Thanks so much for your responses guys! Very much appreciated.

LilM: I bought the plant (1 gallon I think) from my local nursery and it had a couple flowers on it. I left it on the deck in the sun (watered it once in a while) and it was just loaded with flowers after 2 weeks! Yes it took me that long to get around to planting it. Actually, it might have been 3 weeks.

I'll take Dentaybow's suggestion, leave it where it is and hope for growth next year.

Mit

Does anyone know if it is too late to plant clematis? Or maybe just wait to spring. Please help. I just love the vine.
Wendy

Wendy, I am not sure, but I had two clematis (Niobe and Polish Spirit) sitting in pots that I just planted. I am known for buying stuff on sale and then letting them sit until I figure out what to do with them. I probably will mulch a bit for winter though, then again even with my other clematis I mulch a bit (better safe than sorry I suppose). If you plant now, the top portion of the plant probably won't do anything but rest assured the roots will be developing.

The alpina pink flamingo mentioned earlier looks attractive. I notice it's pruning group 1, however, which means it blooms on old wood. Does the wood survive a zone 3 winter? If not, I guess no use growing it in zone 3.

I know Jackmanii is over used, but I guess you have to use what works well. Mine only gets about six hours of sun in total and blooms her head off. I don't worry about shading the roots because she's in a spot on the west side of the house, but shaded by the neighbors house, so it doesn't get that intense there.

My hagley hybrid has done very well in a spot with just four hours of morning sun. It probably would be thicker, bigger, in a sunnier spot, but it's a nice smaller sized vine. If anything, I guess I would say that clematis in less sunny spots do well, just take longer to establish themselves. Then again, different types of clematis grow at different rates.

Speaking of "pruning groups", I usually stick with pruning group C, which means they basically can die back to the ground each winter and come back from the base and bloom like mad. In fact I passed on some clearance vines at the store because the tags were missing and it didn't say what pruning group they were. Anyone familiar with "Niobe"? The tag said "pruning group B or C". Does it perform satisfactory in our climate?

I think as years go by I am getting impatient and it's frustrating to plant something, only to dig it out three years later because it doesn't perform well. Though I love experimenting, sometimes it's nice to stick with the known tried and true varieties that you know will perform well.

Glen

No, it's not too late to plant - that's the benefit of potted plants - a full season of planting (as opposed to, say, bare root with it's very limited season). If I find anything interesting to buy, I'll keep planting right up until the ground freezes (though the chances of finding anything interesting are rapidly dropping off). The only risk to buying late is with very vigorous plants that can become rootbound in their pots - I wouldn't worry about that with potted clematis.

Well it had better not be to late to plant clematis...I still have the one I bought on sale....its just sitting there in the pot waiting patiently to be planted...and uhhhh well.....not sure if it will even get planted this year. It might just get dug into the veggie garden, pot and all until next spring. :-(

Sierra

Thanks for helping with all those answers. I didn't know what group A B OR C was when discussing clematis. NEWBIE!!!!! I ordered a hummingbird vine and a Ville De Lyon clematis from spring gardens canada. It will not arrive until the beginning of October I am assuming. Do you think it will make it or should I keep it in the house/garage until spring? Please help.

Glen, C. alpina varieties are very hardy, and the wood has no trouble surviving a zone 3 winter. I have 'Willy', which is a very pale pink. It blooms profusely in the spring, and it puts out a few flowers this time of year, too. I'll have to trim it back, next year, because it has lept off the lattice and is threatening to take over the blue spruce.

C. macropetala varieties are also pruning type 1 (or A, depending on source), and they, too, do well in zone 3. It's the pruning group 2's (aka B's) that are iffy in our climate, but some people have success with them.

