In message , Paul Kelly
writes

"Tony Morgan" wrote in message
...
In message , Rachel Sullivan
writes
Plant it well & add a pipe going down to the roots (fill it with
stones) so you can pour water straight down to where it's needed.

No doubt para 4 in the Planting directions help Barkers sell more
clematis plants :-)

Unless you plant with a little of the brown section at the bottom of the
stem above ground, you can get disease or rot. Also cut the bottom out
of a 3" or 4" pot and place upside down to keep the sun away from the
roots.


Why are you challenging what has long been "best advice" for planting
clematis?

Clearly you do not bury all the mature stem but the site advice:

Plant deeper than the original container - not necessarily 2 or 3 inches
deeper, but as much as it takes to get at least one other set of leaf nodes
below the ground. We have done this since the plant was a cutting, and it
has been potted on at least three times since then. Do it once more!

is sound.

Then I'm afraid we must agree to disagree.

I've been growing clematis for 47 years, I can assure you that if you
plant a set of leaf nodes below the surface and you have a wet spell
within a week or so, then you can expect to get rot and lose the plant -
not necessarily but there's a good possibly..

The purpose is to ensure that there are growth buds below ground
level, hence if the plant above ground dies off from clematis wilt there are
buds available to regrow.

pk

(btw I've bought from Rachel's firm - and have another order in at the
moment - plant quality, packing and delivery were all top notch!

Completely irrelevant. However, the thought does occur to me that the
reason you're having to order more clematis is perhaps because you have
lost previous plantings.
--
Tony Morgan