We got a beautiful 'Blue Bird' Clematis in at work that I have been eyeballin' for some time now (not that I have a spot to put it in, lol). Doug's post on his TD clem made me remember I wanted to ask some questions...

I've had difficulties with growing Clematis in the past. Some never seem to get going. I assumed that perhaps my hard-packed soil had something to do with it, as I did shade the roots. Position might be a factor too? It is hot and semi-arid here in summer. Perhaps an eastern (etc) exposure is more desirable in such a case?

Is pH a concern?

I did have one beautiful plant that just up and died. Several large, established ones at work died out this year too. Not sure if some fungus/virus is at play, or too much winter moisture (there was a flood at work apparently).

I'm curious to know your tips and tricks to growing them? Does success come naturally for you, or did you have to work to get them growing well for you? Someone once gave me some advice here after mentioning my ineptness with Clemmies, but I can't find the thread now...
CMK

Aside from one that never seemed to understand how to climb up anything, I've always had easy luck. Two of mine get afternoon shade and the other two are in 100% sun. I think we share a similar climate with arid summers, alkaline soil and long cold winters. Although all mine are planted in a nice loamy rich soil. They sure don't get any special treatment though.

I don't really have any wisdom to offer, but I hope it works out for you. Clematis are special plants, worthy of some trouble, IMO!

My lucky exposure is south facing with a porch behind it and the house to the west. It's very moist and shady in the bed, but once it climbs onto the porch railings, nearly full sun.

I've also learned that they need to be in full sun. I tried to position them so they would grow up a spruce tree, but it didn't receive enough sun to produce long enough vines to reach the sunny location further up the tree.

As soon as I moved it to a more sunny location, it took off.

I also find it imperative to prune back in March in order to produce a good flush of blooms.

-dig, what do you mean by "plant them deep"? As in bury part of the stems? In a bit of a trench?
CMK

Martha

Here's the keys to successful clematis growing:

1) Well draining soil....pH not much of an issue unless out of whack.
2) Large, deep and enriched planting hole. This one of the very few instances where you really want to spend time preparing a deluxe planting hole. The typical recommendation is prepare a 2'x2' planting area (clematis roots can get BIG).
3) Plant deeply -- 2-4 inches deeper than the plant is in the nursery container. This helps to develop additional vines from the root crown with more resistance to clematis wilt (for those varieties susceptible), mechanical damage to the stems and assists with strong root development.
4) Prune back hard in late winter for at least two seasons. This accomplishes similar results to the deep planting. Then prune as suggested for that particular type of clematis.
5) Be patient :-)) Clematis take time to establish well, so allow 3-5 years before you see peak performance. The saying "the first year they sleep. the second year they creep and the third year they leap" was written specifically for this vine!!