This probably won't help much, but...

I've always been one that believes in not fertilizing most things the first year like fruit trees as one example. I think they should settle in and get used to the native soil, but I do give clematis a little fertilizer from time to time in the first year. Some people add bone meal to the planting hole and some don't. I guess it all depends on how you feel about it. You can do organic or synthetic fertilizers or both. Depends on you. I sprinkle a little slow release (6-10-10) around mine and from time to time give them some Miracle Grow or Schultz Bloom Plus or Schultz Liquid Tomato Food. I think sometimes we go overboard with our care and well intentions. I know one man that doesn't fertilize his clematis ever and he has less problems than I do with wilt. I always wondered if there was a connection with fertilizing clematis (fast growth) and wilt. Not the black wilt, but the other kind that some say is caused by rapid growth and a young clematis not being able to handle it. Who knows! Try planting one with bone meal and use other fertilizers on it and plant one without all of that and see how things go over the years. :)

Thanks for your thoughts Ibu68,

I heard bonemeal is great even for a young clematis just being placed into it's home. I will wait until next spring before I give rose food. Who knows for such but I just got a couple of clems yesterday, Elsa Spath & Wisley and they are in a gal container but pretty leggy looking. Should I cut them back to get a fuller bottom and to encourage a stronger root system. Have you or anyone had exp. w/Elsa or Wisley?

Thanks,
suebot

Litlle of slow release fertilizer will never hurt, may not help either but its my money after all...
Clems could live 90 years or so it takes time for them to come into their own and I do give them spinkle of slow release fertilizer when plant and give a drink of liquid one/ half strenght/ during their beginning of growth.
I can say that I am successfull, I have about 60 clems and rarely/ namely 2 times/ got clem wilt or any other trouble.
Since they all in shade they might not bloom as abundantly as on other's pictures but few flowers go long way in shade and I have my share of their beauty.

I always add 2 cups bonemeal and 2-3 cups composted manure in the bottom of an 18"x18" hole and then leave them alone for the rest of the year as the bonemeal breaks down very slow. The only other thing I have used is tomato or rose food alternating when I feed which is only in the spring with new growth. Then I use bonemeal again after they have been in the ground for a couple of years and I mix it with composted manure (THE SAME AS ABOVE)then carefully dig a 4-6 inch trench and load it up. I stay away from miracle grow as I have heard it has too much nitrogen. My neighbors had 4 planted, used miracle grow every time they watered, had a few blooms for 2 years and then none of them showed up this spring. I had to laugh as they think they know everything and was trying to sell me on miracle grow and was telling me last spring how much better theirs would be because of it. Not one of the four came up this spring. Then I have also heard some really great things from people who use it, but not on clematis vines. I choose to do mostly natural as the salts build up in the soil from the powder mixes and this is not a good thing either. You really just can't beat natural but everyone has their own opinion. I also mulch with wood chips and of coure plant a few inches deeper and then after they have been in the ground a few years and after they go to sleep in the late fall I dump a half bag of composted manure around the base and cover with more mulch. The first clematis I done this with had 18 stems come up the following spring, A Nelly Moser. I'm not sure if this was because of the composted manure and all the bonemeal I use or a freak accident but it went nuts and I am absolutely enjoying it. I have clematis vines planted on a chain link fence every three feet with rose bushes scattered about and lilies and WOW what a show, and everyone gets composted manure and bonemeal. As for the cutting back, I plant, then wait for about 2 weeks, then cut them down to about 8 to 12 inches depending on the individual clematis and how young it is. It scares me sometimes with these tiny starts some places send out because they really have to be babied. I like healthy root systems to start out with, especially for my zone and stay away from wal-mart. K-mart, some Home Depot's have really good root systems as do some mail orders. When you live in a warmer climate I believe these tiny clematis (from wal-mart) can do well because they have more time to grow and less severe weather to deal with. I just choose to start out big and healthy and believe me, it pays off in these colder climates. I have done the wal-mart thing and it's not for me.

Ice Angel-

Thanks so much for your indepth reply. It cleared alot of things up for me. Your methods seem very sound and I plan to follow them exactly. Have you had any experience with either Wisley or Edna Spath? Do you live in Wyoming? I envy you if you do? I live for fall and winter. My gardening gets me thru the spring and godforsaken summer. The humidity kills me.

Thanks so much,
suebot in CT

Suebot, was it you that mentioned rapid growth wilt? I think I had one just do that. It's not the regular wilt, I know that much. what do I do with it now? cut it down or what, it's still green, just wilted.

There's nothing wrong with Miracle Grow. They make more than one formula and it's not all super high in N. :) They also make slow release kinds. Simple... Look at the N in the NPK and go with one that's lower. Same goes with all fertilizer when feeding clematis. Though I dont use it, many people including some major clematis growers use Osmocote. It's in the same category as Miracle Grow.

Hi Flowergirl70ks,

That surely wasn't me posting about wilt. There is another member who's name is sue_ct z6 where mine is suebot 6CT. Sorry, I wish I could have helped you out but I know nothing about rapid growth wilt. I have noticed on a young clem I put in the ground last year that a few of the stems look bent into a right angle right before it leafs out. That is always on the most recent growth. Is that what you are experiencing?

suebot in CT

Hi Suebot in CT,
Yes I live in Wyoming, since 95', from Calif. and still can't get used to the -30 below with 50 mph winds. I don't have those 2 clematis yet, although I am sure one of these days I will aquire them. If you like pinks, one clematis not to miss is Charissma, breathtaking. I forgot to mention in the earlier post I have horrible soil so I buy perfect mix made by expert and have only found it at wal-mart.I always put a couple of inches of that over the bonemeal manure mixture so the roots don't come in direct contact with it then fill the hole using the bagged stuff. Adventually the roots will grow down and spread into the bad soil but by then I usually have enough good stuff in the ground for nutrition. I had dumped some manure I had left around a 2 year clematis and when I watered, the manure came in contact with the stems and it died to the ground. If this ever happens, leave it alone and water as usual. 3 new stems popped up in less than 2 weeks.