On Sun, 13 Feb 2011 22:35:26 +0000, Spider wrote:

On 12/02/2011 08:48, bob wrote:
On Fri, 11 Feb 2011 18:29:03 +0000, wrote:

On 11/02/2011 16:22, bob wrote:
I posted here about some C.flammulas I'd bought a couple of years ago
- 3 plants without roots!!. One of them did in fact survive and is
going strong right now.

The two that died soon after planting were replaced with a couple of
decent examples purchased last year and both are healthy with new
growth showing.

I'd quite like to move one of these to another spot in the garden but
wondered - mindful of the fact that it's current location is close to
a concrete wall and surrounded quite closely by other plants with
roots which are probably intertwining - if this is a high risk
manoeuvre at this time of the year?

On the assumption that I'm unable to dig a large enough bowl to
include the entire root intact, would this rate as high risk for the
plant's survival?

Thanks if anyone can offer a risk appraisal...


I would have thought it was manageable. Personally, I'd wait till the
end of March/into April when regrowth is assured. Obviously, you'll
have to work carefully around the other roots, but I'd be surprised if
you don't get the majority of the Clematis roots out. It will need lots
of TLC in its first year but, if you can bring on a Clematis with no
roots, I think you're bound to succeed with merely disturbed roots!
Good luck.


Many thanks for replying. In fact this was one of the healthy plants
sold with good roots that replaced a rootless one which expired. I
take your point about waiting till early spring, I wasn't sure if
dormancy or growing activity would be the most opportune.

Another question occurs to me. The plant was sold in a 3-litre pot and
I wondered how much larger the root system would be now after a years
growth (in fact planted in July, I think, so not even a full year).

Maybe not an easily answerable question but a clue on this would give
me some idea of the size of the bowl of earth I need to dig out and
the likelihood of disturbing neighbours.


I doubt with all the competition it's got that it will have raced away.
I think you'll find it's relatively easy. Start by loosening the soil
with a fork, then explore with a trowel. You should soon see how deep
and wide the rootball is and then you may feel it's safe to give it a
bit more welly. If it's good enough to move, it's good enough to take
some time over. If you want to prepare the new planting hole, then dig
a hole twice as wide and deep as the original pot .. maybe a little
bigger all round if you're on heavy clay, so the roots don't sit in a
cold, claggy sump. Some bonemeal will help to get the roots off to a
good start in the new hole.



- after reading Charlie's post I'm more likely now to exercise caution
and leave well alone - apart from the layering experiment which is at
least risk-free. But for the moment, I've done nothing and might just
act on impulse, in which case I'll be mindful of your advice.

- many thanks for the additional post.