowed the lawn because I can't see them anymore. :( I truly hope I am able to stay in this house long enough to get to enjoy my plants this time.