Doris

Doris - your description is funny and exactly true - alpinas are very vigorous! We have one plant ('Pamela Jackman'), in a planter no less, that has been totally indestructible. It's engulfed the side of the cat pen (6'T x 8'W) and then covered the top (4' x 8') as well (up until I was forced the other day, sadly, to cut the top part away for cat pen alterations). It blooms hugely and then retains its interest with the puffy seedheads. I've given away multitudes of seedlings, and I always try to make people realize how big they get, so they can understand that a very sturdy trellis and lots of space are needed, but somehow I don't think it sinks in, even when I show them the original plant!
DH planted 'Willy' last year and it's doing well - the pink flowers mingle nicely with some seedlings of 'Pamela Jackman' (I presume that's what they are, anyway).
'Hagley Hybrid' (or 'Pink Chiffon') is another excellent one for our climate - I agree fully, Glen.
Jan, I recently picked up a Adlumnia fungosa and have a spot figured out for it in the shade garden; just need to put up a trellis section for it. Glad to hear it reseeds well. (Especially since...I'm embarrassed to admit this but I've had a heck of a time trying to start them from seed, LOL!)

Mit,
As you have decided the best thing you can do is leave it... it probably won't perform well until next year. Don't give it additional water or fertilizer at this point. It will want to build a little root structure and go dormant at this point (let it be).

I've moved and planted clematis as late as mid-October. Its really never too late for them. What I would caution you about if you buy new clematis right now... as ABgardeneer says you may get a pot that is too root bound. Most clematis won't become all tied up in their own pots but some of the larger flowering clematis are pretty vigorous. If you get a pot with a ton of roots break the bottom and the sides up a bit with your hands... not too much... just a little.

Also if you see wilt on a new plant right about now don't worry about it so much as it will likely bounce back next year.

For those of you with older clematis that don't seem to perform well anymore (no matter what you do) I have two suggestions.

1. No matter what type of clematis it is you can give it a fairly heavey prune.

2. In the late fall stick a spade in the ground on one side the clematis about 4-8 inches from the base of the clematis to break some roots.

Sometimes threatening plants with their lives will cause them to bounce back into life again in the next year... I have a mix of pruning types and I have had to mark down each of their names and types so that I don't forget how I'm suppose to treat them (fortunately most of them get cut back to about 1 foot every year).

Quoting Lilmonicker "Sometimes threatening plants with their lives will cause them to bounce back into life again". LOL! Wish this technique worked with people too.LOL
Wendy

I'm sure a near death experience for any person is life changing LOL

Has anyone tried Clematis Engelina My Angel? I was really interested in this one earlier this year but didn't have a chance to nab it. None of the local nurseries carried it, I guess its still too new... if you have it please let me know how it looked this summer. Are the stems really as purple as the pictures show?

Hey Lilmonicker,
I got NOSEY to see what the clematis "my angel" looked like and came across this. Seems like Holes carries it. It has a list down the side of all the people testing and selling it (at least I am assuming that is what that list is for). Good luck. Very cool looking clematis. Hope you find it!
Wendy

Here is a link that might be useful: info

Thanks TheGr8Blade :-)

Southern Ontario, BC or Alberta that seems to be my choice for "my angel". Has anyone purchased anything from Holes Greenhouses and Gardens in the past. Would you give them a good reference?

I have purchased many things from Hole's...mostly in person from the greenhouse (several members of Calgary's horticultural community make a yearly bus trip to Edmonton to shop at Hole's, although I prefer to go on my own) but also through mail order. The quality of their plants is superb. The packaging, when shipping plants, is excellent.

Unlike other mail order companies, Hole's ships the same size plants as they sell at the St. Albert nursery. The up side is that plants are potted, large and healthy (my William Baffin rose arrived, years ago...before Explorer roses were as easily found in local greenhouses), in full bloom, planted in a one gallon container...it didn't even seem to realize it had been packaged and shipped). The down side is that shipping costs are quite high.

Hole's is a family-run business. The late, and beloved, Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta, Lois Hole, was one of its founders, and the company has a stellar reputation in this province. I do not hesitate in recommending them to you.

Doris

Another clematis question here.

When I was out working in the front gardens yesterday I came upon an idea........now this doesn't happen often folks!!!.....So tell me what you think or if this will even work.

