How to Propagate Clematis Vines

A lovely perennial climbing plant with showy flowers, the clematis vine is easy to propagate. Layer the stem, cut the new growth or wait until late fall and collect the seeds for a long, slow germination over the winter. Once propagated, clematis likes cool feet and acidic soil. An eastern exposure is best.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

things you’ll need:

• Pruning shears
• Sphagnum moss
• Sterile potting soil
• Peat
• Builder’s sand
• Flower pots
• Garden rock

Layering Clematis

1. Select a long, healthy stem from your climbing clematis plant. Pull it gently away from the main plant, but be careful not to break the stem. To layer it, bend the stem over gently until it reaches the ground.
2. Make sure your stem length can rest easily on the ground for several inches. Loosen and moisten the dirt where you’ll plant the clematis stem.
3. Plant the middle portion of the stem about ½-inch deep, with its end sticking up out of the soil. Use a garden rock to keep the buried portion in the ground. This is the portion that will take root.

Cutting Clematis

1. Propagate your established clematis in late spring through the summer. Wait until the spring growth has hardened to a woody texture before clipping.
2. Prepare a mixture of one part builder’s sand to one part peat in a well-drained flower pot. Moisten the soil.
3. Clip a short length of vine and insert the cut edge into the soil mixture. The cutting will root within several weeks.

Seeding Clematis

1. Collect clematis seed after the vines begin to wilt in late autumn. Plant the seed shortly after collecting.
2. Prepare several small, well-drained flower pots with sterile potting soil. Moisten the soil.
3. Plant clematis seed about ½- to 1-inch beneath the soil.
4. Cover the seed with a thin layer of sphagnum moss. Place the pots on a sunny windowsill. Seeds should germinate in 14 to 16 weeks.