Clematis newbie needs to root cutting

18 years ago

My paternal grandfather passed away a few days ago. Both he and my grandmother were avid gardeners. My father will be heading to the family gathering this weekend; I'm unable to go. I've asked my dad to bring back cuttings from the beautiful clematis under their kitchen window. This vine must be 30 to 40 years old and it's just gorgeous. Dad will try to find out if anyone knows the variety this weekend. All I remember for now is that it has a bluish purple flower and grows on the east side of their house in partial shade.

1. How long should the cutting be (how many leaves above the soil and how much stem should be buried)?

2. What medium should I use?

3. I have rooting hormone. Should I use it with clematis?

4. What will it's light needs be (I have grow lights in our basement if needed).

5. The original plant is in Calgary (zone 3a) and I am in rural Saskatchewan (zone 2a). If the cutting successfully roots, when would it likely be able to be transplanted outside?

I've rooted cuttings before - ficus, rubber tree, christmas cactus and norfolk pine - but I'm nervous about this for some reason. There's a sentimental attachment here and I need to get it right. We might head to Calgary in September, but that's not certain yet. I could possibly get cuttings then, too. Grandma (passed years ago) and Grandpa's property will be up for sale after Grandpa's veggie garden is harvested this fall and it's expected it will be torn down for new development, so I only get this chance. TIA for any advice!

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Comments (5)

flowerfan2
18 years ago
I have never had any luck with cuttings. They always rot. A mature clematis usually has a lot of shoots. If you dig some of the dirt away a lot of these shoots will have their own root systems. Maybe your father can remove a side shoot with roots that he can bring back for you. I have plants from my grandparents garden also. They make great pass along plants and always remind me of good memories.
alina_1
18 years ago
Ditto. Clematis cuttings are extremely difficult to root. It takes several months to see first roots if your cuttings will not rot. Even if you will root them, the survival rate is low (especially in your climate). You can try layering, but you will have to pick up rooted branch next year somehow. If your father will be able to find a side shoot with a separate crown, he can remove it safely now. I am not sure that a Clematis will survive zone 2 winters though... Planting close to the house foundation might help.
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macky77
Original Author
18 years ago
The clematis already survives zone 3a winters; once you get down to -40ËC temps, I don't think a 5 degree move is going to make much of a difference. You'd be surprised what we can grow up here.

Thanks anyway folks. I googled instead and found a very informative page which should help.
http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/clematis/prop.htm#p6
janetpetiole
18 years ago
The person who got me started on clematis lived in Canadian zone zero, which I think is the equivalent of US zone one.

I emailed her to ask what she grew, but I forgot what she told me. She recommended the Canadian forum for further help, but non-Canadians can't get into the forum. I asked her to share her experiences at CotW but I don't know if she did it or not.
msbatt
18 years ago
I've had surprisingly good luck rooting clematis cuttings in Oasis foam, also called "wet" or florists' foam.

I take two node cuttings, remove the lower set of leaves,dip in rooting hormone, and insert the cuttings about half-way into a 1" cube of the wet foam. I place these cuttings in a shallow tray with enough water to come half-way up the sides, then I cover the tray with one of those clear plastic storage boxes and place in a warm, bright place, out of direct sunlight.

Check the water level every few days, and add as needed. Once you see roots growing through the foam, it's ready to pot up. As the roots grow they'll naturally break down the foam.

Patience IS important---different clematis root at different speeds, but all of them take several weeks.