There is plenty you can do to encourage more vines coming from the crown. The first thing should have been done when you planted her and that is to have planted her deeper in the ground by several inches than she was in her original pot. This would have buried dormant nodes that not only would be called into play if she gets wilt or is chewed back by rabbits and such, but also would have given rise to new vines. During this past year, you should have encourage her to branch out and produce more lateral vines by pinching the main vine back at nodes along the length of the main stem. This would have forced dormant buds in the axillary nodes to develop and form more side branches. More branches mean more leaves which allow more photosynthesis and therefore more energy production to accomodate more vines from the crown. If you didn't pinch back during the growing season this year, make sure and do it next year. The last thing to do is to treat FM as a type III clematis at least this spring, but perhaps for even the next two years. Treating a type II as a type III and pruning the plant back to within several inches of the ground each winter or early spring will allow the plant to develop a larger root system and force new vines from the crown.

In spite of all this, some plants are just more prone than others to develop a multitude of vines coming out of the crown than others, regardless of what you do. In the future, if you purchase your clematis from a local nursery or where you can physically see the plants prior to purchase, the best way to get multiple stems is to purchase one that already has more than one coming up out of the pot.

Thanks. This is my first time growing clematis, and I didn't know about this "pinching back" thing. I'll have to read up on it more.

I'll make it easy for you. Next spring when you or your neighbors prune your roses whack this Clemmie off at about six inches.

When it grows and reaches about six to eight inches again, pinch out the growing tip(s)

Do it again in 2010.

Thanks all! Will do.