I hate to sound like a broken record but the first thing I would do is check to see how the roots are on the clematis that you received. If they are good sized and fill the pot for the most part, I would go ahead and plant it in the ground, water it in well, and then mulch it well for the winter. If the roots are less than what would expect for a plant coming out of the container, I would be tempted to pot it up into a one gallon sized container and leave the pot outside until the weather turns cold enough to kill the top foliage back and then move the pot to a place where it stays slightly above freezing over the winter. At my house that would be an unheated garage. What you want is to keep the plant dormant over the winter. The only reason I would keep a clematis growing a over the winter is if I had a greenhouse or solarium where it could get adequate light so that it would not get spindly or infested with spider mites or aphids.

Many thanks nckvilledudes for the helpful reply. In the meantime, a short note came from the seller saying that the plant should be planted immediately, watered well, and mulched. I did all of that. I didn't get much look at the roots, and since this is my first experience with a clematis, I'm not sure what a "good" looking root would be. I have to admite I was surprised that a plant about the size of a small strawberry plant with 1 or 2 leaves and a bamboo stake with nothing attached to it, should come in such a large box. So I hope that there was something worthwhile in the growing medium!

In any case, you didn't sound like a broken record; we are are new to this appreciate any insights. I am finishing a beautiful "outdoor room" which will have a cable pergola above, and hope for a clematis cover to get started next year. Many thanks

John

No problem John. Post pictures as I am sure that we would love to see them. Don't know where you live and how large your outdoor room is, but a montana would be a great choice to provide a lot of growth, vines, and foliage, not to mention wonderful flowers in the spring.

OK, I'll post pictures of the room soon as I can get over this cold .... Until then. here are two more questions that I have been unable to answer by scanning the forums and groups.

The outdoor room is 20 by 20 and its 4 "walls" are:
- The front of our house (ranch/w attached garage)
- A white cedar rough sawn board fence - designed to look old and weathered; 4' plant bed in front of it
- A closely spaced hedge of 12 Arbor Vitae on a small berm with dwarf pampas grass in front of it
- Two mature but small (bearing!) dwarf apple trees which "happened" to be in the perfect spot.

Round table/11' umbrella and six chairs, chimnea and (proposed) oudoor fountain in corner complete the pix.

Now to questions: I have designed a pergola to cover about 2/3 of the "ceiling." It will be 1/8" stainless steel cables running out from the house, and a few cross cables.
I chose cable rather than wood, as we want a lot of light; a lacey effect. Thus I need plants that will not only climb 10' uprights but then over spread the pergola, yet not develop great weight or thickness. When I read most clematis grow 8'-12' I wonder am I considering the right plant?

Have read that Montana goes further than that, but that it can become quite heavy. True? For our particular application, I don't mind thin vines from past years; don't need blooms although I'm sure in time they will come. Just don't want to prune something near the ground in spring and then have it fizzle out just at the edge of the pergola.

This is a convoluted story, and I apologize. But when you're shut in with a cold, it's OK to ramble a bit - I hope.

Many tahnks for all insights.

John

Over time monatanas can get very thick and heavy trunks and vines. Not sure exactly how long that will take but they can be pruned back to prevent the heavy vines from being over the covered part of the canopy. Since I am unsure what zone you are in, zone 5 seems to be the upper max for them without having to worry that they might get killed back each winter to their roots or that the flower buds get frozen off so you would never get any flowers. Like I said previously, you could however keep the vines cut back each spring after flowering (if it will flower for you depending on your zone) and then you wouldn't have to worry about thick heavy vines.

Per your other question, most clematis other than the montanas or possibly some of the atragenes are not going to get huge enough to cover your trellis to the lengths you want. Sweet autumn clematis or clematis virginia might, but off the top of my head, I can't think of many more that would fit the bill. Perhaps someone can think of some that my addled and tired mind just can't come up with.

Just out of curiosity, which clematis was it that you ordered?

Don't worry about rambling, we all do it! ;)

We are in central CT, about 20 minutes north of Long Island Sound/New Haven. We are a bit up in the hills but most winters are not severe.

Choices were pretty well limited when I made a "stab-in-the-dark" pick from Chalk Hill. It's called "Tateshina."

Only other experience with clematis is one at a cottage in the very northern part of the state on the side of a cabin. No idea of the name, and until this forum, never knew it should be pruned so it has never been.

Each spring around end of June it blooms beautifully. The thing that amazed me is that the twigs (or vines) that run up the little trellis, have stayed the size of a thick piece of spaghetti -no where near pencil size. Yet apparently it gets enough nourishment to bloom. I thought if I could find something that would stay as light as that, get it to the top of the post (the outside edge of the pergola), and then let it spread horizontally each season; that would be ideal. Due to lack of pruning, this one blooms at the roof line (about 7' - 8') each year and then the thin branches with their flowers drape down from that point as they have no where else to cling. I can see that needs to be changed.

You're probably smiling, thinking Is this guy a novice or what? Alas; it's true. In any case I appreciate the help.

John

Novices keep the forum alive and it's fun to read because it reminds me of when I first discovered clematis :-)

John I would bet in your location a montana would be root hardy but not have flowers on it due to freezeback. The plant may actually die to the ground each year which would be good since the vines would never get large but then you wouldn't have blooms either.

Tateshina is a type II and according to COTW will get up to 2.5 meters tall. Multiply that by 3.28 to translate that into feet. I will link below pictures of it from the Clematis on the Web website.

If you are looking for something the size of spaghetti in terms of clematis vines but that will cover your pergola, I think you are looking at the wrong vine. I don't know of any clematis whose vines will stay that small but cover the spacing you are wanting.

Your soil must be nutrient rich enough to provide your clematis with what it needs. The fact that it blooms so high up on the vine indicates that it must be one of the type IIIs which will bloom higher up if not pruned because they bloom on new wood.

We all start at novices at everything we do. The only way we get past that stage is by doing, asking questions, and reading about our area of interest. Keep the questions coming!

Here is a link that might be useful: Tateshina

Thanks for the link; looks like a beautiful one for sure.

Sounds like if I am going to use a clematis, I need the type where you leave most of last year's wood unpruned. If I could permanently secure the woody vine to the post that goes up to the pergola, and then let it go out over the wires each year for whatever distance it wants to, then virtually all the new growth would be up on top.

Maybe I'm missing something, on that idea, but I did read there is one pruning variety where you leave most of the previous season's wood.

By the way, we have a short trip to make so if I seem to disappear....... not sure I'll have internet access on the road, but will be back in touch soon as we get back.

Type I and type IIs are generally not pruned except to remove deadwood or contain their size. However even they benefit from being treated as type IIIs the first year or two in the ground.

Have a great trip. I am myself off on a short trip to see my mother in Charlotte from Tuesday to Friday.