Large Clematis Montana Transplantable?

WiltshireWild · June 2023

I have a 8 year old clematis montana that I intended to grow along a fence. However its sprawling over everything and requires constant pruning. It also does not flower well here in my front pocket.
My question is; Can you dig it out and transplant elsewhere or will that kill it?

jimmids · June 2023

You can transplant your 8-year-old Clematis montana, but it can be challenging and there is a risk of the plant not surviving the process. The best time to transplant it is during its dormant season in late winter or early spring. Choose a new location with well-draining soil and adequate sunlight. Carefully dig around the root ball, taking as much of the root system as possible. Replant it at the same depth in the new hole, backfill with soil, and water thoroughly. Monitor the plant closely after transplanting and provide ongoing care.

Fairygirl · June 2023

Have you got a photo of the site @WiltshireWild?
Their nature is to sprawl and clamber - it's what they do, so it may not be the right clematis for the site, especially if you feel you need to keep pruning it. That's also why it's probably not flowering well as they flower on the previous year's wood.
You can certainly try moving it, but it would be better to wait until autumn. Cut it right back then and make sure you get as much of the root ball as possible.
It will need a site where you can allow it to do it's thing properly - ie plenty of room and something like a shed/garage or large wall to climb and clamber over.

WiltshireWild · June 2023

WiltshireWild · June 2023

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6030279/uploads/editor/t3/8wdd0j0wr7an.jpg

you can see the idea was to cover the fence (taken in May) but in reality it prefers to cover everything else. Plus the dieback each winter means it doesnt flower very well.

WiltshireWild · June 2023

btw, when I said "front pocket" i meant FROST Pocket.....I wouldn't expect much to flower in my front pocket!!

Fairygirl · June 2023

I'm afraid that's how montanas, and indeed most clematis, naturally grow - through other shrubs and trees. As most montanas want to be very large, sprawling plants, they're best suited to covering buildings

If you want it along a fence, you have to train the new growth, and you'll need wires secured on the fence to do that. I've done it a few times - one was planted by my back door, some of the stems were then trained over the top of the door, and the rest trained back and forth along a low fence, and then left to scramble around a pergola entrance and over the fence beside it.
Once you have that framework, there's not much else to do unless bits outgrow the space, and they can then be snipped off.
If it's dying back, there's something wrong with the soil conditions - ie possibly too wet. They're like all the Group 1s and don't like being waterlogged.

WiltshireWild · June 2023

It didn't flower this year because last years wood died back. It often does this. Here is a photo of the entirety of the fence. The fence itself is in full sun and runs southwards from the house. I would like to fill the trellis part of the fence with something for privacy. Bu the montana is just a bit too vigorous. I also tried growing passion flower on the fence but it couldn't take the frost. Any suggestions for hardy alternatives would be welcome.

WiltshireWild · June 2023

Fairygirl said:

I'm afraid that's how montanas, and indeed most clematis, naturally grow - through other shrubs and trees. As most montanas want to be very large, sprawling plants, they're best suited to covering buildings
If you want it along a fence, you have to train the new growth, and you'll need wires secured on the fence to do that. I've done it a few times - one was planted by my back door, some of the stems were then trained over the top of the door, and the rest trained back and forth along a low fence, and then left to scramble around a pergola entrance and over the fence beside it.
Once you have that framework, there's not much else to do unless bits outgrow the space, and they can then be snipped off.
If it's dying back, there's something wrong with the soil conditions - ie possibly too wet. They're like all the Group 1s and don't like being waterlogged.

It didn't die back per se, just pruned by the frost so to speak. It does that on particularly hard winters. I live by a river in the bottom of a valley. I believe the cold air accumulates here creating a frost pocket.

Fairygirl · June 2023

Montana means mountain, which is why they're very hardy - well down below minus fifteen and more. However, if the soil is permanently soaking wet and then freezing, that's where it's hard for them to thrive. They grow up here without any problems - even much further north than where I am, but the soil needs to be well draining to counteract the winter wet/cold.
It's therefore far more likely that what's causing problem. If you're saying the wood dies back, it's not frosts that are causing it, it's the wet cold. That's far more difficult for plants than dry cold. It's why lots of plants don't thrive here where I am over winter. Passion flower would be pointless here too

Frosts will damage soft new growth, but they usually recover, but if you have mild spells early in the year, which cause early growth and it then gets frosted, it also affects the buds/flowers. We don't tend to get that as everything is later to start anyway, and plants get a good dormancy in most years as they gradually get cold from September onwards, apart from the last couple of years which have been very mild.
You may just have to accept that it's not the right plant for you. Other clematis which are later flowering might be better, as they don't mind wetter soil, and most are also very tough. Other than that, it may need to be roses but I don't grow them. There's a very good rose thread on the forum so it might be worth asking there for ideas

Helen P3 · June 2023

The last winter we had managed to kill 2 of my montanas, unforunately.

Large Clematis Montana Transplantable?

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