I moved a Sweet Autumn Clematis with no problems the next year. But maybe it depends on the kind of Clematis - Sweet Autumn is a Monster.

Mindy,

It does set them back, but not much. Clematis roots are thin, so it is virtually impossible to keep the rootball with the soil on it intact. Most likely, the soil will fall off. Try to dig the entire rootball. Be careful - Clematis roots are fragile.

Cut back all top growth back to the first leaf nodes before you transplant. Plant Clematis deep, so the crown is 2-6" below the surface. You can even get some blooms later this year.

alina, just wanted to thank you for this terrific advice. I am following it and all is well, even in july heat. (watering well.) thnx so much,
mindy

Glad it helped Mindy :)

Next spring, pinch back all new growth (above the first leaf nodes). Each stem will throw two new shoots from these nodes. You can pinch these new shoots too - that will help to form a nice bushy Clemmie, not a 1 or 2 vine wonder. It will also stimulate the roots and maybe some new vines from the crown. If it is type 3 Clematis, do this each spring. Many type 2 Clematis response well to hard pruning too.

You are an experienced gardener and you know that you have to keep it watered well until it is established :o)

alina, i am following your lead in all things clematis!Yes, the watering, we're on it. You know alina, i think we'll be up to 60 or so varieties after we plant all these. I've kept to the smaller flowered ones about 70% because we are growing them up conifers and shrubs mostly; many obelisks and 2 trellises for the large flowered ones. I don't know if we will be successful w/ their happiness because 80% of the time, we are squeezing them into their spaces; our gardens are so packed (you can see on the website what i mean>> See No Evil= See No Dirt for us!)But we are trying to give them peach basket sized holes w/ manure and lime added. I think the ones we have lost over the years have died because of drought or lack of fertilizer, so i really want to keep on the water and monthly fertilizing programs.

As for cutting back, the really helpful woman at Donahue's, a few yrs ago, told me that ALL clems do well w/ cutting back to ground. As I have been doing the opposite these 6 yrs. since we started w/ clems, (no cutting at all!),I hope to be able to follow her advice next spring.Do you do that?

Since I'm turning this post into a Clem Overview, i will add that of my orders this yr from Garden Crossings(Midwest),Brushwood(GA), Joy Creek(OR), and Plant Delights(NC), I found GC to send the most perfect specimens (like fake they were so perfect!with about 12" of greenery on them) and brilliantly packed in a box w/ built-in cardboard cells. Brushwood was very good, and the latter 2 were just O.K. I think all of the clems had good and comparable root systems, so I'm just talking their tops here. I bought the largest number from JC because Br was sold out of most things. I know JC has a number of diff growers and maybe that accounts for the ugly/ all cut back tops. But they certainly do have a great big selection, esp of smaller flowered clems. JC, because we're in boston area, has the highest shipping costs(or, i should say, UPS has the highest shipping, from there)and GC shipping was surprisingly low for being in the midwest. Where are you alina? What's your vendor experience w clems? Oh, I have to say- the other plants i ordered from GC- carex banana boat, some agastache-- were all wicked healthy hunka plants.They really did impress me.(Oh, and they shipped almost immediately too, where the others were 1-2 wks behind them.)
thnx so much for all your helpful advice.
mindy
www.cottonarboretum.com/