Question on moving a clematis...can u help ?

Question

I have a beautiful blue flowering clematis - but I planted it in the wrong spot. I would like to move it against my house where I just dug up some lemon balm - which I am sorry I planted (it overtakes the area!).

Chicago climate - it's been 60 - 70's lately -but not the norm. Is this a good time - or wait till mid-April. We could still get snow here!

My question is - How do I make sure I don't have any residual
lemon balm - and what's the best way to transplat this healthy clematis. (it's been 3 years in the same spot - it's really full and I hate to kill it.) Thanks!

Answer 1

Clematis is best transplanted in winter when it is dormant. If you get snow or your ground freezes, transplant it as absolutely late as possible before these occur. If your clematis has buds or blooms now, you should wait until next fall/winter for your move. If you can't wait, just know that while it still might make it, it just as as easily may not. When you do move it, prepare the new planting site first. Dig in plenty of organic material and ensure that the planting hole is generous enough to take the rootball. If the plant has become very tangled in its support, cut it back hard. If you can, bundle the clematis stems and tie them together loosely while transplanting. Dig up the clematis with as large a root ball as you can. Lift it with a sack or section of strong horticultural cloth underneath. Plant the clematis about 2 inches deeper than previously to encourage new growth from the root. Transplanted clematis will need plenty of water in the first year after moving, water twice weekly. Also watch for signs that the ground is not free-draining enough (a frequent cause of death) until the plant has re-established. It will most likely skip a flowering as a result of the transplant, but that does not mean it did not transplant well.
With regard to the lemon balm, you can't use any sure method of getting rid of it, such as an herbicide, because that will kill other plants you want to keep. While it is a pain to keep digging them up, the good thing with plants is that they all can't help but eventually show themselves, so you will see any that you miss and will just have to keep digging it up until it's all gone.

Answer 2

You've had it there for 3 years....? That makes things difficult because the roots have surely spred out far. I'd wait until your risk of snow is over for sure. Until then I'd keep an eye on the spot that you just dug. When you do dig it up, dig a circle that is double the width of the plant. You are surely going to have to cut some of the roots, but make sure that you don't do it too much. Your plant is going to be very stressed so you will need to treat it like you did when you first planted it. Since it will be in a new area get some starter fertilizer. You will also have to water it faithfully. If you really don't want to take the risk of killing it I'd leave it where it is and then buy a new one to go in the other spot. Other than that there is no way to guarantee that you wont kill it, no matter how careful you are.

Answer 3

First of all, I'd wait until the risk of snow is over. About the balm, I'd just make sure to get all the roots I could find, and weed well around the area to make sure none of the "weeds" that are tiny are really lemon balm. You might need to rototill the area, too, to make sure that it's going to be good for the clematis. And for the transplant... I wish I could help, but I haven't transplanted any of mine. I could guess, but if I were wrong, I wouldn't want the plant to be hurt.

Answer 4

I have no idea. Maybe u can call a garden center and ask them.Im in chicago, weathers been great, but ur right, we can still have snow, so I would wait till mid April, just to make sure da risk of snow is over! I cant wait to move to florida!

Answer 5

everything that charity said but i would move it while it was still dormant with as large a root ball as possible and when u plant it put some straw down to protect it from any bad weather