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Perennials Container Gardening Clematis

Saving a Taiga Clematis

3 months ago

Hello all,

I am still somewhat of a beginner at plants especially when it comes to winter. We had a snap freeze here in central Texas a few weeks ago and despite my attempts to protect my outdoor plants that I couldn't move, some of them died while others were badly damaged. I had thought my Foxtail Fern and Taiga Clematis were dead, however out of curiosity I dug them up and to my shock, they were both alive, but barely. I've got four sprouts on my Clematis and I want to do everything I can to make sure it recovers. I've stripped the dead/dying/mushy roots off and put it back in its pot with about 1 inch of dirt covering the new sprouts and gave it a good watering. The roots that are dark colored in the photo did not feel mushy and its been a few weeks since the freeze. What else can I do to make sure it survives?

Featured Answer

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

3 months ago

I grow everything in containers, including a big collection of clematis, and you are right to be concerned about their health and vigor after a hard freeze. The roots of a plant are the parts most vulnerable to cold damage. And when growing them in a container, the roots are exposed to far colder temperatures than they would experience if planted in the ground.

But clems are pretty tough vines. They often miraculously reappear after vanishing in the garden for a season or two. That yours is showing signs of new growth is a very good sign and repotting the clem ASAP in an adequately sized pot with fresh planting media is the best way to go. Just keep an eye on it and water and fertilize as necessary. It may not bloom heavily this season but it should still grow well.

My potted clems also experienced a hard freeze - 15F - last month. And I also just recently moved so no time or space to offer them any protection. But it has been warm and sunny the last few days and when checking all my pots, nearly all the clems are showing buds and the beginning of new growth.

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Comments (9)

callirhoe123
3 months ago
Replant it immediately and wait and see.
LaLennoxa 6a/b Hamilton ON
3 months ago
last modified: 3 months ago
Welcome. Most clematis are much more hardy than your zone. Take a look at Rouge's post, you will see I posted a photo of my Taiga doing quite well in my 6a/b zone where, believe me, we can get serious winters. Do not be fooled: these are strong/hardy plants. In our areas, the clematis can completely die back above ground, then sends up new shoots from the roots come spring - exactly as yours are doing.
Jess Har thanked LaLennoxa 6a/b Hamilton ON
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Is the left side of pic 1 & front of pix 2 where you did the cutting? I think that if you don't see new stems & leaves coming out of these vines by early August I would cut them completely (or within an inch or so) of the ground. But in your zone I wouldn't cut anything after the middle of August, because you don't want to encourage new growth, which cutting does, so close to a possible frost. If you don't get to it, pruning above the 3rd leaf bud in May will have the same effect, when you want it to grow bushier. I think your pink might be Comtesse de Bouchaud, a type 3 (hard prune) variety, and the redish little one a texensis hybrid, possibly Princess Diana or Duchess of Albany. I don't know that much about this type yet. Mine are so young that I intend to cut them back next Spring, when Forsythias bloom, if Winter hasn't already done the job for me, which happens on many of my clems. Cutting down will not kill a clem, at worst will delay or forego blooming that season. Cutting has been recommended on the forum for rejuvination old clems that have woody stems. After you cut down, give the plant a good feeding. Rose or tomato food, bone meal, dried cow manure will halp it to grow back. Marie in ME
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It's very unlikely that spraying a fungicide will help, as I doubt it's a fungus. Clematis often lost their bottom leaves to brown/dryness. Have you ever just let it happen? It could be that you'd just lose a few lower leaves, and that the spray is causing the damage. That being said, it could also be clematis wilt. When did you transplant this? If it was in the past 2 or 3 years, it's still getting established, and sometimes they wilt, especially the type 2's. In which case, you can cut back any affected stems and keep what's left (even if it's nothing above ground) moist. It will come back.
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JC, I would bury the pot in the ground in a well drained area of your garden and mulch around the pot well. I think it will survive just fine this winter and next year, move the plant up into a one gallon nursery pot. Let it remain in the pot until the roots fill the pot and are visible in the drainage holes. Then, plant in in your garden where you want it to be located. The lesson here is that small clematis are best potted up into one gallon sized containers and nursed along until their roots fill the pot and then planted into the garden. If you do plant a small clematis directly in the garden, you will need to give it plenty of attention as far as water and fertilizer goes. If the plant appears to die, assume it is just developing its root system and continue to water it. Clematis plants that apparently die could eventually reappear in any where from a few weeks to even a couple of years. Don't count them out too soon and dig them up.
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I gave up - I'd still love to attempt this and thankyou for the advice...I'll check out the clematis forum. Right now the clematis vine(outside)is with leaves and buds so I will wait till summer and attempt again. 1 clematis is never enough!!!!! I love my vines. Now, if anyone can tell me how to kill all the thousands of morning glories that invade the whole yard and grow into my other plants - right now I pull them like weeds but that's a non-stop process. *all year.
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Jess Har
Original Author
3 months ago
@LaLennoxa 6a/b Hamilton ON

Thank you very much. I saw your photo and I was wondering if you planted yours in the ground or if you keep it as a container plant?
LaLennoxa 6a/b Hamilton ON
3 months ago
It's planted directly in the ground. I have about 15-20 clematis, all planted directly in the ground. When their shoots emerge, it's one of the sure signs that spring is upon us.
Jess Har
Original Author
3 months ago
Oh gosh, I hope someday to have something like that! Right now I can't plant in the ground as I don't own my property so my Taiga has to live in a pot.
Jess Har
Original Author
3 months ago
@ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5 I hope that such condescending comments are an exception and not a rule here. I suggest you rethink your approach and tone to how you interact with people on the internet.
Jess Har
Original Author
3 months ago
last modified: 3 months ago
@gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

Wow, -15! That's way colder than what we got here. Thank you very much for your insight! This was my first time growing a clematis. I did repot it right away and this morning I noticed one of the buds starting to poke through the dirt so it seems to be doing okay. It's been oddly warm here as well this week and very sunny. I am more than content for it to just survive, so even if it doesn't do much blooming this year I am happy to still have it at all. :)

Much relieved to hear from clem growers that they are tougher than I thought.
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
3 months ago
Sorry - I guess I wasn't very clear. Not minus 15F.........just 15F, which is plenty cold enough for a zone 9a!!

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