The bed that I wanted to put some taller plants in for a block from the road....I was thinking that maybe putting in a 4x8 foot sheet of lattis......in the lower area. The reason for this is to put the clematis that I already bought and is sittin in a 1 gallon pot. When I got thinking about this.....I am wondering if I could put a clematis on both sides of this lattis. One side would get morning sun till about 1. And the back side would get sun from about 1 till the sun goes down.

Now this lattis and clematis will be in the mixed perennial bed. Any thoughts on this? Will they get enough sun?

Sierra

I have Ville de Lyons in an area that gets sun until about noon. It bloomed its first year but hasn't since. But the vine is doing well, so i don't think lack of sunlight is a problem.

Anyway, i can't see why you couldn't put a clematis on each side of the lattice - i would imagine that you would need to frame the lattice in to make sure it's steady and strong enough, but that shouldn't be hard to do.

Clematis and lattice - that's going around in my head now! There must be some poets out there!

Well gosh I am the wrong person to ask about clematis (as evidenced...), but conventional wisdom would probably say that would be fine. I don't even know if you need to plant it on both sides, one plant would probably find its way through and cover both sides. Unless it was in my garden that is, in which case it would be dead hahahaha.

From what I have seen, clematis will FIND the sun it needs, even if you plant it in part shade.

Oh also, make sure you have some good strong posts holding up that lattice, climbers are always trying to pull over lattice in my garden. Doesn't help that my mentally deficient dog doesn't see the point of going around what he can see thru runs it down.

Yes, the 4'x6' or 8' sheets of lattice (plastic or wood), when set in a frame, and supported by square fence posts set in the ground, are great for clematis - we are using that set-up in a couple of spots - makes a nice screen. Another good use for those lattice sheets (cut to whatever size is needed) is to attach it to a wooden fence to allow clematis to climb up.
And yes, rest assured - whatever clematis you plant on one side will twine its way through the other side - we have that happening all over! I think it would work well, though, to plant a different clematis on each side - I would just offset the two plants by a few feet so that they mingle nicely.
Only one of our several clematis is really in full sun, so your idea sounds just fine.

Hee hee..I spelled lattice wrong...duh

Well I think I saw the lattice with the trim around it. So that is what I had in mind....unless I can't find it now. And yes we learned our lesson about how heavy climbing plants can be....when we had one of those small metal arches that are a foot wide....that clematis tangutica that I had, was huge and the whole thing fell over. LOL. So the plan for the lattice was 4x4 fence posts.

Ohhhhhh I like this idea the more I think about it.

Thanks for your thoughts and advice!
Sierra

Sierra I can't wait to see how it looks. Make sure you dig those 4x4s in good & deep!

The cuttings (all 3) that started this post are still ALIVE... fingers crossed!!!!

On second thought, I think I would only recommend the wooden lattice, not the plastic stuff (re. my previous comments). We took down a section of plastic lattice the other day that had been outside for maybe 2 or 3 years and it was rather brittle. Not to say the wooden stuff will last forever either (it's just lathes stapled crudely together) but judging from our old deck, it will last a good long time, so long as the lathes are safe from accidentally being broken.

The wood lattice idea would look very nice. A few years ago I had some spare lattice so I made basic trellises out of them. I could have gone 'fancier', but I basically trimmed the lattice to the size I wanted (example 6 feet high, 3 feet wide) and attached stakes to them. I dug in the ground and secured the top to the side of the house. I still use one at the side of the house for my dropmore scarlet honeysuckle vine. I believe they are actually pressure treated or some sort of treatment that helps them last longer, but you can stain or paint if you want as well. In fact my clematis reaches over and starts growing on the lattice which frames the railing by my back door.

Regarding planting two clematis on the lattice, that would look very nice. Each might grow through to the other side a bit and therefore you might see two colors of flowers mixed.

