In a book about viticella clematis that I bought the author suggested placing a plastic pipe into the ground with the bottom opening right next to the roots at planting time. The pipe was buried at a slight angle , with the top above the soil line and some small rocks at the bottom opening. It's supposed to make watering deeply easier. Has anyone tried it or have thoughts about whether it would be helpful? Once my soil dries out in hot weather it is hard for water to penetrate deeply. The pipe idea sounds like a possibility but I also wonder whether a certain amount of water would evaporate through the pipe itself. I've also heard of sinking a clay pot into the ground near a plant and filling that with water that sinks in a little slowly.

I've read pros and cons about putting rocks near a clematis. I do think soil is moister under a large rock. A small flat rock might overheat and cause more problems. My biggest concern about growing clems is that my soil drains fast and can get pretty dry. One thing I've found that doesn't necessarily look great is if I put a 3 gal potted plant of some kind near a newly planted plant it helps keep the soil moist since I water the potted plant and it leaks out its water kind of slowly.