What steps did you take in planting it- depth, fertilizer, backfill with native or potting soil, etc.? What is its location as far as sun vs. shade, next to a building etc? What has your weather been like?

@NHBabs z4b-5a NH Planted it deeper then the pot it came in, per a clematis website I read. Maybe about 1” deeper than the crown? Backfilled with Miracle Gro Moisture Control Potting Mix and mulched over the top of that. Fertilized with Miracle Grow Quick Start upon planting in May, and about 3 weeks later. I’ve fertilized with regular Miracle Gro once since then. It’s in full sun all day, up against a fence, but the fence does not shade it at all (north side of the property.) We had a very hot and dry early June (mid-high 90s and no rain) but it was watered about every 2-3 days. Late June/July have been better with temps in the mid 70s to mid 80s with rain 1-2 times a week.

Planting it deeper thanit was in the pot is absolutely correct. But the leaves are looking stressed and it is aborting the flowers, so it definitely is not happy.

- It could be simple transplant shock if the weather hasn’t been to its liking.

- Between the watering and the moisture control potting mix, it may be too wet, depending on your native soil and how much water you gave it. The change in texture from MG potting mix to the surrounding soil may be creating a ”bathtub” effect where water gets trapped in the hole you dug. You actually need to stick you fingers down into the soil several inches. Is it soggy or dry or just right? I am more likely to plant in the native soil and then top dress with compost and alfalfa meal and then add mulch. I don’t water on a schedule but when my fingers tell me that the soil needs moisture.

- Another possibility is that the MG fertilizer you gave it has too much N, the first number given in the 3 numbers that give the fertilizer amounts for N,P,K. IME most new plants come with enough slow release fertilizer for the first year, so I typically do not fertilize the first season. When I do fertilize it is with a slower release of nutrients. If a flowering plant gets too much nitrogen it may put out leaves at the expense of flowers.

Thank you! There is some native soil mixed in there, I tend to dig a hole, throw a big handful of potting mix in the bottom, and then fill the sides in with the soil I dug out of the hole, and top off with potting mix. The clematis was in a super tiny pot (maybe 3” square) when I got it, so it was pretty tiny. It’s grown a lot, but it’s still so small. I planted a second tiny one (that was only 3” tall) about 6 inches away from it and it completely died (even with watering) when we had no rain for 3 weeks, so I’m not sure if it’s too much or too little water. It kept getting super wilted when it was so hot, so thats why I watered often. Hopefully it will make it to next year. Thankfully it’s a type 3, so it will bloom on new wood next year.

First- potting soil is for pots, not gardens. And Miracle Grow potting mix doesn't have a great reputation anyway. I would use native soil to plant and if you need more get garden soil or topsoil.

"Fertilized with Miracle Grow Quick Start upon planting in May, and about 3 weeks later. I’ve fertilized with regular Miracle Gro once since then."

And so much fertilizer for a newly planted plant! That's just too much- three times already within the space of two months on a newly planted plant?

I would never fertilize anything when planting- let them establish and get past transplant shock first- only plants seeing active new growth should be fed.

My guess here would be "overcare" due to fertilizer burn on an already stressed plants.