This will be our 3rd year in this house. By now I've sorted out most of the former owner's mistakes (so fun to blame every problem on the other guy ;) but I'm stumped by this last one. We have an old-fashioned front porch. Apparently the former owner had a clematis that climbed along the railing but my husband likes a "clean" look and wants it gone. For the past 2 years I tried to dig the clematis out so I could move it. Unfortunately the roots are quite deep - maybe 18"? - and the stem would break before I could successfully get to the base. No more shoots for the rest of the season so I thought the problem was gone. But each spring a strong new shoot comes up and we start all over. I love a fighter and would love to save this plant. Best solution would be to successfully dig it up completely and transplant at least make a root cutting and save the plant that way. Btw I have never seen the plant's flowers or even its unopened leaves. This year I'm letting it crawl along the ground and hope to have success in moving it. It's big, strong and grows very quickly. Any ideas on my best way to move the plant once and for all without killing it?
Clematis are hard to kill. Yours appears to have a healthy root system. Yes, Clematis have deep roots so you will have to dig deep to get all the root out. Don't try to dig it out before pruning the shoots to the base. Clematis stems are very fragile and break easily. There are 3 different types of Clematis when it comes to pruning - group 1, 2 and 3. Group 1 never need pruning; group 2 get pruned lightly after flowering and will usually produce a second show of flowers. Group 3 get pruned almost to the ground every year. When you prune these depends on the climate in your area. If you have a cold winter, leave the pruning until early Spring, otherwise you can prune in the fall or winter. Of course, you have to know what Clematis you have in order to prune it correctly. In your situation, you will, of course, have to cut it right back when you move it - Spring or Fall - so, if it turns out to be a group 2 or 3, you will not get any flowers the first year after transplanting it, but it should turn out to be a very healthy long living plant. Plant it in a sunny spot but keep the roots heavily mulched. I think you've done the right thing in leaving it alone until it flowers. After it flowers, take a photo or make a note of the color and number of petals, the color of the stamen and the shape of the leaves. It is sometimes hard to be sure even after doing this as so many Clematis are very similar. The best website for information about clematis is 'Clematis on the Web' <www.clematis.hull.ac.uk>. This lists every Clematis with details of how to take care of it. Or find a garden centre that specializes in Clematis and they should be able to tell you what Clematis you have. As it appears to be quite an old one, it is probably q popular and well known one. Good luck with it. It will be worth the effort to save it.
