The difference from a very small (4") to a gallon pot sized clematis is at least one year, IMO. The roots fill the container and are often coming out the bottom of a gallon pot while often those in the 4" pot do not even fill the pot. The larger root system means more blossoms sooner.

I don't know how an even bigger pot is regarding roots and growth as am not willing to pay the $50+ that they go for in my area.

mnwsgal: I've seen 2 1/2" pots, 4", 7", etc listed on the sites and I was wondering just how different they may grow.
I appreciate your response.

Julia

My growing season is short and my winters long and harsh. Although this doesn't seem to conform with the concensus here on the GW clematis forum, I have best results planting right into the ground, regardless of pot size. I have planted 2 1/2 inch pots (the roots need to be teased apart since they were so crowded) up to Silver Star Vinery's robust 1 gallon plants and several sizes in between. In general I find that if planted in ideal conditions (good sun, evenly moist, well-draining soil) that the large plants will be full and will bloom well their first year. The plants in the small pots will just grow the first year (both the roots below ground and the foliage above), bloom sparsely the second year, and by the third year will start looking full and robust. From what others write here, if conditions aren't ideal, the smaller ones are at more risk for failure.

Different clematis do grow to different sizes and at different rates in my experience, although the term hardiness is usually used to refer to cold (and at times heat) resistance and requirements. Most (though not all ie C. montana) clematis sold in the US will be cold hardy enough for you to grow without problems. Also, different clematis are easier or more difficult. The large-flowered clems are more prone to wilt, while the smaller-flowered ones are more wilt resistant in my experience. I do have a couple of large-lowered clematis, but in my area I have had best luck with the viticellas, the atragene group and other smaller-flowered varieties.

A good source for additional information of clematis in general is below (if you haven't yet run across it.)

Here is a link that might be useful: Clematis on the Web

As alluded to in a some of the previous posts, pot size really is only a determinate of how fast the plant is to establish. Very young plants - those available in quart size containers or smaller - are at greater risk in the garden due to fewer and more fragile stems and an undeveloped root system. That's not to say you can't plant them and achieve success with these small vines......just that they are more vulnerable to a number of issues.

A lot of experienced clematis growers - myself included - prefer to grow the smaller, younger plants on in a larger container before letting them loose to compete in the harsh, cruel world of the bigger landscape. That at least allows them time to develop a healthy root system and hopefully, develop some additional stem growth as well.

A good many online growers as well as a number of other sources offer a great selection of various clematis in smaller sizes. And the price is generally very favorable for these babies :-) Nothing wrong with buying smaller sized plants; just that you may have better long-term success with them if you grow them on for a season before planting out, especially those purchased later in the year.

Thank you nhbabs and gardengals for the feedback and the link. I plan to get mine in the spring so they have a full season to get established. I will ask about the root systems before I buy. I didn't realize larger flower clematis tend to wilt so I will keep that in mind.

Julia

Sorry - I just reread my post and it's unclear. Wilt is a condition that may affect young clematis where a plant will die back, sometimes to the ground and sometimes only a few stems. The prevailing theory seems to be that it's caused by an underdeveloped root system compared to the upper growth. Usually the plant will regrow, either later that season or the next.

I appreciate the further explanation. I'm trying to learn as much as possible before I embark on getting more clematis next season.

Julia