1. The easiest cutting to root is the lateral stem of a spent bloom. Green wood roots more readily than woody growth. About 5-6 inches long is ideal. 2.Cut off all of the leaves but 2 or three at the top of the cutting. 3.With a sharp knife, cut the bottom at an angle. I use an x-acto knife. 4.Then make a series of very shallow cuts parallel with the stem at the bottom of the cutting; you just want to cut through the outer skin. Think of them as scratches. 5.Wet the end and dip in rooting hormone.Shake off excess. 6. Put rooting medium of your choice in 4" plastic pots and water. (I use ordinary garden soil, but some people get fancy) Poke holes in center with a pencil. 7. Put cutting in soil being careful not to rub off the hormone, press soil firmly around the cutting. 8. Place pot in large plastic zip-up bag. 9. Blow up with air. Place bag in a sunny window. DO NOT MESS WITH IT FOR AT LEAST 4 WEEKS, except to blow up bags with air. Do not water, do not wiggle the cutting, do not fuss with it daily. If you just have to know if it is forming roots you can very, very gently pull on the end of the cutting. If you feel resistance it is rooting. When you see roots coming out of the bottom of the pot, replant it in a larger pot. Note: If you notice mold growing around the stem you can open the bag and spray it with hydrogen peroxide diluted with water. Say 3 tablespoons in a quart of water. Hope that this helps. I have very good results with this method. The most important thing is to resist the urge to mess with it too much. Cheers, Collin

There is also the 'water method' which some people have had success with. I plan on trying it this spring. All you do is take some semi-hard wood cuttings and put them into a vase of water for 3-6 months. Some clematis will root well this way as I have seen. (Change the water when needed) But.....(As Jeanne mentioned above), The absolute best and easiest method I have ever tried for rooting a clematis is to 'layer ' a vine into a pot of soil, (3/4 full) set into ground level next to the mother plant. Bury a section of live vine in the pot and cover it with soil about 2" deep, trying not to snap the vine. Leave the end of the vine sticking out of the soil. Within about 6 months you have a new plant with roots and you can cut the vine away from the mother plant. I have had 100% success with this particular method. It's foolproof ! I have also tried rooting cuttings in soil using a rooting hormone with very little success. This method seems to work better for those who have a greenhouse or a propagation system, which I don't. I've almost given up trying this method after about 100 attempts and only a 1% success rate. Suzy

Hi Karyn, My VIENNETTA died after that crazy winter we had, but it was potted. Probably, it will do fine in the ground with some protection (mulch). Prune both of your Clemmies after blooming and fertilize with rose fertilizer at the same time, you will get second blooming in our climate. I would also hard prune them next spring to stimulate branching and root developing. I am growing about 40 Clematis now (some of them in pots you gave me :-), thanks!). What I learned: Our summer sun is pretty harsh for Clematis, so plant them where they will be protected from afternoon sun, east exposure works very well. Your purple Clemmie might also fade badly on full sun. By pruning down to one third after blooming we can get up to 3 blooming periods in our zone. Good luck with them! Alina.

I've been propagating by cuttings for a good thirty years now, but still don't pretend to be an expert. The question of rooting in water or a mix is a good one. Rooting in water develops roots with large cells full of water, so when they are then planted in a potting mix, the roots have to change up rather fast in order to take up nutrients and many times they go into shock and die. I prefer to start everything in a soil-less potting mix. I have also found that for some reason I have a much better success rate by using styrofoam cups as the containers. I simply punch a small draining hole in the bottom, then fill with the mix and really water thoroughly. This means watering them until I am positive that they are damp all the way down. Most of my cutting are around six inches in length and I remove all the lower leaves but leave a few of the upper leaves. This is necessary so the cutting will have the leaves to help produce food and will be able to take up nurishment when the roots begin to develop. I then put the cutting in the center of the mix, take a bendable straw and insert in into the cup at the edge. This will hold up the plastic bag that will be placed down over the cutting, straw, label and cup and fastened on with a rubber band. The plastic bag needs to have a small hole put through both sides at the top so that excess heat can escape if necessary and provides for a bit of circulation. A knife point or icepick will do nicely for making the hole in the bag. I usually use sandwich bags, the foldable kind, not zip. The cuttings are then placed in a bright place, but not in direct sun and if put together properly need not be disturbed for at least a month. Many things this time of year will be rooted in a month, but I suggest checking for roots and perhaps giving them a drink at this time. If not rooted, they will then be alright for a couple more weeks or better, until they do root. There are very few things that you can expect 100% success with, but there are some. I've never lost a forsythia, miniature rose, african violet, spirea, and many houseplant varieties, but most things you will lose some. The most dangerous time for doing cutting is when they are amply rooted and you attempt to uncover them. Take your time doing this. Take the rubber band off and loosen the bag for a day or two, then pull the bag up a bit to expose one side to the air for a day or two. If that all goes well, then take the bag off, but at no time during the procedure allow the potting mix to dry out. Patience is all important in doing cuttings. Once you've been successful,you will be amazed at how much you will learn.