Speaking of clematis, today I realized how I lucked out and planted the right size clematis in the right spots. My hagley hybrid, which is smaller in size, just perfectly fills the four foot trellis by the pond. The Jackmanii superba at the side of the house is long enough that it bends around the corner and starts growing on the lattice by the back door railing. I didn't pay much attention to mature size when I planted them, but sometimes things just work out okay.

Glen

Darn....had to travel south again and wouldn't you know a nursery on the way was having a sale. Bought Clematis 'Alionushka'. Cross between integrifolia and a large flowered hybrid. Been wanting this one for awhile although I don't have a clue where I am going to find room for it.
Jan

Glen, it's called "serendipity"!

Jan, i can help you out with room for that clematis! :)

Way to go, Jan! The gardeners's creed is (or should be!) - "when faced with temptation, always give in" - 'cause you never know when you'll come across that plant again!
I succumbed also - I visited Rundlewood Gardens today - a great place for anyone interested in unusual plants. (There are also "open garden" days - see website, attached. It's a private dwelling - the garden is incredibly beautiful!) DH was interested in getting another alpina hybrid, either 'Pink Flamingo' or 'Frankie', and they had 'Pink Flamingo' so I got one. (By the way, Glen, they do mail order.)
Also got an interesting integrifolia hybrid (just what I need - another one!!) called 'Pamjat Serdsta' that has dark violet-pink, broad-petalled bells. They had one growing there, and it was lovely. Great place for interesting clematis, as well as for cool perennials!

Here is a link that might be useful: Rundlewood Gardens, Calgary

OH NO!!!!! ABgardeneer, you are naughty for posting that link. I cannot control myself. New creed " LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION BUT DELIVER US..." oh forget it, where's my visa!LOL!
Thanks
Wendy

Marcia - as usual, you are just too kind....offering to take 'Alionushka'. Unfortunately, I cannot risk being caught by the Plant Police at the border. So...being the long-suffering type, I will endure yet another trial and tribulation.

Lori- I so envy you just going to a nursery and finding all sorts of great plants.....in the new and different category. Perennial nurseries within 150 miles of here are so limited in what they have to offer. I have way more perennials than they do!

But....there is always mail order and since I have a $20 credit at a good place I am contemplating a few more clematis. Namely..
C. alpina 'Constance'
C. integrifolia 'Rosea'
C. x jouiniana 'Mrs Robert Brydon'
C. 'Princesse Alexandra'

Anyone have an experience with these? Do ya think the x jouiniana would be a hardy one? Hopefully, I won't order them all since I have many other non-clematis perennials on the list. If these mail order nurseries only knew....they would all issue me a credit because when I use it I can easily exceed the credit by a multiple of 10!

Do they make one of those Exercise Videos for Self Control?
Jan

Yeah, but i think they sell them at nurseries, way at the back behind all the plant tables...

LOL that's awful. Videos for self-control. hahaha

I have another question, is it too late to take cuttings of clematis to root? If I did, could I store it indoors until spring, or plant it out and hope it has time to establish? My mom has another one I really really need a cutting of.

LOL!!!

You guys are such a bad influence on me! Haha Hey we gotta blame someone right....hahaha

northspruce.....I would take a few cuttings....try a couple in the ground....and try a couple indoors under lights. See what happens.

Now you got me thinking again.....STOP that you guys!!! LOL...My friend has some interesting clematis....I wonder if I could take cuttings....Hmmmmmm I think she has a pink one....And I will be dropping off some daylilies this week once I get them all divided....aHemmmmm, hey you know your pink clematis?...do you think you would miss a couple snips off it...hee hee.

