>"I am seriously tempted to get a service for just one year to see if it makes a difference... " The only difference will be your bank account. Anything the services do - you can do even better and you are right, there is next year meaning you have this winter to educate yourself and then can plan accordingly. But first things first, Know the thistle is a bi-annual. Research that first.

Hmmm....this year is definitely unusually warm for most! In my area we've had mostly mid 70 and mid 80's lately. Looks like that's in the forecast for the next 10 days. Our frost date is April 15th. I'm thinking not this year...(hopefully!). If your weather is anything like ours, I would sow some as if it were ws'ing but keep a close eye on them. I actually have restrained myself from sowing directly, but think I am going to go for it. If nothing else, just like the containers---you can always cover them. If we do get a frost, it'll probably be a light one. What are your temps like (and forecast)?

I don't have much to add about moving the trees. Fall is a good time to do it. I've done it many times. Usually I make cuts with the shovel straight down around the tree. With a tree an inch in diameter I'd probably make a circle of cuts about 2 feet away from the tree, a foot deep, then make a kind of trench outside those cuts, then slice under the tree. For the smaller maple, I'd probably start about 18 inches around the tree and do similar. Except for male trees (for types that have male varieties), or trees that are special clones, all trees make seeds. I wish more people would find places to plant the seedlings that come up. I wouldn't let people discourage you from keeping volunteer trees. So many nursery grown trees are clones, I worry that we are losing genetic diversity. Plus, a lot of nursery grown trees in containers tend to have girdling roots that I find hard to tease out. A local seedling is more likely to be locally adapted than a tree grown at a distant tree farm. I've grown seedling maples, ginkgos, oaks, honey locusts. It's a nice feeling to see them grow tall and strong.

How about adding some support there? Is that feasible? If you prefer to move it, I would move it now, so that it has the growing season to adjust to a new home. With a 6" clematis, you can treat it like many other young plant seedlings. After the transplant, be sure to water in well and monitor it for the next few weeks.