Clematis are usually grown on in tall, deep pots so the roots can develop. You had them in a wide, shallow trough which is all wrong for clems but fine for shallow rooted plants.
If you do as Richard says - he is a clematis nurseryman - your clemats should develop a good root system over this year and you'll get good top growth and flowers next year.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
In the trade these are known as liners, just ready for potting on into a 2 litre deep pot for a further 12 months or so before planting out. You have taken a dramatic short cut, Gary, I hope it works for you. Keep chopping the foliage back almost to the deck and keep the roots wet, don't think about flowers till next year. Best of luck, mate.
what would a 2 litre deep pot look like please? pic? do you think this heat we are having is not helping?
A picture won't help as there's no scale. Have you a one litre measuring jug in the kitchen? Imagine something twice that deep to hold 2 litres. Clematis pots are tall and narrow compared to ordinary plant pots. Go and have a look in a proper nursery or a garden centre.
In this heat, they need lots of water and possibly some shade. I have lots of young clems in 5 litre pots now and have moved them to the shade for the duration. I have other mature clems in pots much bigger than yours and doing well but the get shade half the day and are watered thoroughly and fed too.
Yours are still very young so will concentrate on root growth for a while so don't give up just because the tops look slow.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
They are often called 'deep rose pots'. If you google "2l deep rose pots', lots of suppliers will pop-up. In the photo below, a 2 litre deep pot is stood in a standard 14" seed tray:
Clematis react badly to their roots drying out so this weather is really not helping at all. I have several young plants which I'm growing-on for a year and it has been difficult to keep them watered sufficiently
@Richard Hodson - that is an 'Abundence' seedling from the batch of seeds you kindly sent last year.
A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
How long befor ethey germinated and how many? I sowed 12 Koreana Blue Eclipse in early May and only one has germinated so far but is now a bonny wee plant - all 9 inches of it. Well there were, but I've just potted it up a little deeper than before.
The maxima seedling Richard kindly sent is doing very well. Looking forward to seeing that one flower.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
I had about 10 'Ispahanica' germinate last summer and all of those are now planted out but most of the others (mainly viticella types) germinated this spring after being left in an open coldframe over winter. This is them after being pricked out, potted and now on their 2nd potting:
Some (mainly unlabelled 'Crispa II' seedlings) are still tiny but I suspect they are building up roots.
A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
OK. Patience then. I have a grown up Crispa in flower in its pot. Lovely delicate flowers with a delicate perfume. I have other Koreanas to sow and plan on taking seeds form some of my bigger plants this year just to see what I get.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
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If you do as Richard says - he is a clematis nurseryman - your clemats should develop a good root system over this year and you'll get good top growth and flowers next year.
do you think this heat we are having is not helping?
In this heat, they need lots of water and possibly some shade. I have lots of young clems in 5 litre pots now and have moved them to the shade for the duration. I have other mature clems in pots much bigger than yours and doing well but the get shade half the day and are watered thoroughly and fed too.
Yours are still very young so will concentrate on root growth for a while so don't give up just because the tops look slow.
The maxima seedling Richard kindly sent is doing very well. Looking forward to seeing that one flower.