Ohhhhhh dear the clematis bug had caught! Now where did you say I could find that video? haha

Sierra

I think i saw some back behind the clematis tables. :>

What were you doing looking back there Marcia? Was your cart full? You can get a second one you know LOL :D

Second??? Third, fourth, fifth, maybe! LOL

Northspruce last year I took 4 cuttings from my macropetala clematis "BlueBird"...one survived.I kept it in a window in my plant room where it grew to over 6 feet and bloomed inside..I have it planted outside now and it looks nice and healthy and has grown even more...I now have more bluebird clematis cuttings inside the greenhouse and they all look like they have rooted plue one Polish Spirit cutting...I am planning to keep 1/2 inside the house for the winter and plant out half..If you plant your clematis cuttings with your scarlet beans..make sure you dont pull the beans out but cut them off instead..I layer some straw over the base of my clematis for the winter...hope you have good sucess with your cuttings... This is a picture of the cutting while blooming August 8th...savona
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Went to a local garden center today... they had whats left of their clematis on for $6.00. I really attempted to resist the urge to splurge... that lasted about 30 seconds. New to my garden 3 Madame Granger and 3 Jan Lindmark. Spent a good part of the afternoon clearing out the Morning Glories to make room.

Update - I murdered 7 more. Grrrrrrr

Just got back from Victoria Friday night. Nurseries and selection galore out there. I brought back Clematis Venosa Violacea, a pink Heather and an evergreen shrub/ground cover called Lingonberry with little red berries. The tag on this last one said hardy to -40, so should survive. I have never heard of it or seen it around here. Reminds me of Holly with but hopefully hardier for me.

Now I'm very excited after reading all your osts. I'm a zone 3 in Oregon and never have tried growing Celmatis because I was told they would ot do well here... But I see by your zones here that I could very well grow them.... You have made my day, maybe not my budget but definitely my day. LOL
So I garden but have zero experience with these so please give me some ideas and maybe some good links or??????? Thank you in advance.

Northspruce,

How do they keep getting killed off? Do you have pictures? You shouldn't have this much trouble with clematis.

-Andrew

Andrew thanks for your concern. I think I have done about everything wrong that I can. The first ones died of spider mites, the next batch got roasted when it was +32, then the last ones, which I thought were going to take, got eaten by slugs. There were just twigs and veins left. :-( I know I shouldn't have this much trouble, I think I just have bad clematis luck. I didn't take any pics, there's not much left to see.

Gillian, try taking cuttings now...even if there are no leaves left.......bring them in the house ...put in soilless mix.....uhhhhh 2 inch pots to start. Place planted cuttings in a plastic zip bag (that sheets come in)....or cover with plastic......till they root.....should be 6 to 10 days. During this time keep near a window for light...doesn't have to be right on the window sill. You can also give bottom heat if you have it available.....Also during this time make sure that the soil stays damp not wet. Check every day or two....this will also let fresh air in the bag. Make sure none of the cuttings leaves or stem touches the plastic.

After they are rooted.....(you will be able to tell by giving each a very gentle tug.....roots hold in the soil...if not rooted they will pull out or move.) Acclimatize them to your room temp....by opening the bag for a couple of hours a day to start then gradually leave open longer...then place under lights or right on the window sill...Pot up to larger pots as needed....by next spring you should have nice size plants to set into your garden.

Take more cuttings than you need to be on the safe side.

There shouldn't be any slugs in your house. ;) :))

Keep at it...it will work one of these times!
Sierra

Sierra thanks, I will try some more. We haven't had the f-word yet so the leaves are still green. I wondered about putting a bag around them, as one set of cuttings dried up on the windowsill (forgot about those...). I actually have an ideal (but small) space, an upright freezer in front of a south window. The freezer provides bottom heat and it's also next to the washing machine for humidity. I just wish it was 25' long LOL. :)

The other thing is, the last cuttings I took that dried up, produced some seed heads, so I might be in luck to try some from seeds. Maybe a pioneer wintersowing project? hmmm Can you WS clematis?

Yes, i did tangutica and ligustifolia this year. I believe...someone - can't remember who now - (Ian, Stanly? I know it was a man!) had some tangutica he winter sowed and it bloomed this year. That was in a recent post.

