Darla, I just bought and potted up a couple too. I have them in morning sun and afternoon shade for now. I will gradually move them to more sun as they become adapted to being potted up. I hope I'm doing it right. LOL

Darla, Mammie is absolutely right. Morning sun/afternoon shade works really well. In my zone I have to protect my potted Clemmies from the hot afternoon sun, but in your zone it might be not that vital. Anyway, nursing them in containers gives you excellent control. I would also recommend protecting them from heavy rains. My babies got very chlorotic after 2 weeks of rains last summer. Rain washes out essencial nutriens from the pots.

Thanks much! I'll move them into a spot that gets more sun. Should I be snipping them back, or should I put in a stake and let 'em climb?

Hey, one more question that Alina got me thinking about... I potted them up with Miracle Grow potting mix- the kind that has fertilizer added to it that "feeds for 3 months." Should I still fertilize them periodically?

No, unless the plants begin looking anemic there is no need to feed the plants with additional fertilizer. I also agree with the others. Potted up clematis will do infinitely better if given some shade in the late afternoon until they have been planted in the ground. I would also trim them back periodically so they can concentrate on root growth instead of top growth.

I have some I grew from cuttings taken when I pruned mine last year, and I'm keeping them in pots for now, too, since they're still small. They started growing pretty tall, and I also snipped them back to about 8" tall so they can concentrate on root development. Mine are still in 4" pots, so I need to move them up to 1 gallon soon, I think.

I'm still not sure if I should plant them outside this fall or next spring. They seem so tender! At least the skinniness of their stalks and all. Are they tougher than they look when this small?

The usual recommendation - plant them when they will fill 1 G pot with their roots. If you can see their roots through the drainage holes in the bottom of the 1 G pot, it means they are strong enough to be planted in the garden.

Thanks, Alina! I didn't know that was the usual recommendation. I'll pot them up and wait.

By the way, I also have more cuttings from this year's pruning, and two have now rooted in water. It's a long, patience-requiring process, but some of them will root if left in a jar of water for months. It's pretty cool to get new clones of such a beautiful vine! Mine is Ville de Lyon.

I've never planted anything in the Fall- would it be OK in my zone to plant them out then (assuming they are well rooted)? Would they have enough time to get established before it freezes?