Northspruce,

You didn't dispose of the burnt and slug chewed ones did you? Often a couple of my clematis will go dormant and look burnt. Also, if the growing tips get damaged (usually when first planted but sometimes wind damage) they will go dormant and look kind of dead. One of my Blue Boys was hit by mites and sawfly larvae this year and looked completely dead but just greened up a little over the last 3 weeks.

I wouldn't rip a clematis out until the following year no matter how pathetic it looks. I'd still wait until July. If you haven't trashed them leave them be.

Also, you'll notice in this post and a previous post I've mentioned first year plants and damage... my experience has been that the garden centres put a whole bunch of clematis together on a table or in a display. While on display the clematis usually get all tangled up. No matter how careful you are you usually end up hurting the plant you are trying to separate from the display (or someone else does before you get there). Even if you are careful there is the car ride home and the placement.

Okay so now lets assume you get the clematis from where ever, and you manage to get it into your garden without hurting it. It is still a perennial vine or shrub and it needs to develop a root structure. A good root structure for a clematis (in my experience) is three years worth of growth and some hard pruning to encourage branching (no matter what pruning type).

Even if they are black looking I'd wait till next summer before digging them up. I look at clematis as long term investments... put as much as you can into the hole because it will pay off in the future. Give them at least three years to perform.

Thats my two cents.

Gillian, I wouldn't place cuttings in a south window with direct light as they will dry up. If you have a sheer curtain, that may be all right though. I've had success with cuttings from Markham's Pink, but I always have them in the north window which gets no direct light of course. I also use clear plastic drink cups to start them in, that way I can actually see the roots growing before I take off the cover, which is just another clear cup sitting on top (makes a great mini-greenhouse!). For my cuttings, I believe it took closer to a month before I saw any roots, so hang in there!

Good luck,
Laurie

I recently purchased 2 jackmanii clematis and they are not in the ground yet. (I know...procrastination..) Should I be planting them yet outside or try to keep them alive in the house for the winter? If I plant them...shake off the "garbage" soil around the roots, plant them a few inches lower than the crown, and mulch overtop...what are the chances that they will make it through the winter? I picked up a beautiful old wicker double bed headboard (in the garbage at my daughter's apartment that someone was throwing out, it sat there for weeks before I took it) with all kinds of swirls and stuff on it that I thought the clematis climbing over in the summer in the middle of one of my landscaped flowerbeds would look great on.

I will take cuttings off my existing absolutely beautiful jackmanii clematis that has bloomed for 3 months already and follow the directions given in this thread. Hopefully I can get some of them to take and have a few more to plant out next spring. When I bought the other two clematis a month ago I didn't realize how "easy" it could be to start new clematis.

Andrew - I haven't dug them up. I will wait to see if they come back. Thanks for the advice.

Laurie, when I do cuttings and seedlings at the south window they go off to the side and no direct sun. I think they needed to be covered with plastic though, because the freezer's bottom heat dried out the soil so fast.

Gillian....yes they will need to be covered. I use those plastic zip bags that sheets and blankets come in.....I have different size ones....depending on what I am propagating. I find these bags much easier to use than baggies or plastic cups because you don't have to worry about your cuttings hitting the sides and rotting.

I don't have a south window...my windows are east west..and I don't get hardly any sun in the winter. If you get a lot of sun.....take them away from that window. They need light but not to much sun. Also while in the plastic bags don't let to much sun hit them....early morning sun maybe. You don't want to cook them.

Geez now you got me thinking I should go take cutting from the two I have now......Hmmmmmmmm
:-)
Sierra

I like using planting pots and the top half of a clear 2 liter soda bottle. You can control the moisture level by opening and closing twist lid. If your sitting them in a window remember to turn them around once a day so they get good circulation and don't become lopsided.

Lately though I've been growing my cuttings using the wet florist foam technique. I've had a much higher success rate this way recently.

Valleyrimgirl, i bought a clematis at about this time last year too, and ended up sinking it, pot and all, into the vegetable garden for the winter. I planted it in late spring and it grew and bloomed. So, i'm sure you can plant your clematis now with no problems. Good luck!